The Librarian's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Beckley, West Virginia

Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine

A historic coal mine that doubles as a museum and tourist attraction.
Fayetteville, West Virginia

New River Gorge Bridge

One day a year it is legal to jump off of this astoundingly tall bridge that spans an Appalachian gorge.
Thurmond, West Virginia

Thurmond, West Virginia

Once connected to the outside world by a single train track, this ghost town is looked after by the National Park Service.
Dubuque, Iowa

Dubuque Shot Tower

This long unused shot tower on the Mississippi remains a point of pride for a small city in Iowa.
Paducah, Kentucky

Floodwall Murals

A collection of outdoor art by renowned muralist Robert Dafford depicts the history of a flooded city.
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave

The world's longest known cave system.
Metropolis, Illinois

The Super Museum

You have to love a museum with a truly dedicated focus. A focus on Superman, for example.
Mountain Township, Illinois

Garden of the Gods

In the Shawnee National Forest, amazing rock formations peer through the treeline.
Bryson City, North Carolina

Clingmans Dome

The highest point in Tennessee, Clingmans Dome bears witness to the ravages of one type of insect.
Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore Estate's Secret Passages

The enormous 250-room Vanderbilt mansion conceals hidden doors and secret passageways.
Pisgah Forest, North Carolina

Sliding Rock

Who needs fancy modern water slides when this giant North Carolina rock works just as well?
Townsend, Tennessee

The Great Smoky Mountains' 'Missing Link'

In one of America’s oldest mountain ranges, a long-awaited section of a scenic highway is now open to the public.
Kingston Springs, Tennessee

Montgomery Bell Tunnel

The first full-scale tunnel built in America is short but scenic.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg Cyclorama

A dramatic, 360-degree recreation of Pickett's Charge in the Civil War.
Lookout Mountain, Georgia

Rock City

A bizarre roadside attraction and the first instance of miniature golf in the world.
Cullman, Alabama

Ave Maria Grotto

A miniature city built by a single hunchbacked monk.
Clinton, Tennessee

Asa Jackson’s Perpetual Motion Machine

This improbable contraption was passed down through five generations of industrious Tennesseans.
Jackson, Tennessee

Casey Jones Village

This Tennessee museum is dedicated to a tragic railroad hero who inspired the famous ballad that bears his name.
Clinton, Tennessee

Clinton 12 Statue at Green McAdoo Cultural Center

A bronze sculpture honors the 12 black students who attended the first integrated public high school in the segregated South.
Hohenwald, Tennessee

Meriwether Lewis Monument

This simple, broken column marks the final resting place of one of America's most famous explorers.
Pinson, Tennessee

Pinson Mounds State Archeological Park

Over a dozen Native American earth mounds dating back over 2,000 years dot this Tennessee archaeological park.
Sweetwater, Tennessee

Lost Sea

Enormous lake at the bottom of a unique cave system.
Virginia City, Montana

Historic Virginia City

An entire town preserved as a historic landmark.
West Glacier, Montana

Going-to-the-Sun Road

The only road through the heart of Glacier National Park.