Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Connecticut East Haddam Moodus Noises

Moodus Noises

The Connecticut village named for its subterranean thunder.

East Haddam, Connecticut

Added By
J.W. Ocker
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Welcome to Moodus   http://www.OddThingsIveSeen.com
The entrance to Machimoodus State Park along Rt. 151.   Jackson Kuhl / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Moodus, Connecticut is known for the “Moodus Noises,” strange rumblings, thunderings, and crashings that seem to originate somewhere around Mount Tom, located in what is now Machimoodus State Park.

Reports of the noises stretch back centuries. Native Americans called the area Machimoodus, which means “Place of Bad Noises." They attributed the noises to a god named Hobbamock or evil spirits. English colonists later associated the noises with witches or the Devil. Sometimes a giant carbuncle figures into the legend. The cavern from which the noises supposedly originated was said to be lighted by one, and at one point, an eccentric Englishman named Dr. Steele set up shop on nearby Mount Tom to extract the giant carbuncle and stop the noises.

Science has since explained the Moodus Noises as resulting from minor earthquakes called micro-earthquakes. These are any quakes at the lower end of the Richter Scale.

Moodus is a village nested within the town of East Haddam, and encompasses a mere three square miles with a population of about 1,400 people. You can visit the nearby Machimoodus State Park and traverse Mount Tom yourself, but you're more likely to encounter dog ticks and terrific views of the Salmon River than witches or evil spirits.

Related Tags

Natural Wonders Geological Oddities Geology Nature

Know Before You Go

The 300-acre park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset.

Community Contributors

Added By

JWOcker

Edited By

Jackson Kuhl

  • Jackson Kuhl

Published

May 23, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • The New England Grimpendium: http://www.amazon.com/New-England-Grimpendium-J-Ocker/dp/0881509191/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279457058&sr=8-1
  • http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=478996
Moodus Noises
99 CT-151
East Haddam, Connecticut, 06469
United States
41.503536, -72.474871
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Johnsonville Village

East Haddam, Connecticut

miles away

Nathan Hale Schoolhouse

East Haddam, Connecticut

miles away

Goodspeed Opera House

East Haddam, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of East Haddam

East Haddam

Connecticut

Places 6

Nearby Places

Johnsonville Village

East Haddam, Connecticut

miles away

Nathan Hale Schoolhouse

East Haddam, Connecticut

miles away

Goodspeed Opera House

East Haddam, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of East Haddam

East Haddam

Connecticut

Places 6

Related Places

  • Winona, Missouri

    Rocky Falls

    A 40-foot waterfall flows into this unique natural swimming hole.

  • Slumgullion mass wasting area

    Lake City, Colorado

    Slumgullion Earthflow

    This National Natural Landmark is one of the best examples of a “mass wasting” in the world.

  • Looking Glass Rock seen from the Looking Glass Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

    Brevard, North Carolina

    Looking Glass Rock

    This granite rock face is named for the magnificent reflection that occurs when the sun hits it just right.

  • Sasso Menicante on Monte Cimino

    Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

    Sasso Menicante (Trembling Stone)

    This massive rock balanced for thousands of years being tossed here during a volcanic eruption.

  • Macquarie Island lengthwise, the research station at center.

    Australia

    Macquarie Island

    One of the only places where Earth’s mantle lies above water.

  • Bonhomme de Bourail

    Bourail, New Caledonia

    Bonhomme de Bourail

    A beachside monolith shaped by years of waves crashing against hard quartz.

  • The metal pillars aligned to form the Old Man’s face

    Franconia, New Hampshire

    Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza

    A serene plaza that commemorates one of the Granite State's most iconic figures.

  • The salt lake becomes colorful in warm temperatures because of algae growth

    Yuncheng, China

    Yuncheng Salt Lake

    Rainbow-hued in the summer and crystalline in the winter, this salty lake has inspired battles, temples, and plenty of awe.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.