The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Classic: Puffin Patrol

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We go to the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland and meet the heroes who save young birds that have wandered from their nests every summ...

Fendika Cultural Center

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The story of the Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is the story of Melaku Belay and his journey from homelessness to international accl...

Medfield State Hospital

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This abandoned hospital outside Boston, Massachusetts was originally conceived as a place to help people with mental health issues. But it wound up do...

Library of Congress Hair Collection

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This collection, preserved by the United States Library of Congress, features locks of hair from cultural icons from Ludwig van Beethoven to General U...

Buckley's Cave

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of Australia’s greatest stories of escape and survival centers around this rock formation in Point Lonsdale. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://w...

How To Put Your Town on the Map

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How To! Host Amanda Ripley goes in search of the answer to the question “how to set up a roadside attraction that will bring visitors to your town”...

Tina Turner Museum

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Flagg Grove School in Brownsville, Tennessee has become a museum dedicated to its most famous student.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https://www.atlasobsc...

Fluorescent Rocks of Sterling Hill Mine

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg, New Jersey is the site of a geological marvel that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.READ MORE IN THE ...

Bread and Puppet Museum and Theater

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This radical puppet collective has shaped the small New England town of Glover, Vermont for decades. This “Small Town, Big Story” episode is produ...

Moon Trees

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

These trees sprang from seeds that were brought to outer space.  Moon Tree Website: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.htmlREAD M...

Atlas Obscura Presents The Sporkful - A New Jersey Whiskey Mystery Pt. 2

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Sporkful team dives deeper into the history of the unknown whiskey bottle and the lives of those it touched.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

Atlas Obscura Presents The Sporkful - A New Jersey Whiskey Mystery Pt. 1

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Pashman and the Sporkful team attempt to unravel the history of a bottle of whiskey found at an estate sale when the brand seems to not exist.  H...

Classic: Clausland Mountain Tunnels

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Under the forests of Nyack, New York lays a series of dark and decrepit tunnels with militaristic roots but now attract graffiti artists and plenty of...

Classic: Arecibo Observatory

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This site, and the enormous telescope that sits on it, is loved and lost to both scientists and everyday Puerto Ricans.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https:...

Classic: The White Squirrel of Prospect Park

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our team goes on a quest to find Prospect Park’s elusive -- and perhaps most magical -- resident rodent. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...

Classic: Library of Mistakes

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A carefully curated collection of miscalculations in Edinburgh, Scotland serves as a warning for our gullibility, especially when it comes to money.RE...

The Tanks of Flamenco Beach

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This beautiful beach made of sand and worn down coral is covered in the wreckage of tanks once used by the U.S. military for target practice.READ MORE...

Larry Spring Museum of Common Sense Physics

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Larry Spring’s Museum of Common Sense Physics in Fort Bragg, California begs the question: what do you do with a science museum where the science pr...

Trailing of the Sheep

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thousands of sheep take over downtown Ketchum, Idaho during the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival. This “Small Town, Big Story” episode is pro...

African Heritage House

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The African Heritage House in Mlolongo, Kenya is one of the greatest collections of African art in the world - and it has an unusual backstory.Read mo...

Classic: Salton Sea

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The story of how humans desperate for water created a lake the size of the city of Los Angeles. And then, how that thirst turned toxic.READ MORE IN TH...

Moving Monuments with the Places Team

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring you stories of how sometimes giant monuments built for a specific site need to go o...

On The Appalachian Trail

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A voicemail from a listener takes us out on the Appalachian trail, where we ford rivers, climb mountains, and work our way across one of the most stor...

The Wren’s Nest

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Wren’s Nest in Atlanta is both a museum and former home of journalist Joel Chandler Harris and a hub for modern storytellers.READ MORE IN THE AT...

Laguna Del Diamante

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A toxic lake high in the Andes mountains in Argentina is home to microbes that provide a window to our planet’s past — and a key to securing its f...

Atlas Obscura Presents Real Good

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Real Good is a podcast with the mission to highlight real people out in the world - trying to make it better. This excerpt features the Real Good host...

Kasanka Bat Migration

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kasanka National Park in Zambia hosts one of the largest – and most mysterious! – animal migrations on the planet.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://...

Hacienda Napoles

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Medellín Cartel founder Pablo Escobar built himself a sort of Jurassic Park-meets-Disney World resort with drug money. He called it Hacienda Nápoles...

Thompson Ice House

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thompson’s Ice House in Bristol, Maine is one of the only places in the United States where people gather every winter to take part in the age-old p...

Scary Stories from Real Places

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Atlas contributors bring listeners stories from spooky locations they’ve visited and which continue to haunt them.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWiz...

Witch Cakes

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

These cakes had a particular ingredient that some believe protected them from witchery - and sparked one of the best-known witch hunts in United State...

Spooky Sites with the Places Team

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With Halloween just around the corner Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring you two spooky legends of The Mothman from Po...

Luomus Spiders

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki has been home to an infestation of Chilean recluse spiders for more than 50 years. Hosted by Simplec...

