Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations
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The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

Happening This Week
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Wonder From Home

Atlas Obscura Trivia Night

Fri, Aug 14
$7 per device
Gather your team and compete in a weekly contest of wits and educated-guessing.
+ 3 more dates
Online
Wonder From Home

Dino 101

Fri, Aug 14
$7 per device
Who says dinosaurs are just for kids?
+ 2 more dates
Online
Wonder From Home

Step-by-Step: Writing A Personal History

Sat, Aug 15
$75 per device
A 3-part workshop by historical journalist and author Hadley Meares.
Online
Wonder From Home

Backstage with a Magician

Mon, Aug 17
$25 per device
+ 23 more dates
Online
Wonder From Home

The Secret of Seattle's Disappearing Hill

Tue, Aug 18
$7 per device
A virtual walk through a Seattle land alteration project.
Online
Wonder From Home

Members Only: Tales From the Museum

Tue, Aug 18
Free
Museums might be closed, but their wonders are waiting to be discovered!
Online
Wonder From Home

Weird Homes Tour: The Gregangelo Museum

Tue, Aug 18
$10 per device
Step inside a one-of-a-kind artistic spectacle: The Gregangelo Museum.
Online
Wonder From Home

The Secret Arts: Building a Magic Library

Wed, Aug 19
$10 per device
Learn about the world's rarest arts from the most curious craftspeople.
Online
Wonder From Home

Atlas Obscura: Oregon Trail Live

Thu, Aug 20
$10 per device
Unearth forgotten stories, meet unexpected characters, and discover lost secrets along the Oregon Trail.
Online
Wonder From Home

Accidental Discoveries: Art History

Fri, Aug 21
$7 per device
Dive into a rabbit hole of missed targets.
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Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
wildlife & nature

Science After Dark: Spotting Squid in the Tides of Oahu

Hawaii
Jan 18–Jan 23, 2021
From $3,535 USD
Just beneath the waves off the Hawaiian coast, there are schools of tropical fish, flotillas of sea turtles, and squads of squid. We’re diving in to explore some of their secrets. 
+ 1 more date
wildlife & nature

Wings & Wonders: Birds of New Zealand

New Zealand
Jan 31–Feb 10, 2021
From $5,360 USD
Explore the spectacular birdlife, biodiversity, and natural wonder of Aotearoa alongside seasoned conservationists.
wildlife & nature

Searching for Russia’s Northern Lights

Russia
Feb 21–Feb 28, 2021
From $3,830 USD
Bear witness to the ethereal glow of the Northern Lights, explore Arctic Russia, and see life in the Polar Circle up close.
art & culture

Shifting Tides: Art in New Orleans

New Orleans
Feb 24–Feb 28, 2021
From $2,440 USD
Get to know the art, history, and dynamic culture of New Orleans—and the people who bring it to life.
+ 2 more dates
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More Stories
maps

A Border Town Is Now Isolated From Both the U.S. and Canada

Ever since COVID-19 shut down the border, Point Roberts has been neither here nor there.
Jane C. Hu August 11, 2020
plague

The Coronavirus Is Bringing Back Florence's Wine Windows

This isn't the first time they've come in handy during a pandemic.
Matthew Taub August 11, 2020
church

Caring for the Soaring Beauty of a Centuries-Old Stone Cathedral

The stonemasons of the Freiburg Minster in southern Germany go to great lengths—and heights.
Winnie Lee August 10, 2020
ships

This Museum's Broom Closet Is Actually Full of Historic Boats

A room meant for mops and buckets is now the best-kept secret at Mystic Seaport Museum.
John Boudreau August 10, 2020
science

Astrologers Were the Quants of the Ancient World

Coincidence and correlation in the stars, from the founding of Baghdad to the New York Yankees to COVID-19.
Alexander Boxer August 7, 2020
museums

Inside the Hidden Natural History Museum of Mumbai

Rahul Khot oversees 138,000 specimens at the Bombay Natural History Society.
Kamakshi Ayyar August 7, 2020
food

A Rare Recipe From a Talented Chef Enslaved by a Founding Father

Despite James Hemings’s leading role in Jefferson’s kitchen, he’s credited with only a handful of recipes.
Natasha Frost August 6, 2020
fossils

Sold: A Famous Fossil-Hunter’s Letter That’s Totally Full of Crap

Mary Anning's correspondence helped kick off the study of coprolites.
Jessica Leigh Hester August 6, 2020
whales

As the Arctic Warms, the Iñupiat Adapt

"What choice do we have?"
Jenna Kunze August 6, 2020
dinosaurs

For Sale: Dozens and Dozens of Enormous Animatronic Dinosaurs

Nothing adds prehistoric flair to a decorating scheme quite like a moving T. rex.
Jessica Leigh Hester August 5, 2020
gardens

When World War II Started, the U.S. Government Fought Against Victory Gardens

Home gardeners planted despite an initial federal policy of leaving farming to the professionals.
April White August 5, 2020
shipwrecks

For Sale: Shipwrecked Whisky That Spent Decades Underwater

Winning bidder take note: It is not safe to drink.
Matthew Taub August 5, 2020
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