mjb's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Washington, D.C.

Palace of Wonders

Bar full of oddities, specimens, artifacts and homages to the great dime museums of the past.
New York, New York

Pneumatic System of the New York Public Library

One of the last few places in Manhattan that employed a pneumatic systemic keeps it on display.
New York, New York

Roosevelt Island Tramway

One of only two commuter aerial tramways in the United States.
San Francisco, California

Yoda Fountain

There is no trying to fall in love with this Star Wars fountain, you just do or do not.
Baltimore, Maryland

Site of Edgar Allan Poe's Death

The site where Poe "in great distress, and ... in need of immediate assistance" likely died.
Amarillo, Texas

Cadillac Ranch

A sculpture made of 10 Cadillacs as a monument to the "Golden Age" of the American automobile.
Washington, D.C.

Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral

A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
Silver Spring, Maryland

National Museum of Health and Medicine

An astounding collection of medical specimens, including bits of President Lincoln.
Washington, D.C.

Darth Vader Grotesque

The sci-fi villain is a little-known inhabitant of the U.S. capital's largest cathedral.
San Francisco, California

Ruins of the Sutro Baths

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.
New Mexico

Trinity Atomic Bomb Site

Twice a year, visitors can tour the desolate site that birthed the Atomic Age.
New York, New York

High Bridge

The oldest surviving bridge in New York City, which reopened to pedestrians in 2015.
San Francisco, California

Exploratorium

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.
Baltimore, Maryland

Edgar Allan Poe's Grave

The trials and tribulations of marking Poe's grave.
Quemado, New Mexico

The Lightning Field

In the remote high desert of New Mexico, a strange array of poles beckon fury from above.
New York, New York

Trinity Churchyard

This cemetery has graves dating back to the 17th century, including the city's oldest carved tombstone and an ominous cryptogram.
Washington, D.C.

International Spy Museum

Home to items never before seen by the public.
New York, New York

Times Square Hum

A pedestrian island in the middle of world-famous Times Square emits a strange (and purposeful) humming noise.
Carlsbad, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns

The second-largest cave chamber in the world was discovered in 1898 by a 16-year-old and a friend known as "Pothead."
Istanbul, Turkey

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.
New York, New York

Grand Central Terminal Whispering Gallery

Whisper secrets in a busy station only to be heard on the other side of this acoustic arch.
New York, New York

Roosevelt Island Cat Sanctuary

The feral felines of Roosevelt Island have a small army of allies and an abandoned hospital all to themselves.
Baltimore, Maryland

The American Visionary Art Museum

A museum dedicated to exhibiting remarkable outsider art.
Alamogordo, New Mexico

White Sands National Park

Explore the largest pure gypsum deposit in the world, and go dune sledding while you're at it.