Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

Colombian conservator Clemencia Vernaza peers up at her work in Colombia's Parque Arqueológico Nacional de Tierradentro.

The Effort to Save Colombia's Underground Mountaintop Tombs

Scientists and conservators are finally able to return to what was once an Andean war zone.

by Megan Janetsky

Place of the Day

Thorncrown Chapel

Arkansas's glass-enclosed marvel of modern architecture.

What Were 29 Exotic Snakes Doing in a U.K. Trash Bin?

Wriggling in pillowcases, trying to stay warm after being illegally abandoned.

February 24, 2020

How an Abandoned Modernist Cinema Became a Revolutionary Symbol in Lebanon

Once a Year, This Alaskan Town Is Home to More Pies Than People

The California Photographer Who Has Shot More Than 100 Wildfires

How Reading Lava Flows Reveals a Lost Paradise

Top Countries

Top Cities

Shelter of Cervantes

This air raid shelter from the Spanish Civil War is now a museum dedicated to the history of the city's bombardment.

Dr Alan P Newman

Added by Dr Alan P Newman

Slavinja, Serbia

Rosomača Canyon

The ridged layers that make up this river canyon represent Earth's geological history.

Added by alexplorer

Sumpter, Oregon

Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge

During its heyday, 72 1-ton buckets from this dredge bore into the Powder River excavating vast gold deposits.

hadleymeares

Added by hadleymeares

Boston, Massachusetts

United Shoe Machinery Corporation Building

What may be Boston's finest Art Deco building, located in the city's Financial District.

Added by dsouth

Castle of Agia Mavra (Santa Maura)

A seaside castle complex that stood through centuries of conquests.

gus619USA

Added by gus619USA

Add a Place to the Atlas

Top Place Tags

art & performance

Extraordinary Island: Puerto Rico's Hidden Wonders

From $1,970 USD

art & performance

Beyond the Quarter: Music and Reinvention in New Orleans

From $1,415 USD

Explore the rich soundscape of New Orleans, tracing the social, political, and spiritual roles these traditions have played throughout history and in contemporary culture.

art & performance

Santa Fe Weekend: New Art, Ancient Traditions

From $1,280 USD

Spend a weekend immersed in the rich history, deeply rooted tradition, and constantly evolving art-scape of northern New Mexico.

art & performance

Vienna: Salon Sonatas and Klimt Up Close

From $2,625 USD

Immerse yourself in Vienna’s rich artistic culture of past and present—from the historic coffee houses that have hosted creative salons for centuries to world-renowned musical venues.

Atlas Obscura's Wonders of FiDi

New York, New York

Visit Brooklyn's Cabinet of Curiosities

Brooklyn, New York

Walking the Hidden Wonders of Midtown

New York, New York

Tour Chicago's Largest Prop House

Chicago, Illinois

Come Out & Play at a DIY Amusement Park

Los Angeles, California

Inside Look at The Bunny Museum

Altadena, California

Exploring a Secret Fort

Washington, D.C.

Scent-Making and Hollywood History

Los Angeles, California

The Abandoned Zoo Ruins of Griffith Park

Holllywood, Los Angeles, California

New York City Clock Walk

New York, New York

International Church of Cannabis Art Tour

Denver, Colorado

Inside the Holographer's Laboratory

New York, New York

View All Experiences

The History of Race, Performance, and Drag Intersect in a Rare Photo of Thomas Dilward

Dilward performed with all-white minstrel troupes that otherwise excluded black people.

Sabrina Imbler February 21, 2020

The Devilishly Difficult Locks of Dindigul

These unique handcrafted mechanisms are designed to protect homes, confound cashiers, and outthink thieves.

Kamala Thiagarajan February 21, 2020

The Archaeobotanist Searching Art for Lost Fruit

Renaissance paintings can hide botanical secrets.

Vittoria Traverso February 21, 2020

For One Photographer, Reptiles Rule the Galápagos

Lucas Bustamante wants you to fall in love.

Winnie Lee February 21, 2020

For Sale: Royally Minted Coins, Decorated With Dinosaurs

It’s change 165 million years in the making.

Isaac Schultz February 20, 2020

Early Chinese Trick Photography Sent Chubby Babies Into Space

Inside a historian’s collection of endearing, goofy early 20th-century portraits.

Sabrina Imbler February 20, 2020

Life Along the Border That Cuts Cyprus in Two

In Nicosia, physical barriers separate the Greek and Turkish communities—but many residents don't seem to mind.

Rachel Button February 20, 2020

The World's Largest Bottle of Wine Just Spilled in Austria

We're gonna need a bigger napkin.

Luke Fater February 20, 2020

For Sale: A Sprawling Carriage Factory and the House on Its Roof

A Syracuse rooftop still holds some pretty puzzling real estate.

Jessica Leigh Hester February 19, 2020

For the Madagascan Aye-Aye, the Rule of Thumb Comes in Two

The extra digits are yet another of the odd animal's oddities.

Isaac Schultz February 19, 2020

The ‘Pie Designer’ Baking Up a Diverse Vision of America

Lauren Ko is as American as mango pie.

Vonnie Williams February 19, 2020

How One Man and His Dog Rowed More Than 700 Kākāpōs to Safety

In the late 19th century, Richard Henry laid a blueprint for modern conservation in New Zealand.

Sabrina Imbler February 19, 2020

Read All Stories