Museums and Collections - Atlas Obscura
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Museums and Collections

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Windmill Blades with Sail Rigging
Cambridge, Maryland

Spocott Windmill

Both the building and blades of this reconstructed 19th-century windmill can turn in a breeze.
The Tamil Bell, the broken crown of a ship's bell embossed with Tamil script, has fascinated and perplexed scholars for more than a century.
objects of intrigue

The Mystery of New Zealand's Tamil Bell, an Archaeological 'UFO'

The strange bronze artifact perplexed scholars for more than a century, including how it traveled so far from home.
Petrina Darrah February 8, 2023
Central Islip, New York

The Gallery of Shorthand

A museum that houses a collection of stenography machines plus dozens of books, photographs, and guides to shorthand languages from around the world.
Divers on the site of the <em>São José Paquete D'Africa</em> wreck off the northwestern coast of Cape Town, South Africa.
shipwrecks

Near Cape Town, the São José Shipwreck Is a Unique Symbol of A Painful Legacy

More than 200 enslaved people perished when the Portuguese ship sank in 1794.
Sam Jones February 6, 2023
León, Nicaragua

Museum of Traditions and Legends

Housed in a 20th-century prison, this small museum recounts local Nicaraguan myths.
museums

Podcast: Freud Museum London

Lie back on what might be the world's most famous psychoanalytic couch.
The Podcast Team February 1, 2023
roadside attractions

Podcast: Lee’s Legendary Marbles and Collectables

This Nebraska destination is a pilgrimage of sorts for serious collectors, and a curiosity for the casual passerby.
The Podcast Team January 24, 2023
Píllaro, Ecuador

Casa El Pacto

The devil masks on display at this small museum are part of an annual festival that has been taking place for centuries.
Izamal, Mexico

Chocolate 'OJERT' Mural Advert

A hand-painted advertisement for chocolate adorns the walls of this historic building.
After an adventurous life, this golden eagle sculpture is again on display at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.
objects of intrigue

The Unbelievable Life of the Lobero Golden Eagle

The sculpture had been shipwrecked, shot at, auctioned off, and lost—twice.
Darcy Rhyno January 6, 2023
Beware hungry cows.
museums and collections

The Arizona Cattle Ranch Hiding 10,000 Year-Old Petroglyphs

Brantley Baird’s Rock Art Ranch offers tours of canyon-wall petroglyphs and a stunning collection of ancient pottery.
All 150,000-plus objects in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen's collection are on display to the public.
museums

Our Behind-the-Scenes Peeks at Some of the World's Most Interesting Museums

In 2022, Atlas Obscura sought out wonder in cultural institutions beyond the glass cases and white walls.
April White December 27, 2022
Losel dolls on display at the museum.
Sidhpur, India

Losel Doll Museum

The art and tradition of Tibetan costumes are preserved through these dolls made by Buddhist monks.
Film archive
Lisbon, Portugal

Cinemateca Portuguesa

In addition to showing films, this one-screen arthouse cinema from the late 1940s is a museum of old film equipment.
This short snorter belonged to Tom Farrow, a member of the 384th Bomb Squadron taken prisoner in Germany during World War II. These 19 bills are a snapshot of his experience in the war.
objects of intrigue

How to Spot a 'Short Snorter'

Dwight D. Eisenhower and Marlene Dietrich both belonged to this unusual club.
Caroline Eubanks December 14, 2022
outsider art

Podcast: Duke Riley and the Poly S. Tyrene Maritime Museum

We meet an artist who has turned trash into a medium—and an indictment.
The Podcast Team December 14, 2022
museums

Podcast: The Sponge Capital of the World

Discover how Tarpon Springs, Florida, earned its claim to fame.
Vermont Toy Museum
List

22 Toy Museums That Take Playthings Seriously

The holidays aren't the only time to enjoy the world of toys.
Jonathan Carey December 9, 2022