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All United States Washington

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Washington

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

Updated May 29, 2023

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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. Coulee City
  7. Eastsound
  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
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
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.
Hall of Mosses

Forks, Washington

Hall of Mosses

Stroll through a wonderland of stupendous moss-covered trees.

Seattle, Washington

Museum of Pop Culture

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

Skamania, Washington

The Ape Cave

The longest continuous lava tube in the continental U.S. offers 2.5 miles of dark explorations for the adventurous.
See All 276 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 10 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 28
Shops 24
Plants 19
History 19
Collections 18
Parks 16
Nature 15
Unique Restaurants & Bars 15
Outsider Art 14
Homes 14
Roadside Attractions 14
Geology 12
Places To Stay 5

Washington Leaderboard

Places Added

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    Jake Uitti
    17
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    steedjb
    10
  3. M
    Mordy
    4
  4. Avatar image for slgwv
    slgwv
    3
  5. Avatar image for cyanidesiren
    cyanidesiren
    3

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. M
    Martin
    34
  5. Avatar image for Fairy Princess Lolly
    Fairy Princess Lolly
    21

Places Visited

  1. Avatar image for steedjb
    steedjb
    173
  2. T
    thirdfuerst
    157
  3. E
    evretrogrrl
    136
  4. Avatar image for Aty Trocious
    Aty Trocious
    129
  5. Avatar image for DallasKarhu
    DallasKarhu
    114

Recent Washington Activity

  • T

    toothandsnail

    has been to Gum Wall

  • T

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    has been to Hammering Man

  • T

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    wants to go to One Square Inch of Silence

  • N

    niemidanielle

    wants to go to Tashkent Park

  • T

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    has been to Mystery Soda Machine

Stories About Washington

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
Methow Valley resident Ken Bevis salvages a deer that was recently struck by a car.

The Changing Landscape of Eating Roadkill

One way to make sense of the senseless slaughter of roadkill? Salvage it for food.
by Ben Goldfarb
July 18, 2022
The Maiden of Deception Pass.

Podcast: The Maiden of Deception Pass

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
May 11, 2022
An unblemished ancient oyster (left), and an ancient oyster showing signs of the mystery parasite (right).

A Mystery Worm Is Threatening the Future of Washington’s Oysters

Clues from 1,000-year-old shells could reveal the parasite’s past—and portend the future.
by Carly Cassella
April 19, 2022
“There are so many good things in there that we can explore,” says soil ecologist Korena Mafune, pictured here high in the canopy of the Hoh Rain Forest.

Canopy Soil Is an Exciting Frontier in Forest Science

High in the branches of the Pacific Northwest, entire ecosystems know nothing of the ground below.
by Ella Morton
April 18, 2022

Lists Featuring Washington

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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