Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

The ash fell thick, and some will stick around.

Ash From the Taal Eruption Will Stick Around ‘Pretty Much Forever’

Some ash particles will blow or wash away, but others will get sealed into the sedimentary record.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

Place of the Day

St Edward's Church

Its picture-perfect door is bound by two ancient yew trees.

Some Space Rocks Are Notorious for Being Stinky

What they actually smell like seems to be in the nose of the beholder.

January 16, 2020

The Leech's Journey, From Welsh Lab to American Hospitals

If You Look Very, Very Close, Antarctica Is Teeming With Life

In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes

30 of the World's Most Spectacular Spirals

Top Countries

Top Cities

Seattle, Washington

Off the Rez Cafe

Where else would a linchpin of post-colonial Native American cuisine anchor the menu but a museum?

lukefater

Added by lukefater

Silver City Cemetery

These headstones and a few stone foundations are all that remain of a once-booming mining town.

SarBow23

Added by SarBow23

New Boston, New Hampshire

Frog Rock

A popular 19th-century natural landmark is now hidden within a sprawling forest.

bakedinthehole

Added by bakedinthehole

Atlanta, Georgia

The 747 Experience

One-of-a-kind museum inside the first Boeing 747-400 ever made.

jessemiers

Added by jessemiers

Ribariće, Serbia

Crna Reka Monastery

This fresco-covered medieval monastery hangs from the side of a steep cliff.

Added by alexplorer

Add a Place to the Atlas

Top Place Tags

art & performance

Cambodia: Contemporary Art, Spiritual Traditions, and Hidden Wonders

From $3,215 USD

Explore the vibrant art, religion, and food culture of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and spend time with the country's leading artists and performers.

history & culture

Tunisia Through the Sands of Time

From $3,660 USD

art & performance

Extraordinary Island: Puerto Rico's Hidden Wonders

From $1,970 USD

science & nature

Texas Hill Country: Bat Caves & Beyond

From $1,195 USD

Explore aquifers, caverns, and karsts while tracking millions of Mexican free-tailed bats, and learn how they maintain balance in the Hill Country ecosystem.

A Hoppin' Good Time at The Bunny Museum

Altadena, California

Two Bit Circus Bemusement Park Tour

Los Angeles, California

Lost and Long-Gone Graveyards of L.A.

Los Angeles, California

On the Trail of DC's First Brewmaster

Alexandria, Virginia

Rare Herb Tasting Tour at FarmOne

New York, New York

Walking the Hidden Wonders of Midtown

New York, New York

Visit NYC's Oldest Magic Shop After Dark

New York, New York

Atlas Obscura's Wonders of FiDi

Inside the Holographer's Laboratory

New York, New York

Tour Chicago's Largest Prop House

Chicago, Illinois

White House Tales of Scandal & Intrigue

Washington, D.C.

Exploring Historic Homes of the Stars

Santa Monica, California

View All Experiences

Can a War of the Wasps Save Hawai‘i’s Wiliwili Trees?

It's a classic good wasp/bad wasp situation.

Sabrina Imbler January 15, 2020

How Aboriginal Hunting and 'Cool Burns' Prevent Australian Wildfires

The current crisis has pushed the country to consider cultural burning.

Reina Gattuso January 14, 2020

What the Color 'Haint Blue' Means to the Descendants of Enslaved Africans

In the Lowcountry, the unique shade is both protective talisman and source of unspeakable suffering.

Shoshi Parks January 14, 2020

The Missing Grave of Margaret Corbin, Revolutionary War Veteran

She's the only woman veteran honored with a monument at West Point. But where was she buried?

Shane Cashman January 14, 2020

Sold: Pierre de Coubertin’s Blueprint for the Olympics

The 14-page speech is now the world’s most expensive piece of sports memorabilia.

Isaac Schultz January 13, 2020

New Mexico Will Tear Down a Historic Chicano Mural to Build an Art Museum

The artist, Gilberto Guzman, once wanted to restore the painting. But state officials say it’s too unstable.

Sabrina Imbler January 13, 2020

Exploring the Haphazard Archive of a Paris Film Legend

Henri Langlois rescued thousands of rare reels, but was "famously bad" at caring for them.

Emma Jacobs January 13, 2020

When Trippy Black-Light Murals Brought the Cosmos Down to Earth

The paintings once dazzled and enlightened mid-century planetarium-goers.

Jessica Leigh Hester January 10, 2020

An Australian Researcher Is Linking Cow Moos and Moods

Their individual voices help them as a herd.

Isaac Schultz January 10, 2020

In Little Cayman, Things Are Looking Up for the Enormous, Friendly Nassau Grouper

Signs of recovery for the so-called "puppies of the sea."

Sabrina Imbler January 10, 2020

The Chef Restoring Appalachia's World-Class Food Culture

A coal fortune is fueling the revival of a cuisine it nearly destroyed.

Eric J. Wallace January 10, 2020

How One Photographer Captures the Glory of Birds in Flight

An otherworldly look at a familiar sight.

Winnie Lee January 10, 2020

Read All Stories