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

Happening This Week
Join these experiences from your computer or phone.
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Wonder From Home

Backstage with a Magician

Mon, Aug 10
$25 per device
+ 30 more dates
Online
Wonder From Home

Gastro Obscura: The Art of Pickling with Liz Alpern and Jeff Yoskowitz

Tue, Aug 11
$25 per device
Dive into pickling traditions with the co-owners of NYC's Gefilteria!
Online
Wonder From Home

The Secret Arts: Wax Carving

Wed, Aug 12
$10 per device
Learn about the world's rarest arts from the most curious craftspeople.
Online
Wonder From Home

A Find Dining Experience: Foraging Your Own Meal

Thu, Aug 13
$25 per device
A four part series exploring seasonal food from the land.
Online
Wonder From Home

Accidental Discoveries: Archaeology

Fri, Aug 14
$7 per device
Dive into a rabbit hole of missed targets.
Online
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.
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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.
history

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
food

Found: A Mysterious, Recipe-Filled Diary From 1968

The 150 retro recipes inside offer a taste of the past.
Deepika Nandal August 4, 2020
photography

The Challenges and Delights of Photographing the Night Sky

It can take years to get the perfect shot.
Luna Shyr August 4, 2020
cold war

For Sale: A Cold War Bunker and Missile Silo in North Dakota

“It’s the ultimate in social distancing.”
Isaac Schultz August 4, 2020
film locations

These Strange Rock Formations Have Been a Filmmaking Hotspot for Over a Century

California's Alabama Hills have stood in for multiple states and countries, not to mention distant planets, alternate dimensions, and fantasy realms.
Tyler Malone August 3, 2020
museums

Plumbing the Secrets of the Archives of the Museum of Modern Art

From an Avenue of Fascism, to turtle soup, to a phantom photo of three important women having tea.
Andrew Russeth August 3, 2020
food

The Battle to Invent the Automatic Rice Cooker

The biggest names in Japanese technology vied to bring them to market.
Anne Ewbank July 31, 2020
geology

We Now Know Where Almost All of Stonehenge's Stones Came From

The main source for its largest megaliths is just a stone’s throw from the iconic site.
Isaac Schultz July 31, 2020
science

The Cambrian Creatures That Grew Up Over the Course of 28 Bodies

Trilobites slipped out of one exoskeleton and built another, over and over and over again.
Jessica Leigh Hester July 30, 2020
farms

The Ancient Greek Temples Home to Orchards, Vineyards, and Rare Bees

A UNESCO site that doubles as a working farm represents a shift in conservation.
Shaun Pett July 30, 2020
maps

The Woman Who Changed the Way We See the Seafloor

Marie Tharp's historic maps of underwater topography reimagined two-thirds of the Earth.
Suzanne O'Connell July 30, 2020
libraries

A University Is Turning Historical Mexican Recipes Into Free E-Books

The project is meant to inspire home cooks during the pandemic.
Luke Fater July 29, 2020
animals

The Surprising Importance of Skunks in the History of Chicago

An Anishinaabe word for skunk likely inspired the city's name.
Alex Schwartz July 29, 2020
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