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Conwy Suspension Bridge
Conwy Suspension Bridge
The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
John Denver Sanctuary
Patan Dhoka
Argyll and Bute Hospital
Argyll and Bute Hospital
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Chef Boyardee Statue
Cevapčići at Sarajevo ‘84
Sarajevo ‘84
In this salad, rice gets topped with pinches of toasted coconut, dried fish, finely-sliced herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, a tiny knot of noodles, crushed black pepper and dried chili. 
Thai-Islam Phochana
With fat chunks of crab meat swimming in a lush coconut milk curry, it's no wonder this dish is so popular.
Raya
Meet boba tea's ancestral cousin.
Kanomwaan Pakee
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Inside Sacré-Coeur Hospital lies an unassuming lab that peers into the mysteries of our sleeping minds.
Inside Montréal’s ‘Dream and Nightmare Laboratory’
Team Kwe's 2024 sculpture “Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls,” illustrating a traditional Ojibwe story of two figures—Wenabozho and his brother Dadibaajimad—on an otherworldly journey.
5 Stories for Native American Heritage Month
The sophisticated club sandwich combines ham, pineapple, bacon, peanut butter, and avocado.
This Book Contains a Century of Historical Sandwiches
Each fall, amorous male tarantulas prowl the Colorado plains in search of mates, who may or may not kill them.
Why Did the Spider Cross the Road?

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All United States Washington

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Washington

313 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Washington

Updated November 4, 2024

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Cities

Top Cities
Seattle
Thornewood Castle
Tacoma
Looking Up The Steps
Spokane
Hall of Mosses
Forks
Port Townsend
The memorial
Bainbridge Island
All Cities
  1. Anacortes
  2. Ashford
  3. Bainbridge Island
  4. Bellingham
  5. Colfax
  6. Cougar
  7. Coulee City
  8. Federal Way
  9. Forks
  10. Friday Harbor
  11. Goldendale
  12. Granite Falls
  13. La Push
  14. Leavenworth
  15. Long Beach
  16. Monroe
  17. North Bend
  18. Olympia
  19. Port Angeles
  20. Port Orchard
  21. Port Townsend
  22. Poulsbo
  23. Pullman
  24. Renton
  25. Richland
  26. Seattle
  27. Sequim
  28. Spokane
  29. Tacoma
  30. Twisp
  31. Vancouver
  32. Vashon
  33. Walla Walla
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
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Lists

Unusual Attractions in Washington

Seattle, Washington

Fremont Troll

A giant Troll lurks under one of Seattle's oldest bridges.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Underground

A walk through the historic city center, under the streets of Seattle.
Medical Ed. Photo by Annetta Black

Seattle, Washington

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop

A 100-year-old purveyor of curiosities, curios, and kitsch featuring mummies, shrunken heads, and a Fiji Mermaid.

Seattle, Washington

Museum of Pop Culture

A museum dedicated to the history and exploration of both popular music and science fiction.
Hall of Mosses

Forks, Washington

Hall of Mosses

Stroll through a wonderland of stupendous moss-covered trees.
A "meowcha", get it?

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café

Make your reservation to have coffee with some kitties.

Seattle, Washington

'A Sound Garden'

A huge musical sculpture and other art installations on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grounds.
Kubota Gardens

Seattle, Washington

Kubota Garden

This semi-secret garden in south Seattle emulates a traditional Japanese garden using the plants of the Pacific Northwest.
See All 313 Things To Do in Washington

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Washington

A "meowcha", get it?

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café

Make your reservation to have coffee with some kitties.

Seattle, Washington

Beacon Food Forest

This edible park is open to any and all foragers.

Seattle, Washington

Blue Moon Tavern

This popular bar has been blurring the line between normal and edgy for more than 75 years.
Presidential Car.

Seattle, Washington

Orient Express Restaurant

This Seattle joint serves food inside an old train car once used by FDR.
See all 26 Places to Eat in Washington
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

A Feminist Road Trip Across the U.S.

Atlas Obscura has a tradition of exploring the stories of women who changed the world, from wildlife biologists and mountain climbers to Civil War spies and tattoo artists. To celebrate these daring women who struck out on their own, we’ve put together a cross-country road trip. Over 12 stops and more than 3,000 miles, this route will give you a front-row seat to women’s history in America.

