hopd's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Chicago, Illinois

The Secret Mermaid

This unauthorized stone mermaid was secretly carved out of public stone before being permanently preserved.
Bedford, Indiana

Bluespring Caverns

The longest navigable underground river in the United States is home to countless blind and albino animals.
Traverse City, Michigan

Protected Indian Trail Marker Tree

This tree was warped centuries ago to serve as a botanical wayfaring tool.
Toronto, Ontario

'Woodpecker Column'

The giant birds honor two native North American species.
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Food Gatherers' Giant Carrots

The 10-foot-tall vegetables belong to Michigan’s first food rescue program.
Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Center of the Universe

An acoustic anomaly with a mysterious cause.
Tosashimizu, Japan

Ashizuri Underwater Observation Tower

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.
White Pigeon, Michigan

Wahbememe Burial Site and Monument

A memorial to the Potawatomi chief who allegedly ran nearly 150 miles to alert settlers of an impending attack.
Constanța, Romania

Constanța Casino

Once an opulent Art Nouveau hotspot, the Constanța Casino is one of Romania's most beautiful abandoned buildings.
Hunedoara, Romania

Corvin Castle

This fairy-tale castle would make Dracula (who is said to have been imprisoned there) jealous.
Charlevoix, Michigan

Weathervane Restaurant Boulder Fireplace

In the main dining room, a nine-ton boulder caps the fireplace designed by local architect Earl Young.
Osborne, Kansas

Geodetic Center of North America

This lesser-known geographic marker was the reference point for all surveys of the continent for 75 years.
Bryson City, North Carolina

The Road to Nowhere

This road in the Great Smoky Mountains was supposed to assuage a displaced community, but ended up a $52 million dead end.
Wexford, Pennsylvania

Fountain of Youth

A stone arch leads to a cavernous 1930s spring house tucked away in the Pennsylvania woods.
Tuscumbia, Alabama

Rattlesnake Saloon

You'll need cowboy boots to trek to this old-fashioned saloon nestled in a giant natural cave.
Marion, Virginia

The Octagon House

An eight-sided home built during a brief octagon craze in the 1850s.
Saltville, Virginia

Great Channels of Virginia

This maze-like slot canyon is a unique gem within an already fascinating geological area.
Bloomfield, New Mexico

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.
New Mexico

Ra Paulette's Hand-Carved Caves

One man has carved a number of natural New Mexico caves into psychedelic sandstone temples.