Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

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Louis Armstrong and his band perform for a crowd of some 40,000 gathered to greet him at the airport in Accra, Ghana, in the spring of 1956.

How Louis Armstrong Shaped the Sound of Ghana

You can still hear echoes of the trumpeter's 1956 visit in Accra's clubs today.

by Laura Kiniry

Place of the Day

St. Ninian's Fife Earth Project

The half-finished remains of what would have been Scotland’s biggest piece of landscape art.

A Deep Dive Into the Intersection of Art and Science With an Artist-at-Sea

Ale de la Puente collaborates with researchers to explore new ways of understanding our universe.

December 3, 2021

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Our Favorite Gadgets, Cookbooks, and Snacks for the Holidays

Are Twin Volcanoes Double the Trouble?

Order our new book today!

Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide

The Art of Brewing Historical Beers

To Join This Community of People Who Speak to the Dead, Prepare to Be Tested

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Top Countries

Top Cities

London, England

Lincoln's Inn

This inn of the court provides a fascinating window into London’s legal and architectural history.

Added by jonnysm

Littleton, Colorado

Colorado Antique Gallery

This gallery is home to everything from antiques, to ancient tribal masks.

Added by gini565

North Carr Stone Beacon

The remains of a 19th-century carving of what was to be a signal light on the Firth of Forth Estuary.

SEANETTA

Added by SEANETTA

Shrum Mound

A 2,000-year-old Adena burial mound located along a busy street in Columbus, Ohio.

Added by tulibo

Frisco Ghost Town

Only ruined buildings and abandoned charcoal kilns remain of this once bustling Wild West boom town.

Added by Anynamewilldo

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Online Experience

Atlas Obscura Trivia Night

Gather your team and compete in a weekly contest of wits and educated-guessing.

+ 1 other date

Cheese: History, Tasting, and Pairing With Erika Kubick

Starts Wed, Dec 8

China's Regional Cuisines: Culture Through Food With Xiaokun Song

Starts Wed, Dec 8

$235 per person

Online Experience

Art & Evolution w/ Megan McGrath: Drawing Octopus & Squid

Stories in the Stones: How to Read a Gravestone With Dr. Elise M. Ciregna

Starts Sat, Dec 11

$265 per person

In this four-part course, learn how to decode the stories in gravestones and deepen your understanding of America’s cemeteries.

+ 2 other dates

Podcasting & the Art of the Interview With Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder

Starts Sun, Dec 12

Online Experience

Live From the Intrepid Museum: Inside the Submarine Growler

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Pyramids and Petroglyphs of Sudan

Mar 22–Apr 1, 2022

From $5,680 USD

Journey along the Nile, across the Sudanese desert, and discover the pyramids and archaeological treasures of ancient civilizations.

+ 1 other date

The Culinary Crossroads of Marseille

Jun 6–12, 2022

From $5,130 USD

wildlife & nature

Rewilding: Tracking Wolves in the Forests of Sweden

Jul 4–9, 2022

From $3,450 USD

Explore Sweden’s boreal forests by day and hear the howling of wild wolves by night.

+ 2 other dates

Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell

Sep 16–25, 2022

From $3,475 USD

On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell.

Try Historical Food at These 20 Culinary Timewarps

History and nostalgia are on the menu.

Diana Hubbell December 3, 2021

15 Places That Don't Need the Holidays to Twinkle and Sparkle

Illuminating experiences, from art installations to wildlife encounters.

Jonathan Carey December 3, 2021

The All-Day, All-Night Musical Celebrations of Bonaire

The Caribbean island's San Juan and San Pedro festivals are marked with 26 hours of song—and fire jumping.

Rosie Bell December 3, 2021

objects of intrigue

How a Tiny Hamlet's Wondrous Tapestry Preserves a Complex Past

Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, artists and embroiderers in a Newfoundland village commemorated a lost way of life.

Tim Johnson December 2, 2021

Meet the Proud Shoppers of Aldi’s ‘Aisle of Shame’

This aisle has its own subculture and fan club.

Sara Murphy December 2, 2021

medical museums

Podcast: Centers for Disease Control Museum

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team December 2, 2021

The Overlooked History of Berlin's Black Community

New memorials honor Afro-German victims of the Nazis.

Jennifer Neal December 1, 2021

21 Places to Get Back Into the Beatles

A magical mystery tour of the history and legacy of four lads from Liverpool.

Michelle Cassidy December 1, 2021

Podcast: Abandoned Chacaltaya Ski Resort

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team December 1, 2021

Excavating the Hawaiian History of Kaua‘i’s ‘Russian’ Fort

A rich local history has long been overshadowed by a few months under a Russian flag.

Sarah Durn November 30, 2021

How a Rebellion Planted Seeds of Revival in Rural Mexico

In 2011, the women of Cherán led a revolt against illegal logging and corruption. Today, the forests are coming back, and the Indigenous community is returning to its roots.

Romina Cenisio November 30, 2021

The Hidden, Magnificent History of Chop Suey

Discrimination and mistranslation have long obscured the dish's true origins.

Miranda Brown November 30, 2021

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