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

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Happening This Week
Join these experiences from your computer or phone.
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Experience

Atlas Obscura Trivia Night

Fri, Sep 25
$7 per person
Gather your team and compete in a weekly contest of wits and educated-guessing.
+ 5 more dates
Online
Experience

Dino 101

Fri, Sep 25
$10 per device
Who says dinosaurs are just for kids?
+ 3 more dates
Online
Online Course

Queering Cartography: Creating Decolonial Travel Guides With Bani Amor

Starts Sun, Sep 27
$275 per person
In this four-part seminar led by Bani Amor, you’ll research, map, and write your own decolonial travel guide.
+ 1 more date
Online
Experience

Tales From the Museum: The Academy of Natural Sciences

Tue, Sep 29
$15 per device
Online
Experience

Backstage with a Magician

Tue, Sep 29
$25 per device
+ 16 more dates
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Experience

Oregon Trail LIVE!

Wed, Sep 30
$10 per device
Unearth forgotten stories, meet unexpected characters, and discover lost secrets along the Oregon Trail.
Online
Experience

The Secret of Seattle's Disappearing Hill

Wed, Sep 30
$8 per device
A virtual walk through a Seattle land alteration project.
Online
Experience

Atlas Obscura Trivia: A Night at the Waldorf Astoria

Thu, Oct 1
$10 per device
AO Trivia and the Waldorf Astoria are teaming up to bring you a night of trivia all about the iconic, historic hotel!
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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 18–23, 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
Feb 1–11, 2021
From $5,360 USD
Explore the spectacular birdlife, biodiversity, and natural wonder of Aotearoa alongside seasoned conservationists.
+ 1 more date
wildlife & nature

Searching for Russia’s Northern Lights

Russia
Feb 22–28, 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 24–28, 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
dinosaurs

Fresh Concrete Turns Paw Prints and Bird Tracks Into Urban Fossils

Even a fleeting visit can leave an impression when conditions are right.
Jessica Leigh Hester September 18, 2020
abandoned

Capturing Ellis Island's Lost Period

The famous gateway to the United States lay abandoned for years before it was restored.
Winnie Lee September 18, 2020
wwii

A ‘Forgotten Holocaust’ Is Missing From Indian Food Stories

One of Bengal’s greatest tragedies is overlooked in the West. It’s missing from cookbooks and food writing, too.
Sharanya Deepak September 17, 2020
rare books

A Rare Day-by-Day Document of Life Aboard a Slave Ship

The logbook is written from the white perspective, and its horrors are plain to see.
Matthew Taub September 17, 2020
museums

A Great Wave of Hokusai Drawings Resurfaced at the British Museum

“This is definitely one of the greatest discoveries of Hokusai works in a long time."
Claire Voon September 17, 2020
forests

How Does an Archaeologist Keep Heritage Sites Safe From Wildfires?

It involves Twitter, maps, dozer lines, and luck.
Jessica Leigh Hester September 16, 2020
nature

Minnesota's 'Root Beer Lady' Lived Alone in a Million-Acre Wilderness

The "loneliest woman in America" brewed root beer for thousands of visitors.
Terri Peterson Smith September 16, 2020
ghost towns

Ivo Zdarsky Is Waiting Out the End Times in His Own Utah Ghost Town

The Iron Curtain escapee, DIY aviator, and thriving entrepreneur is ready for anything.
Oliver Whang September 16, 2020
art

Indigenous Artists Are Reclaiming Masks as a Source of Storytelling and Strength

Bringing together traditional materials and modern messages.
Carolyn B. Heller September 15, 2020
forests

What Wildfire Archaeology Tells Us About the Burning American West

Archaeologists in New Mexico are studying past wildfires through tree rings and pottery sherds.
Stephen E. Nash September 15, 2020
forests

Acorn Woodpeckers Have Multi-Day Wars, and Birds Come From All Around to Watch

A window into complex avian sociopolitical lives.
Luna Shyr September 15, 2020
food

The Detective on the Case of the Perfect Hot Tamale

In the Mississippi Delta, a tragedy inspired Charles Sledge, police detective, down a tamale-making path.
Justin Fornal September 14, 2020
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