View Itinerary

Explore Washington

Art 30
Museums 26
Shops 25
Architecture 22
History 20
Plants 20
Parks 18
Collections 18
Nature 17
Unique Restaurants & Bars 15
Outsider Art 14
Roadside Attractions 14
Places To Stay 5

Washington Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for Jake Uitti
    Jake Uitti
    17
  2. Avatar image for steedjb
    steedjb
    10
  3. I
    ianlefk
    9
  4. Avatar image for slgwv
    slgwv
    8
  5. Avatar image for RobertPakko
    RobertPakko
    5

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for Aty Trocious
    Aty Trocious
    74
  2. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    42
  3. Avatar image for Blindcolour
    Blindcolour
    41
  4. Avatar image for Joe from Bellingham
    Joe from Bellingham
    37
  5. M
    Martin
    34

Places Visited

  1. J
    Jeff B
    264
  2. R
    rogue23jack
    235
  3. Avatar image for DallasKarhu
    DallasKarhu
    209
  4. Avatar image for steedjb
    steedjb
    183
  5. T
    thirdfuerst
    157

Recent Washington Activity

  • O

    owen 792ffb48

    has been to Gravity Hill

  • R

    rkurchak

    has been to Seattle Underground

  • R

    rkurchak

    wants to go to Museum of Pop Culture

  • R

    rkurchak

    wants to go to Seattle's Official Bad Art Museum of Art

  • R

    rkurchak

    wants to go to Steve's Weird House

Stories About Washington

Many-armed sunflower sea stars are fast-moving and can grow to the diameter of a bicycle tire, making them formidable hunters.

Baby Sea Stars Are Voracious Predators That Might Just Save an Ecosystem

Along the Pacific Coast, fast and furious sunflower sea stars are vicious hunters as adults—and they're even hungrier when young.
by Roxanne Hoorn
February 27, 2024
John Horne has uncovered the stories of numerous people buried in Nothern State Mental Hospital's cemetery, including this grave belonging to Jessie Comer, a 34-year-old housewife who died of uterine cancer in 1914.

One Man’s Fight To Save a Mental Hospital's Forgotten Cemetery

John Horne is determined to preserve the stories of those who were left behind.
by Bess Lovejoy
February 1, 2024

New Clues Emerge About the Fluffy Dogs Once Bred for Their Wool

The story of these distinctive doggos is emerging from ancestral knowledge of the Coast Salish peoples and a new genetic study of the pelt of a pup named Mutton.
by Roxanne Hoorn
December 14, 2023
Handler Collette Yee rewards detection dog Jack with a round of tug-of-war.

The Adventures and Trials of Jack, Scat-Sniffing Superdog

Jack and his handler Collette Yee found challenges, meaning, and each other in their work helping scientists better understand orcas, bats, and more.
by Roxanne Hoorn
December 1, 2023
Kelps provide food and habitat for myriad coastal creatures.

Kelp Seed Banks Save Biodiversity and Indigenous Traditions

In Washington State, a new preservation facility offers a back-up plan for an uncertain future.
by Natalia Mesa
May 29, 2023
Scientists have long known that cougars, like this animal spotted in British Columbia, will swim short distances to find food or mates—but no one expected the cats to brave more than a kilometer of chilly Puget Sound.

A Cougar Swam Puget Sound, Making a Splash Among Scientists

The young male known as M161 kitty-paddled his way through chilly waters full of orcas, raising questions about the animals' potential range.
by Ashley Stimpson
March 7, 2023

Washington's 'Washaway Beach' Experiment Is Reshaping Ideas About Coastal Erosion

In 2016, a concerned local dropped $400 worth of rock on a vanishing beach to see what would happen. Now engineers are watching, too.
by Sarah Trent
February 13, 2023
Families were raised and communities created in the migrant camps of Yakima Valley, Washington.

How Photos Tell the Story of a Migrant Farm Community to a New Generation

“I see the collection as a tool for uncovering what is already there."
by Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing
December 8, 2022

Lists Featuring Washington

World Famous Giant Shoe Museum
Gum Wall window ledge
The giant sequoia.

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near Pike Place for Curious Travelers

11

Including World Famous Giant Shoe Museum, Psychic Chicken of Seattle , and Gum Wall

Rats of Karni Mata Temple
Paxton Gate Exterior
Albino Squirrels of Olney, Illinois

A Rat Lover's Tour of the World

15 places where rodents are celebrated, feared, preserved, and studied.

15

Including Karni Mata Temple, Nutty Narrows Bridge, and Paxton Gate

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