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All United States California San Diego

The Atlas Obscura Guide To San Diego

36 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in San Diego, California

Updated February 7, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in San Diego

San Diego, California

Sunny Jim Cave Store

Behind this beachfront shop lies a spectacular, colorful sea cave with an equally colorful past.

San Diego, California

Spruce Street Suspension Bridge

An inconspicuous footbridge beloved by San Diego locals.

San Diego, California

San Diego Museum of Us

An extraordinarily ornate museum in San Diego holds wondrous anthropological treasures.

San Diego, California

Whaley House

San Diego's most historic and haunted home.

San Diego, California

Lucha Libre Taco Shop

Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling) Themed Taco Shop.

San Diego, California

Harper's Topiary Garden

A couple turned their front yard into an artistic masterpiece.

San Diego, California

Fallen Star

This little blue house pokes out over the campus of UC San Diego, seven stories high.

San Diego, California

1895 Looff Carousel

One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D. Looff.
See All 36 Things To Do in San Diego

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in San Diego

San Diego, California

Fathom Bistro, Bait, and Tackle

Get fishing gear and craft beer at this restaurant on the pier.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

9 Surprisingly Ancient Marvels in Modern California

Long before California was home to tech campuses, freeways, and palm trees, Native inhabitants etched huge designs into the landscape. Even before that, at roughly the same time that the Pyramids of Giza were under construction, a tree that still survives today began taking root. And even farther into the past, glaciers and mammoths created enduring monuments to antiquity. Across the state, the distant past is still within easy reach. As the pandemic continues, we hope this virtual trip helps you explore America’s wonders. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

View Itinerary

Explore San Diego, California

Museums And Collections 6
Art 4
Parks 4
Haunted 3
Music 3
Unique Restaurants & Bars 1

San Diego Leaderboard

Places Added

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Add an unusual place to San Diego.

Places Edited

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Places Visited

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Recent San Diego Activity

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    thehappiesthobbits

    wants to go to Lucha Libre Taco Shop

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    has been to Abandoned Freeway Stub on State Route 163

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    has been to El Campo Santo Cemetery

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    has been to Lemon Grove Mummies

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    has been to Memorial to the White Deer of Mission Hills

Stories About San Diego

Podcast: The Rainmaker

Was Charles Hatfield a scientist or a con man?
by The Podcast Team
February 7, 2023

Podcast: Friendship Park

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
August 11, 2022

Podcast: Sunny Jim Cave

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
November 22, 2021

The Cypress That May Have Inspired Dr. Seuss's 'The Lorax' Has Toppled Down

Now there's nothing left of its whimsical crown.
by Evan Nicole Brown
June 17, 2019

A Ladybug Swarm Over California Was Huge Enough to Show Up on Radar

Aphids beware.
by Jessica Leigh Hester
June 7, 2019

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