8,189 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in the United States - Atlas Obscura
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The United States

8,189 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in the United States

States & Territories

Unusual Attractions in the United States

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Upcoming United States Experiences

Online
Experience

A Bat's Life w/ Dr. Laura Kloepper: Cave Life

Wed, Mar 10
$15 per device
Join one of the nation's leading bat experts as she sheds some light on the hidden, surprising, often misunderstood world of flying mammals!
Online
Experience

The Secret Arts

Thu, Mar 11
$15 per device
Learn about the world's rarest arts from the most curious craftspeople. Enter the world of the Secret Arts!
+ 1 more date
Online
Experience

Tales From the Museum w/ Kylie & Zak: The International Museum of Surgical Science

Thu, Mar 11
$15 per device
The museums might be closed, but their wonders are still waiting to be discovered!
Online
Experience

Accidental Discoveries

Fri, Mar 12
$10 per device
Join Dr. Kelly Reidy as she digs into history's most surprising (and oddly productive) mishaps, accidents, and blunders.
+ 8 more dates
Online
Experience

Atlas Obscura Trivia Night

Fri, Mar 12
$7 per person
Gather your team and compete in a weekly contest of wits and educated-guessing.
+ 7 more dates
Online
Experience

Dino 101

Fri, Mar 12
$10 per device
Who says dinosaurs are just for kids?
+ 7 more dates
Experience

Explore Alexandria's Brewing History

Alexandria, Virginia
Sat, Mar 13
$30 per person
+ 1 more date
Online
Experience

Unboxing the Pie: The Strange and Wonderful World of Pizza

Sat, Mar 13
$15 per device
Join professional pizza enthusiast, Scott Wiener, on an exploration of arguably the most popular pie in the world, pizza!
Experience

Lost and Long-Gone Graveyards of L.A.

Los Angeles, California
Sun, Mar 14
$35 per person
Online
Experience

3.14 Peculiar Pies w/ Gastro Obscura

Sun, Mar 14
$12 per device
Join the Gastro Obscura team for a Pi(e) Day celebration of some of the most curious pies we've ever come across.
Experience

The Spies of Georgetown

Washington, D.C.
Mon, Mar 15
$35 per person
+ 7 more dates
Online
Experience

Tales From the Museum w/ Kylie & Zak: Dublin's Dead Zoo

Tue, Mar 16
$15 per device
The museums might be closed, but their wonders are still waiting to be discovered!
Online
Experience

Weird Homes Tour in a Barbie World

Tue, Mar 16
$12 per device
Experience

White House Tales of Scandal & Intrigue

Washington, D.C.
Wed, Mar 17
$25 per person
Online
Experience

Monster of the Month with Colin Dickey: The Beast of Bodmin Moor

Thu, Mar 18
$12 per device
Explore the world's greatest monsters, myths, and legends with paranormal author and cultural historian, Colin Dickey!
Experience

Explore the Ruins of Seneca Quarry

Poolesville, Maryland
Sat, Mar 20
$32 per person
Experience

Dinosaur Ridge History Walking Tour

Golden, Colorado
Sat, Mar 20
$25 per person
+ 1 more date
Experience

Exploring Historic Homes of the Stars

Santa Monica, California
Sun, Mar 21
$28 per person
Online
Experience

Adventures In Digital Archives

Mon, Mar 22
$12 per device
Join Atlas Obscura as we take a deep dive into some of the digital world's most incredible, curious, and surprising online collections!
Online
Experience

Radical Spirits: How the Occult Shaped Progressive Politics

Tue, Mar 23
$12 per device
Join PEN Award-winning historian and occult scholar Mitch Horowitz as he explores the spiritual roots of radical politics.
Online
Experience

The Forged & The Filched: John Paul Getty III

Wed, Mar 24
$12 per device
A tour guide and an art crimes professor lead you on an hour-long romp through art history’s greatest mysteries.
Online
Experience

Underwater Happy Hour w/ The New York Aquarium: Sharks

Thu, Mar 25
$15 per device
Join Atlas Obscura and the New York Aquarium as we dive into some of the underwater world's most fascinating creatures, live!
Online
Online Course