Houdini’s Grave

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Producer Johanna Mayer visits Houdini’s grave in Queens, NY and goes searching for evidence of the great beyond. To hear another take on Spiritualis...

Cassadaga with Jamie Loftus

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Atlas Obscura Podcast is launching a week of spooky-themed stories ahead of Halloween. We begin with Jamie Loftus’ newest podcast about Cassadag...

Classic: Valley of the Whales

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The fossils of Wadi al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales) in Egypt give us a glimpse of a remarkable evolutionary history. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://...

Times Square Hum

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Producer Johanna Mayer travels to Times Square in NYC,  in search of a particular sound that may sometimes go overlooked.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: http...

Brown Dog Statue

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This memorial marks the life of a pup who sparked riots over animal rights issues in London, England. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscu...

Meramec Caverns

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This giant limestone cave outside of St. Louis, MO. is home to a combination of kitsch and world-class scenery.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.at...

Louie Mattar’s Fabulous Car

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The San Diego Automotive Museum in California contains one man’s dream...of creating the ultimate road trip car. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://w...

Classic: Bolton Strid

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some say this little burbling creek is “The deadliest body of water on Earth.”READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bolton-s...

Providence Island

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1820 a group of Black Americans set off to make a home in Africa. They landed in Providence Island and set the stage for the development of the cou...

Navajo Code Talkers Burger King

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Burger King in Kayenta, AZ is home to a small museum dedicated to a group of Native American veterans who developed an unbreakable secret code dur...

Emily Graslie Curates a World of Wonder

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Science communication superhero Emily Graslie shares how a pair of severed wolf heads helped her fall in love with science, about the road trip she to...

SubTropolis

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This former limestone mine in Kansas City, MO has been turned into a 55,000,000 square-foot industrial park and storage facility.READ MORE IN THE ATLA...

Classic: The Institute of Illegal Images

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A mind-tripping place where the art stands out not because of what's on  them but what's in  them. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura...

Kalakuta Museum

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Iconic musician Fela Kuti declared his home in Lagos, Nigeria, an independent state. He called it Kalakuta - and in 1977 it was invaded by the Nigeria...

The Portland Treasure Map

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A map in the archives of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library in Portland, OR may be the key to finding buried treasure that has yet to be f...

The Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The history of this 150-year-old immersive painting at the Atlanta History Museum features a scheming promoter, the cast of Gone with the Wind, Atlant...

Endangered Wolf Center

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri was founded by zoologist and wildlife TV host Marlin Perkins and was home to an extraordinary wolf who ...

Classic: The 49th Parallel

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A listener takes us to a town on the edge of the longest undefended border in the world.US-Canada border regulations have been updated since this epis...

Bloodroot Feminist Restaurant

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For more than 40 years Selma Miriam and Noel Furie have maintained the Bloodroot Feminist Vegetarian Restaurant and Bookstore as a place where women ...

Oyotunji African Village

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Oyotunji is an African Village with real homes and real community founded in the 1970s and located in the US - just an hour south of Charleston, South...

Broken Angel

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The 1980s birthed a gleaming creature that spread its wings of scrap wood and glass over the intersection of two iconic Brooklyn, NY neighborhoods for...

Enchanted Hart Haus

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Steve and Amy Hartbauer have turned their home in residential Denver, CO into a massive mosaic and decade’s long expression of inner inspiration. R...

Classic: Jatinga Bird Deaths

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An Indian village is home to one of the world’s oldest and greatest ornithological mysteries.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/pl...

Libre Intentional Artist Community

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Luz Fleming explores the home where he grew up, Libre - one of the longest lasting intentional communities still exists. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...

America’s “Quiet Zone”

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Green Bank, West Virginia is free of wifi and cell signals due to the massive telescope nearby that requires radio silence.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:...

Summer Adventures ‘22

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, a sampling of listener-submitted stories of summer adventures from the wild, strange and wonderful world in which we live.  Hosted by Simpleca...

Ark Two Shelter

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Forty-two school buses have been buried in Horning’s Mills, Ontario - covered in concrete, they’re house up to 500 people in case of nuclear fallo...

Classic: The Baalbek Trilithon

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This ancient temple complex in Northern Lebanon is one of the most well-preserved Roman ruins on earth, and one of the most overlooked. READ MORE IN ...

Gocta Waterfalls

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the world’s tallest waterfalls is nestled In Northwestern Peru, right where the Amazon rainforest crashes into the Andes Mountains.READ MORE ...

Chapel Creek Ranch

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This ranch in Sanger, Texas trains people in jousting and sword-fighting with the goal of making them knights of the highest order - for the Medieval ...

Grittiness and Romanticism in New York and Paris

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whiting Writer’s Award, Best Literary Criticism award winner, and author of several critically-praised books, Lucy Sante speaks with host Dylan Thur...

Growing the Atlas

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team are on a mission to grow the Atlas community and include more wonderful and curious locat...

Classic: Vigeland Mausoleum

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the outskirts of Oslo, Norway, there’s a mausoleum some say is the city’s “best kept secret.” It’s the underrated masterpiece of a mostly...

