matthewtaub's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Messinia, Greece

The Well at Meligalas

A somber memorial at the site where hundreds of prisoners and civilians were executed in the aftermath of World War II.
Coventry, England

Remains of the Whitefriars Friary

The historic site where Queen Elizabeth I once gave a searing speech.
Mpulungu, Zambia

Niamkolo Church

Now abandoned, this stone church was part of the missionary efforts that initiated the Christianization of Zambia.
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Telegraph Building Belfast Blitz Scars

A small plaque highlights the damage caused by German air raids during World War II.
Failford, Scotland

Peden's Cave

A historic cave in Scotland once served as a hiding place for a famous Covenanter.
Joliet, Illinois

Joliet Correctional Center

A historic and oft-filmed prison stands in a Chicago suburb.
South Hero, Vermont

Miniature Castles of South Hero

A gardener's enduring labor of love is spread throughout a small Vermont town.
Waterford, Connecticut

Seaside Sanatorium

Ruins of a historic medical facility sits eerily by the water.
Burhanpur, India

Shahi Qila

A fresco in this magnificent palace is said to have been the first depiction of the Taj Mahal's design.
Twentynine Palms, California

Samuelson's Rocks

The only thing stranger than stumbling onto these philosophical musings is the story of the homesteader who created them.
Narvik, Norway

Z2 Georg Thiele Shipwreck

The rusted hull of a WWII German destroyer pokes above the surface in a Norwegian fjord.
Joshua Tree, California

Beauty Bubble Salon and Museum

The quirky salon doubles as a retro museum run by the world's leading "hairstorian."
Twentynine Palms, California

Wonderland Ranch and Wall Street Mill

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.
Dorset, Vermont

Freedlyville Quarry

This cavernous abandoned marble mine is popular with ice skaters in the winter.
Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks

A colorful square marks the heart of the city's LGBTQ community.
Landers, California

The Dream Wanderer

Mediums from a psychic utopian community lead a trippy VR journey on a parked desert bus.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wanamaker Grand Court Organ

The sounds of the world's largest fully functioning pipe organ dazzle shoppers at a Philadelphia Macy's.
Central City, Colorado

Nevadaville Ghost Town

This deserted Gold Rush town is home to a Masonic lodge that, strangely enough, still holds meetings.
Sibiu, Romania

Sibiu's Houses with Eyes

Something's watching you.
Dolgarrog, Wales

Surf Snowdonia

Britain's only artificial surfing lake is nestled in the beautiful mountains of Wales.
Llithfaen, Wales

Nant Gwrtheyrn

An abandoned quarrying village turned commune is now a hub for learning the Welsh language.
Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Norfolk, England

The Devil's Punchbowl

A mysterious crater-like pond has a spooky tendency to empty and fill with complete disregard to rainfall patterns.
San Francisco, California

Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption

The neighborhood church casts a breast-shaped shadow that locals have come to call the “two o’clock titty.”