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
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
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 Eye of God at Newchurch in Pendle
St. Govor’s Well.
St. Govor’s Well
Shivsrushti
Pierced domes of Hammam Seffarine.
Hammam Seffarine
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
2 days ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
2 days ago
Echo Park Time Travel Mart.
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake With The Sporkful
3 days ago
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
4 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 Alaska Wasilla Togo the Wonder Dog

Togo the Wonder Dog

Siberian husky that delivered a life-saving antitoxin.

Wasilla, Alaska

Added By
Nick Jackson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Togo the Wonder Dog. (Creative Commons)   http://www.atlasobscura.com
Togo the Wonder Dog. (Creative Commons)   http://www.atlasobscura.com
  The Anonymoose Traveler / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  leblancjt / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  The Anonymoose Traveler / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Everybody knows Balto the Wonder Dog. One of Johnny Carson's go-to punchlines, Balto - or at least a bronze statue version of Balto - can be found in New York's Central Park. Real Balto, stuffed and preserved, is in Cleveland, Ohio. People are fascinated by this dog because it led the way when a lifesaving antitoxin had to be rushed in to Nome, completely isolated from the outside world, because a diphtheria epidemic was killing the residents.

Gunnar Kassen led a team of Siberian huskies with the rookie-lead Balto at the front of the pack through the Alaskan wilderness to reach Nome. Over the final 50-plus miles, the dogs were met with temperatures below 60 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and 70 mph winds. After the delivery, the heroic dogs toured the continental United States.

But Balto wasn't the only dog. Togo the Wonder Dog, another one of the Siberian huskies that was part of the team that delivered the antitoxin to Nome, is stuffed and lives inside of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Gift Shop/Museum in Wasilla, Alaska. Balto received all of the fame because he was a rookie, but many thought it must have been the seasoned Togo who led the group to Nome and back.

Related Tags

Natural Wonders Taxidermy Dogs Heroes Of Taxidermy Animals Nature

Community Contributors

Added By

nbj914

Edited By

Leslie McIntyre, Collector of Experiences, leblancjt, The Anonymoose Traveler...

  • Leslie McIntyre
  • Collector of Experiences
  • leblancjt
  • The Anonymoose Traveler
  • btownres

Published

July 6, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Roadside America: Stuffed Togo the Wonder Dog: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10063
  • Roadside America: Balto, the Wonder Dog: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/pet/balto.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo_(film)
Togo the Wonder Dog
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Gift Shop/Museum
S. Knik-Goose Bay Road
Wasilla, Alaska, 99654
United States
61.554815, -149.496759
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Burial Spirit Houses

Anchorage, Alaska

miles away

Castle House

Palmer, Alaska

miles away

Eklutna Tailrace

Palmer, Alaska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alaska

Alaska

United States

Places 102
Stories 45

Nearby Places

Burial Spirit Houses

Anchorage, Alaska

miles away

Castle House

Palmer, Alaska

miles away

Eklutna Tailrace

Palmer, Alaska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alaska

Alaska

United States

Places 102
Stories 45

Related Stories and Lists

Essential Guide: Taxidermy Heroic Animals

taxidermy

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • Station Jim

    Slough, England

    Station Jim

    This preserved puppy was an adorable beacon of charity.

  • Sergeant Stubby at the Smithsonian

    Washington, D.C.

    Sergeant Stubby

    The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.

  • Haines Falls, New York

    Kaaterskill Falls and the Bayard of Dogs

    A stunning, two-tiered waterfall made famous by poets, artists and the legend of a ghost dog.

  • Riga, Latvia

    P. Stradins Museum for History of Medicine

    Medical museum that houses most notably the taxidermied remains of Vladimir Demikhov's famous two-headed dog experiment.

  • Balto in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

    Cleveland, Ohio

    Balto the Sled Dog

    The heroic sled dog of the 1925 serum run is preserved in taxidermy.

  • Washington, D.C.

    Owney the Postal Dog

    A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.

  • Hachikō, Jirō, and Kai Ken

    Tokyo, Japan

    Hachiko

    After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

  • Taxidermy dogs

    Bítov, Czechia

    Bítov Castle

    The castle in the romantic landscape of Podyjí houses what may be Europe's largest collection of taxidermy dogs.

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.