Fairhaven Historic Markers

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Like a lot of historic neighborhoods, the sidewalks of Fairhaven in Bellingham, WA, are studded with small plaques commemorating local history. But un...

Elmina Castle

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

At one time thirty thousand Africans per year were forced through Elmina Castle in Ghana, before they were taken across the world as part of the trans...

The Loneliest Post Office

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Built on a tiny island in Antarctica, the “loneliest post office in the world” got its start as a top-secret British military outpost during World...

Parrots of Green-Wood Cemetery

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

These Argentinian parrots have made an unlikely home in a Brooklyn, NY cemetery.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for i...

Classic: Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A disaster in a seaside town got locals wondering about government conspiracies, weather control, and if human beings could actually, truly for real, ...

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade isn’t linked to a holiday, religious affiliation or corporate celebration – it’s a celebration of having fun and...

The Lost Boys of Robber’s Cave

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1954, two groups of boys thought they were going to summer camp. But they’d been recruited for a different kind of summer experience. Hosted by S...

Anne Spencer’s Garden

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This garden in Lynchburg, Virginia is the key to unlocking the writing and mind of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...

The Corn Palace

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Mitchell, South Dakota there stands a massive building covered in murals that are made completely from… corn! READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://ww...

Classic: Beishan Broadcast Wall

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the tiny Kinmen Island, a bow-tie-shape strip of land between China and Taiwan, sits a giant weaponized wall of sound that still stands--and still ...

Pigeon Towers of Iran

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This elaborate architecture throughout Iran served a very unique purpose - gathering pigeon guano. Take a virtual tour of a Pigeon Tower: https://at...

Discovery Hut

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Atlas Obscura's Gemma Tarlach shares what it's like to step inside a relic from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and to find traces of a famou...

Clown Egg Register

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This collection of ceramic eggs records the personal makeup designs of clowns around the world - and to some extent a clowning code of conduct. READ ...

Travels with Steve and Datsun

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we hear from an Atlas Obscura user who, when he isn’t aboard an icebreaking warship for the Canadian Navy, spends weeks at a time road-trippin...

Classic: Hope Cemetery

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A graveyard in the “Granite Capital of the World” pays tribute to stone cutters and artisans who are buried amongst the sculptures they created.Re...

The Honey Island Swamp Monster

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Atlas Obscura reporter Sarah Durn ventures deep into the Louisiana swamp in search of the legendary monster that prowls it.Learn more about Jessica’...

Tiwai Island

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Civil war in Sierra Leone brought this beautiful island to the brink of destruction - now it’s making its comeback.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://...

The Guy Who Sings

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Farley has written dozens of songs about cities and towns across the United States. Why? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz...

Grace Hopper’s Bug

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trailblazing computer scientist Grace Hopper shaped the way people use and talk about computers. Her actual computer bug is preserved at the Smithson...

Classic: The Capital Stones

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Gigantic pieces of the United States Capitol rest in Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC - waiting for anyone willing to step off the beaten path. REA...

Friendship Park

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Every Sunday, there’s a binational church service at Friendship Park, which straddles the U.S.-Mexico border. We sent two reporters to attend the ch...

Seven Keys Lodge

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s largest random, assorted key collection located outside Denver, CO, was inspired by a literary infatuation and includes keys to danger a...

Trevor Paglen and Experimental Geography

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

MacArthur Genius Grant winner, artist, and experimental geographer Trevor Paglen and host Dylan Thuras discuss documenting government surveillance, AI...

National Atomic Testing Museum

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Las Vegas, Nevada was once the preferred tourist destination for watching weapons of mass destruction  explode.   READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https:...

Classic: The Thousand-Year Rose

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The world's oldest rose is so tough it survived being bombed in World War II. Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-thousa...

The Blue Whale of Catoosa

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Catoosa, Oklahoma is the site of a massive landlocked whale - and possibly the greatest anniversary gift everREAD MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlas...

Ottoman Bird Palaces

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

These miniature mansions and luxurious homes were built for the feathered residents of Istanbul. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.co...

Underwater Places

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners two stories where sculpture meets the depths: The Sunken Crosses of Malp...

Concrete Animals of Mexico

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Producer Abbey Perreault gives listeners an introduction to the long-unknown creator behind the widely known concrete fauna of Mexico’s urban playsc...

Classic: Milo Bitters

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A listener in Lawrence, Kansas takes us on his journey of discovering the secrets of his hometown. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.a...

Plain of Jars

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This archaeological landscape in Phonsavan, Laos is one of the most mysterious, important, and dangerous prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia. Learn m...

The Smallest Mollusk Museum

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Smallest Mollusk Museum in New York City is part of a fleet of tiny museums that might just have a big impact on the world. Hosted by Simplecast, ...

Maillardet’s Automaton

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This mechanical boy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a mystery - until it began to write. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/place...

Buck Atom on Route 66

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Space Cowboy Buck Atom stands watch over an old gas station in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is a link to the glory of Route 66’s Muffler Men. READ MORE IN T...