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The central interior of Leadenhall Market

London, England

Leadenhall Market

This ornate Victorian marketplace was the setting for Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron in the Harry Potter films.

City Hall Station

New York, New York

Old City Hall Station

A beautiful and abandoned New York subway station from 1904, complete with chandelier.

London, England

Highgate Cemetery

London's creepiest cemetery was once the site of dueling magicians and mobs of stake-carrying vampire hunters.

Catacombes des Paris Autumn 2018

Catacombes de Paris

The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.

The Wave Organ, San Francisco Bay

San Francisco, California

The Wave Organ

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

London, England

The Ruins of St. Dunstan-in-the-East

One of the few remaining casualties of the London Blitz, this destroyed church has become an enchanting public garden.

Gods Own Junkyard

London, England

God's Own Junkyard

A kaleidoscopic warehouse-maze of handmade neon signs.

Taxidermy and insect displays

New York, New York

The Evolution Store

A terrific purveyor of natural history objects and curios.

San Francisco, California

Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze

A psychedelic labyrinth on the San Francisco bay.

San Francisco, California

Secret Tiled Staircase

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

Interior of the Dream House

New York, New York

Dream House

La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela's "Dream House" will immerse you in an ever changing world of sound and light.

Echo Park Time Travel Mart.

Los Angeles, California

The Echo Park Time Travel Mart

Non-profit time travel mart sells goods you would need for a trip through the fourth dimension.

Portal of books.

Los Angeles, California

The Last Bookstore

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

Isle of Staffa, Scotland

Fingal's Cave

This astonishingly geometric cave has inspired everyone from Jules Verne to Pink Floyd.

Museum of Death

Los Angeles, California

The Museum of Death

World's largest collection of serial killer artwork and other macabre exhibits.

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Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes

How roving capybaras became working-class heroes in Argentina and human residents come together to protect Christmas Island’s crab migration every year.

illuminated manuscripts

Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?

The Codex Gigas, also known as the Devil’s Bible, is the largest medieval manuscript still in existence—with an even bigger legend behind it.

What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?

Asian giant hornets, or murder hornets, are officially eradicated in the U.S. and Canada—for now.

Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations

Don’t do anything Dylan wouldn’t do.

Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat

This 1991 experiment spawned a wave of new research about engineering, agriculture, and space exploration.

Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound

A physics expert and audio engineer may have solved the mystery of a strange noise that rattled an Oregon town in 2016.

french revolution

The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison

Napoleon spent his final years in exile throwing dinner parties for his generals.

How Was Your First Trip With Your Significant Other?

When your new partner shows up without luggage, or, worse yet, turns out to be a morning person.

What Makes a Pest a Pest?

Cats and rats both hunt endangered species. So why do we love one and hate the other?

What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?

The only skyscraper Frank Lloyd Wright designed is currently sitting empty. Turns out, its design was maybe a little too considered.

The Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon: Why This Legendary Philosopher Put His Own Body on Display

You can visit the father of utilitarianism anytime you like. But will it make you happy?

The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)

What’s the real story behind America’s most infamous Air Force base?

How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession

In the 1860s and ’70s, people would gather, listen to live music, eat delicious food, and ... watch people walk in circles?

This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage

Located across from a bookstore in Alresford, England, this public toilet served as an information superhighway for spies.

The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery

In 1800, Elma Sands was found murdered at the bottom of the Manhattan Well. What followed was America’s first recorded trial.

Schieks Cave Below Minneapolis Contains a Lake of Warm Sewage

An urban explorer ventured deep below the bustling streets of downtown Minneapolis. He discovered more than he bargained for.

The Ancient Greek Guide to Succeeding at Dinner Parties

Want to be a hit at a third-century Roman dinner party? Look no further than ‘Deipnosophistae’ by Athenaeus of Naucratis.

AO Mailbag: Which Places Just Aren’t Worth Visiting?

We look for wonder everywhere we go. But today, let’s talk about the trips that aren’t worth it.