21 Items Tagged

Midwest

The Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley is covered in murals.

Atlas Obscura Podcast Mailbag: Long Lines, Budgeting With Friends, and Accidental Adventures

How do you plan a trip with friends who have more (or less) money to spend? The AO Podcast crew has some thoughts.

The Podcast Team June 1, 2025

A fish sits on the edge of a hole cut through the ice of Bass Lake in Minnesota's Superior National Forest.

Ice Fishing in the Time of Climate Change

Wide swings in winter temperature delay ice formation on Midwest lakes, turning a beloved pastime into a dangerous game.

Kristoffer Tigue January 27, 2025

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Oz Plaza

Life-size statues of characters from 'The Wizard of Oz' stand at the one of the early screening sites for the 1939 movie.

Underwood, Minnesota

Phelps Mill

Nestled on the banks of the scenic Otter Tail River, this mill stands in memorial of Minnesota's flour-filled past.

Em Loerzel and her Anishinaabe community in western Wisconsin are bringing Mino and his fellow Ojibwe ponies back to their ancestral land.

The Return of the Ojibwe Pony, the Midwest's Native Horse

A rare breed once on the brink of extinction is making a comeback on their ancestral lands.

Roxanne Hoorn July 25, 2024

You can use any type of onion to make a calendar, but the Eszlingers prefer yellow.

How to Consult an Onion Oracle

From the Midwest to a tiny town in Italy, the tradition of weather-predicting onions lives on.

Roxanne Hoorn May 3, 2024

A Tour of Abandoned Places of the Midwest

From a Cold War-era Air Force base to the crumbling ruins of a Wisconsin farmhouse.

Jonathan Carey February 23, 2024

Making Swedish egg coffee is both a beloved tradition and a fascinating chemical process.

The Midwest's Scandinavian Secret to Eggcellent Coffee

Immigrants from Northern Europe used eggs to make a smooth, tasty brew.

Kathy Adams November 7, 2023

Horse personalities have to be factored in, as well.

Could This Be the Most Midwestern Competition of All?

Just when you thought Wisconsin couldn’t get any more quaint.

Jennifer Billock November 2, 2023

Explore the United States of Cryptids

Our archives offer a tour of the country's most elusive, mysterious characters.

Roxanne Hoorn October 28, 2023

An empty gap defines the border between the U.S. and Canada.

Four of Our Favorite Classic Podcast Episodes

From a nuclear lake to a Kenyan post office, check out these places where there’s much more than meets the eye.

The Podcast Team September 29, 2023

The contents of Blue Moon remain unknown to the public.

5 Unique Ice Cream Recipes to Beat the Heat

From Sweden's Nobel bombe to Detroit's Boston Cooler.

Sam Lin-Sommer June 12, 2023

Podcast: Chicago Bridge Houses

Where the Windy City’s drawbridge operators nestled in, at the bases of their places of work.

The Podcast Team May 20, 2025

Blue Moon’s flavor dances on the tip of your tongue, taunting you into another guess, at turns familiar and elusive.

The Enduring Midwestern Mystery of Blue Moon Ice Cream

And how—to the best of our ability—to make it at home.

Luke Fater August 30, 2021

Be sure to use fresh, ripe peaches for this magical dessert.

This Puzzling Dessert Calls for Peaches and Physics

There's a magic trick baked into Peach Puzzle.

Anne Ewbank July 1, 2021

An Old Fashioned (typically made with brandy in Wisconsin) at Buckhorn Supper Club.

How Wisconsin Became the Center of the ‘Brandy Belt'

The state with the biggest cocktail culture has an enduring affection for the spirit.

Amiee Maxwell January 28, 2021

The 2014 blue-ribbon cherry pie recipe from the Iowa State Fair.

Inside the Midwest's State Fair Historical Recipe Contest

From biscuits to cherry pie, these award-winning dishes tell family stories dating back to the 1800s.

Sam O'Brien September 11, 2020

Ice formations spouting water

Maiden Rock, Wisconsin

Nelson's on Rush River

Every winter, dozens of otherworldly ice structures sprout up from a rigged up artesian well.