Andrew Olsen's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Boston, Massachusetts

Caffe Vittoria

The oldest Italian café in Boston, this spot also serves as a veritable museum of vintage coffee ephemera.
Boston, Massachusetts

Kelleher Rose Garden

One of the now-less-hidden floral gems of the "Emerald Necklace."
Salem, Massachusetts

The Witch House of Salem

The only structure left with direct ties to the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692.
London, England

York Water Gate

These ornate arches show how the course of the River Thames has changed.
Kyiv, Ukraine

Kyiv Crematorium

This oddly shaped building is a surprising Soviet-era crematorium.
London, England

St. Nicholas Church Memento Mori

These morbid carvings remind churchgoers of the inevitability of death.
Nottingham, England

Park Tunnel

An engineering error ensured this cavernous 350-foot-long subterranean thoroughfare was never used as intended.
Zurich, Switzerland

Der Trauerautomat

An unusual vending machine designed to support mourners during funeral ceremonies at Zurich's largest cemetery.
Winchester, England

Wayfarer's Dole

Ask nicely, and stewards of a centuries-old charitable tradition will give you free bread and beer.
Laadla, Estonia

Kingdom of Torgu

A clerical error gave rise to this imaginary micronation in the southwestern corner of Estonia.
London, England

Cecil Court

A charming 17th-century alley is lined with secondhand bookstores and antiquarian shops.
Mexico City, Mexico

Museo Anahuacalli

The Mexican painter Diego Rivera created this unusual museum to display his collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts.
London, England

Peace Garden at Tavistock Square

A quiet, semi-secret square with statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Virginia Woolf, and a conscientious objectors stone.
London, England

Coade Stone Caryatids

A measuring mishap led to these artificial stone ladies losing their stomachs.
London, England

The Soho Square Hut

The Tudor-style cottage in the middle of the square is not quite what it seems.
London, England

Cabmen’s Shelter in Russell Square

Originally built for London’s cab drivers, this bright green hut now serves anyone a hot drink or meal.
London, England

Dick Whittington’s Cat

A monument to the thrice mayor of London who according to lore made his fortune by selling his rat-chasing cat.
London, England

Black Cats of Carreras Cigarette Factory

Black cat statues guard this temple-like Egyptian revival factory.
London, England

Michael Faraday's Laboratory

The lab where the scientist made his groundbreaking discoveries is preserved on the basement floor of the Faraday Museum.
London, England

William Blake's Home

The townhouse where the English poet created some of his most influential work has been preserved in tribute.
London, England

The Theatre

Two plaques commemorate the site of Shakespeare's first theatre.
London, England

The Dove

A glorious pub known for a spiteful printing feud and its famous typeface lost—then found—at the bottom of the Thames.
London, England

The First Public Drinking Fountain

Public access to clean drinking water was an instant hit among the masses.
London, England

Leighton House Museum

This artist's home turned gallery/museum preserves the creator's love of "Eastern" influences.