Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The truth is out there—somewhere.
The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)
21 days ago
Edward Payson Weston
How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession
22 days ago
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage
24 days ago
Manhattan Well
The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery
25 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Connecticut Danbury John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant
AO Edited

John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant

After the comedian dissed a Connecticut town on his show, they named a sewage treatment plant after him.

Danbury, Connecticut

Added By
lewintn
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant sign   Mbdfar / CC BY-SA 4.0
John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant sign   Mbdfar / CC BY-SA 4.0
John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant sign   Mr. Matté / CC BY-SA 4.0
The sewer plant   Mr. Matté / CC BY-SA 4.0
  lewintn / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In a 2020 episode of his show Last Week Tonight, comedian John Oliver went on a tangent where he made fun of the town of Danbury, Connecticut. He ended the short rant by saying that anyone from Danbury had "a standing invite to come get a thrashing from John Oliver."

Danbury's mayor Mark Broughton responded with a tongue-in-cheek statement. that they'd name their sewage plant after him because it was "full of [expletive], just like you, John."

Oliver took the mock beef next level and said he'd donate $55,000 to local charities if Danbury genuinely named the plant after him and hung a sign designating the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant. Danbury got the last laugh and agreed.

The plant was renamed in October 2020, and John Oliver himself attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and shared a video of it in a follow-up segment on Last Week Tonight. "This place takes the worst that humanity can produce, and transforms it into something that we can live with,” Oliver said. “And now more than ever, there’s something inspirational in that, because at the end of this awful, awful year, what could be more important than evidence that, if we want to, we can come together, overcome our differences, and sort our shit out.”

Related Tags

Names Sewers Television

Community Contributors

Added By

lewintn

Edited By

ljbrown, Michelle Cassidy

  • ljbrown
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

August 24, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://youtu.be/QOqTSEpkzGM?si=-WfKSUqIKKUHDMxj
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emR3SvmCp04
  • https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-connecticut-danbury-mark-boughton-john-oliver-39cfce71ae2ea32d1c3d4dc2accdae3d
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Oliver_Memorial_Sewer_Plant
John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant
Filtration Plant Road
Danbury, Connecticut, 06810
United States
41.403296, -73.422865
Get Directions

Nearby Places

World’s Tallest Uncle Sam Statue

Danbury, Connecticut

miles away

Danbury Railway Museum

Danbury, Connecticut

miles away

Demon Murder Trial Sites

Danbury, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Danbury

Danbury

Connecticut

Places 7

Nearby Places

World’s Tallest Uncle Sam Statue

Danbury, Connecticut

miles away

Danbury Railway Museum

Danbury, Connecticut

miles away

Demon Murder Trial Sites

Danbury, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Danbury

Danbury

Connecticut

Places 7

Related Places

  • Mt. Cleese

    Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Mt. Cleese

    A New Zealand rubbish dump named after British comedian John Cleese.

  • Small steam pumping engines on display at the museum.

    London, England

    The London Museum of Water & Steam

    The history of West London’s water supply.

  • The entrance to the Shaolin Monastery.

    Zhengzhou, China

    Shaolin Monastery

    The real Buddhist temple where the fictional Kwai Chang Kaine (David Carradine) trained in TV's 'Kung Fu' series.

  • The original Ultraman.

    Sukagawa, Japan

    Ultraman Street

    In the hometown of Eiji Tsuburaya, a street lined with intergalactic heroes and monsters.

  • Closeup of the mural of Alex Trebek, by Kevin Ledo.

    Sudbury, Ontario

    Alex Trebek Mural

    A posthumous honor at the iconic game show host's former high school.

  • Sheffield, England

    Sheffield Megatron

    Explore these Victorian-era tunnels under a bustling train station.

  • Phone box showing two sides with dioramas.

    Ormskirk, England

    The Time Tardis

    This classic red telephone box is now a community art installation celebrating local history.

  • The 5th floor, in 2008.

    Holmdel, New Jersey

    Bell Labs Holmdel Complex

    The real-life ‘Severance’ office building.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.