haunted
A Haunted Chamber, a Quivering Blade, and Other Spooky Science Experiments
Could infrasound, electromagnetic blips, gas leaks, and mold explain why some places just give us the creeps?
By Kate Golembiewski
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Halloween FeatureThe Unsettling Legend of Maryland's Native Cryptid, the Snallygaster
By Colin Dickey · October 27, 2023
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Halloween FeatureOur Spooky Snaps Photo Contest Winners
By Winnie Lee · October 27, 2023
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Halloween FeatureThe Charming True Story of the Haunting ‘Lady in the Tree’
By Roxanne Hoorn · October 6, 2023
Haunted Halloween Harvest
Atlas Obscura Scares Up the Best of the Season
October is our favorite month to celebrate the macabre, the mysterious, and the monstrous. Join us on a wild ride through a landscape of unsolved hauntings, terrifying legends, and hidden places almost too creepy to be real. It’s going to be ghoulish good fun.
Tales of Terror: Ominous animals, a dinner to die for, exploring an ancient netherworld, and more.
astronomy
In October, Our Night Sky is Full of Scary Stories
Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere can find the demon star Algol, a murdered monster, and victims of vengeful gods.
By Rebecca Boyle
military history
How Gremlins Went From Fairy Stories to Warplanes to Hollywood Legend
Meet these slippery, mischievous reflections of our anxieties about technology.
By Hadley Meares
An Extra-Creepy Atlas: Create your own Road Trip of the Damned with these unsettling Places you can visit IRL (in this life or the next).
Gardner, Massachusetts
S.K. Pierce Mansion
This historic Victorian mansion is allegedly so haunted that a signed waiver is required to enter.
New Delhi, India
Feroz Shah Kotla
The ruins of a medieval citadel believed to be haunted by a ministry of wish-granting djinns.
Paris, France
Catacombes de Paris
The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.
You Are Fearless. You Have Scrolled Deep Into the Atlas Obscura Crypt.
Venture even deeper into the shadows for more spine-tingling Stories, positively paranormal Places, and other spooky surprises.
Scroll down at your own risk
haunted
For the Love of Fear
In a Swedish amusement park, two volunteers faced their greatest fears—for science.
By Roxanne Hoorn
witchcraft
Isobel Gowdie and the Untold History of the Scottish Witch Trials
Some experts estimate as many as 3,000 people were accused and executed for witchcraft in Scotland.
By Sarah Durn
List
12 Important Places in Edgar Allan Poe's Life (and Death)
A tour of the writer's world, from his short-lived military career to his multiple gravesites.
fairytales
Soap Sally, a Villain of Appalachia and the American South, Echoes Old World Evil
The wicked washerwoman, child murderer, and entrepreneur has parallels to Baba Yaga and other classic European folk figures.
By Emma Cieslik
Still hungry for more mischief and mayhem?
Satisfy your appetite for all things Halloween, from tasty treats to unsolved mysteries, with these classics from years past.
Explore now