rtarthur's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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London, England

The Mail Rail

Hidden beneath the streets of London is a secret subway that only carried mail.
Brisbane, Australia

The Pitch Drop Experiment

Started nearly 100 years ago, this science experiment just keeps on going, ever so slowly.
Røst, Norway

Lofoten Islands

The convergence of two currents makes this a surprisingly pleasant getaway in the Arctic Circle.
New York, New York

Grand Central Ceiling Dark Patch

A dark patch of the ceiling at Grand Central Terminal which was not restored is still stained brown by tobacco.
Madeira Beach, Florida

The Church by the Sea

Visitors flock to see this church tower's unintended feature: It happens to resemble a giant chicken from multiple points of view.
Washington, D.C.

Defense Intelligence Agency Museum

Amid the sprawling Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters is one of Washington's least accessible museums.
Zhengzhou, China

Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre

A magical work of architecture where a wind turbine enables monks to levitate.
London, England

Stompie: The Mandela Way T-34 Tank

An abandoned tank sits in an empty London lot as a symbolic middle finger to local city planners.
San Francisco, California

Alcatraz Island

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.
New York, New York

The High Line

Elevated freight railway turned wildly successful urban park.
New York, New York

Vanderbilt Tennis Club

The famous facade of Grand Central Terminal hides a regulation tennis court, and it's not the first one.
New York, New York

Union Square Metronome

The most confusing clock in New York.
Choum, Mauritania

Mauritania Railway

Climb atop one of the world's longest and heaviest trains for an unbelievable journey across the Sahara Desert.
Helensburgh, Australia

Glowworm Tunnel

An abandoned railroad tunnel is now filled with bioluminescent bugs.
Big Sur, California

McWay Falls and Waterfall House Ruins

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.
Crater Lake, Oregon

Crater Lake

The deepest lake in the United States, and once the site of epic destruction that lives on in legends.
Albuquerque, New Mexico

ATLAS-I

This pseudo-steampunk weapons facility is the world's largest wood and glue structure, and packs quite a wallop.
Roswell, New Mexico

Roswell McDonald's

This fast-food outlet is the only space and UFO-themed McDonalds in the world.
Roswell, New Mexico

International UFO Museum and Research Center

A museum dedicated to the alleged Roswell Incident.
New Mexico

Trinity Atomic Bomb Site

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

Maunsell Army Sea Forts

Surreal riveted sea forts once protected the Kent shores from German attack.
Lexington, Oregon

The Duplicative Forest

Remember that scene in the Matrix, when Neo is in the big white room with all the weapons flying by? Well, this is what it would look like if he had wanted trees instead of guns.
College Park, Maryland

College Park Airport and Aviation Museum

The world's oldest continuously operating airport was founded by the Wright Brothers.