Secrets of the Soil With Annie Novak

Starts Thu, Mar 25
$75 per device
Online
Experience

Tales From the Museum w/ Kylie & Zak: SFMOMA

Thu, Mar 25
$15 per device
The museums might be closed, but their wonders are still waiting to be discovered!
Online
Online Course

For Kids! Ursus Obscura: Bears of the World With Wes Larson

Starts Thu, Mar 25
$65 per device
Online
Experience

The Secret of Seattle's Disappearing Hill

Thu, Mar 25
$8 per device
A virtual walk through a Seattle land alteration project.
Online
Experience

Mysteries of the Common Houseplant

Mon, Mar 29
$15 per device
Online
Experience

Nina Nightingale's Charm School: DIY Cosmetics

Tue, Mar 30
$15 per device
Join curiosity artist Nina Nightingale for an evening of crafting, history, and impolite discourse.
Online
Experience

Minor Histories w/ Joshua Foer

Wed, Mar 31
$15 per device
Join Atlas Obscura's cofounder, Joshua Foer, as he takes you on a fascinating journey through a short history that's long on surprises!
Online
Online Course

How to Make a Museum: Creating Exhibitions With Alexis Hyde

Starts Wed, Mar 31
$205 per person
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Unique Experiences From Airbnb
Selected by Atlas Obscura
Partner Experience

Hidden World of Miami Design District

Miami Design District, Florida
Tue, Mar 9
$35 per person
View on Airbnb
+ 446 more dates
Partner Experience

Kayaking in the Shell Key Preserve

Tierra Verde, Florida
Tue, Mar 9
$38 per person
View on Airbnb
+ 59 more dates
Partner Experience

Little Havana Rituals

Miami, Florida
Tue, Mar 9
$39 per person
View on Airbnb
+ 8 more dates

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in the United States

Atlas Obscura Trips
Afloat the Erie Canal: A Self-Led Houseboat Adventure
Be the captain of your own ship as you steer along this historic waterway, experiencing its hidden wonders and two centuries of history.
Learn More

Community Forums / United States

Top Discussions in the United States Travel Forum

Post Replies Views Activity
Map of New England Oddities
SoaringRaven AdventourGirl
 		15
What would you do on a time crunch in DC?
mclairebarroso
 		19
Carolina House with a Natural Cavern underneath
Shane McGraw
 		12
New Orleans suggestions?
patrocluswashere J Ginsberg MTMarino wierdlover11
 		15
Off the beaten path / hidden gems near Nashville?
9
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the United States Leaderboard

Recent the United States Activity

adriennenewman has been to Cornè House
clnusz06 wants to go to Tucson's Retro Airport Control Tower
iaintafraidofnoghosts has been to Bahá'í Temple
sheriffsthename wants to go to Mütter Museum
clnusz06 has been to Shrine of the Ages

Stories About the United States

Everyone celebrated the completion of the horno with a meal of chicken stew.

The Architect Baking Bread Along the Border Wall

Ronald Rael just finished building his first horno with migrants seeking asylum.
by Ximena N. Larkin
February 11, 2021
A cicada from Brood X, the largest of more than a dozen broods in the region, in Princeton, New Jersey, in 2004.

The 17-Year Cicada Swarms of Brood X Are Coming This Summer

Across the eastern United States, a marvel of nature in the form of billions of loud, flying, mating insects.
by Oliver Milman
February 4, 2021
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Lists Featuring the United States

The Most Wondrous State Parks to Visit During the Government Shutdown
View from one of Green Lake's limestone reefs
Akaka Falls
The pyramid.
The quote.

The Most Wondrous State Parks to Visit During the Government Shutdown

Check out these state-run alternatives to the United States’ national parks.

70

Including Green Lakes State Park, ‘Akaka Falls, and Buchanan’s Birthplace State Park

10 Ethical Animal Places to Visit in 2019
Fierce little cat.
Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.
Oh, hello!
Little Spotted Kiwi

10 Ethical Animal Places to Visit in 2019

Unique experiences from Nairobi to Chiang Mai.

12

Including Cat Island, Elephant Nature Park , and India’s Giant Technicolor Squirrels