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

Tales From the Museum: The Academy of Natural Sciences

Tue, Sep 29
$15 per device
Online
Experience

Backstage with a Magician

Tue, Sep 29
$25 per device
+ 16 more dates
Online
Experience

Oregon Trail LIVE!

Wed, Sep 30
$10 per device
Unearth forgotten stories, meet unexpected characters, and discover lost secrets along the Oregon Trail.
Online
Experience

The Secret of Seattle's Disappearing Hill

Wed, Sep 30
$8 per device
A virtual walk through a Seattle land alteration project.
Online
Experience

Atlas Obscura Trivia: A Night at the Waldorf Astoria

Thu, Oct 1
$10 per device
AO Trivia and the Waldorf Astoria are teaming up to bring you a night of trivia all about the iconic, historic hotel!
Online
Experience

Accidental Discoveries

Fri, Oct 2
$10 per device
Join Dr. Kelly Reidy as she digs into history's most surprising (and oddly productive) mishaps, accidents, and blunders.
+ 4 more dates
Online
Experience

Atlas Obscura Trivia Night

Fri, Oct 2
$7 per person
Gather your team and compete in a weekly contest of wits and educated-guessing.
+ 4 more dates
Online
Experience

Dino 101

Fri, Oct 2
$10 per device
Who says dinosaurs are just for kids?
+ 2 more dates
Experience

The Spies of Georgetown

Washington, D.C.
Sat, Oct 3
$38 per person
+ 11 more dates
Experience

Explore Alexandria's Brewing History

Alexandria, Virginia
Sat, Oct 3
$30 per person
+ 3 more dates
Experience

White House Tales of Scandal & Intrigue

Washington, D.C.
Sat, Oct 3
$25 per person
+ 1 more date
Online
Online Course

Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette With Aaron Sanders Head

Starts Sun, Oct 4
$210 per person
In this four-part workshop with Aaron Sanders Head, you'll learn how to turn kitchen scraps and foraged plants into natural dyes.
Online
Online Course

Art World Muckraking: Investigating & Exposing Art Crime With Erin Thompson

Starts Mon, Oct 5
$205 per person
In this four-part seminar, learn the history of art crime, how it's discovered and exposed, and begin an investigative project of your own.
+ 1 more date
Online
Experience

Atlas Obscura: Radical Spirits - How the Occult Shaped Progressive Politics

Tue, Oct 6
$10 per device
Join PEN Award-winning historian and occult scholar Mitch Horowitz as he explores the spiritual roots of radical politics.
Online
Online Course

How to Make a Murder: Writing Your Own Murder Mystery Party With Abi Inman

Starts Wed, Oct 7
$90 per device
Online
Experience

The Unknown Universe, Explained!

Thu, Oct 8
$12 per device
Professor Daniel Whiteson and illustrator (and robotics PHD) Jorge Cham explain the universe's greatest mysteries with live drawing!
Online
Online Course

Fall Birding With Jason Ward

Starts Fri, Oct 9
$255 per person
In this six-part seminar with Jason Ward, we'll learn the intricacies of bird identification in the midst of fall migration.
+ 1 more date
Experience

Japanese Buddhist Temple Experience

Seattle, Washington
Sat, Oct 10
$80 per person
+ 1 more date
Experience

Japanese Incense and Tea Experience

Seattle, Washington
Sat, Oct 10
$50 per person
+ 1 more date
Experience

Dinosaur Ridge History Walking Tour

Golden, Colorado
Sat, Oct 10
$25 per person
Online
Experience

The Forged & The Filched: Stealing (From) the Dead

Wed, Oct 14
$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

Tales From the Museum

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

Weird Homes Tour: Pop Culture House

Thu, Oct 15
$15 per device
Experience

Sexual Fluidity Beneath the Sea

Santa Monica, California
Fri, Oct 16
$18 per person
Online
Experience

Step-by-Step: Writing A Personal History

Sat, Oct 17
$75 per device
A 3-part workshop by historical journalist and author Hadley Meares.
Online
Online Course

Cartooning Folklore & Family History With Zawadi Noël

Starts Sun, Oct 18
$280 per person
In this eight-week workshop, you’ll learn the elements of cartooning while crafting a visual narrative born from family history and lore.
Online
Online Course

Living Between Cultures: Storytelling With Justine Abigail Yu

Starts Mon, Oct 19
$95 per person
In this four-part workshop with Justine Abigail Yu, students will explore their diasporic identities through writing in the genre of their choice.
Online
Experience

Oregon Trail LIVE!

Tue, Oct 20
$10 per device
Unearth forgotten stories, meet unexpected characters, and discover lost secrets along the Oregon Trail.
Online
Experience

The Hidden History of the Radical Suffragette Bodyguards

Wed, Oct 21
$12 per device
A secret society of martial arts-trained female bodyguards who defended members of the English radical women's suffrage movement? It's real.
Online
Experience

Underwater Happy Hour w/ The New York Aquarium

Thu, Oct 22
$10 per device
Join Atlas Obscura and the New York Aquarium as we dive into some of the underwater world's most fascinating creatures, live!
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Unique Experiences From Airbnb
Selected by Atlas Obscura
Partner Experience

Hidden World of Miami Design District

Miami Design District, Florida
Sun, Sep 27
$35 per person
View on Airbnb
+ 188 more dates
Partner Experience

Kayaking in the Shell Key Preserve

Tierra Verde, Florida
Mon, Sep 28
$38 per person
View on Airbnb
+ 26 more dates
Partner Experience

Little Havana Rituals

Miami, Florida
Thu, Oct 1
$39 per person
View on Airbnb
+ 4 more dates

Unique Food & Drink in the United States

Atlas Obscura Trips
Maryland: Tracing the Steps of Tubman & Douglass
Spend a weekend in historic Maryland deepening your understanding of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, visiting sites that are foundational to Black American history.
Learn More

Community Forums / United States

Top Discussions in the United States Travel Forum

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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

hjacob has been to The Griswold Inn
paulahudson1201 wants to go to St. Agnes Church and School
DemonLlama02 wants to go to Monkey Island of Homosassa
alisevoltaire wants to go to Gaffney Peachoid
DemonLlama02 wants to go to Tiny Doors ATL

Stories About the United States

Henrietta Gomez and Gilbert Suazo, Sr., receive a Taos Pueblo squash in 2018.

Centuries After Their Loss and Theft, Native American Seeds Are Reuniting With Their Tribes

They are being recovered from seed banks, university vaults, and museum shelves.
by María Paula Rubiano A.
September 8, 2020
A suffrage march in 1913.

'Pie for a Suffragist’s Doubting Husband' and Other Recipes That Fueled a Movement

Suffragist cookbooks wielded domesticity as a political tool.
by Sam O'Brien
August 18, 2020
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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