The Atlas Obscura Podcast

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...

Welcome to Provincetown

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're sharing with you a new Witness Docs show: Welcome to Provincetown, a documentary podcast in the vein of reality television about a small town on...

The Voice at Embankment Station

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The voice announcement at Embankment Station in London is unlike any other announcement on the Tube.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...

Roger Williams Root

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The hunt to memorialize Rhode Island’s founder created one of the state’s strangest and most enduring myths.To Learn more about Roger Williams rel...

Lake Lanier

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Legends and troubled history lay beneath Lake Lanier in Forsyth County. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information ...

Cranes of the DMZ

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea has become an accidental bird sanctuary for one of the world’s most endangered crane spec...

Classic: Wonders in Your Backyard

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Occasionally the podcast team requests messages about the strange and wondrous places you experience. These are some of first responses we received la...

Journey to Black Star Square

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Producer Baudelaire Ceus brings listeners to Accra, Ghana and a gigantic public square dedicated to Ghanaian independence.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: ht...

Vilcabamba

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This small town in Ecuador was thought to hold the fountain of youth and drew the curiosity of scientists and wellness practitioners alike. READ MORE...

Star Trek Original Series Set Tour

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sets from the original 1960’s Star Trek have been recreated for fans and actors alike in Ticonderoga, New York.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www....

Disabled Hikers

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Syren Nagakyrie set out to make a whole world of incredible beauty more available to millions of people with disabilities - starting with the Olympic ...

Classic: Pyramiden

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An abandoned Russian mining village is literally frozen in time.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pyramiden   Hosted by Sim...

Congo Square

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Congo Square in New Orleans is the heart of where African drumming found its way into American music and the birth of Jazz.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: ht...

Places Team Favorite Atlas Entries

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners stories of two of their favorite places that can be found in the Atlas - ...

Amir Siraj and the Interstellar Object

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Amir Siraj was a sophomore in college when he discovered what may be the first documented interstellar object to hit earth.  Hosted by Simplecast, an...

House the Giants Built

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anna Swan had an adventurous life before settling in Seville, Ohio and building a house large enough to fit her large life.  Hosted by Simplecast, an...

Grasshopper Glacier Re-Listen

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A rapidly disappearing glacier holds the key to a forgotten species, a century-old entomological mystery,  and… an opera. This episode previously a...

Floating Freedom School

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This paddleboat gave some Black children a place to learn even when they were denied formal education on land.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz ...

The Hodges Meteorite

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This meteorite is one of the very few on record to have hit a human being. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-hodges-me...

The Goiter Belt

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A public health crisis plagued the Midwest until a simple solution was introduced to a ubiquitous cooking ingredient. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

Tiny Doors ATL

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A number of tiny, mysterious doors scattered throughout Atlanta, Georgia ask viewers to imagine what might be found on the other side.READ MORE IN THE...

The House on the Rock Re-Listen

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Dylan Thuras and producer Harry Huggins as they visit the unruly architecture of The House on the Rock - one of the inspirations for Atlas O...

Catalina Island Bison Herd Re-Listen

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The strange story of Catalina Island’s herd of bison, and the harrowing story of producer Sarah Wyman’s encounter with these intimidating resident...

National Corvette Museum Sinkhole Re-Listen

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Eight rare vehicles at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky vanish, thanks to a massive sinkhole.Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura....

The Cardiff Giant Re-Listen

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

All summer we’ve been asking you to send us your summer travel stories. In this installment we hear a listener’s tale of a theological dispute tha...

Leimert Park Re-Listen

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Producer Baudelaire Ceus travels to Leimert Park, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles characterized by its historical relationship to Black liberatio...

Booming Dunes Re-Listen

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An audio postcard from the desert of Badain Jaran in China, home of the Booming Dunes, and possibly the coolest sand sounds you’ve ever heard.Read m...

Garbage Goat

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This sculpture in Spokane, WA was created by a"welding nun" decades ago. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/garbage-eating-g...

The Divorce Colony

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For a brief period the small frontier city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota drew in socialites and celebrities who were desperate to end their marriages.F...

The Cincinnati Subway

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are two miles of abandoned tunnels beneath the streets of Cincinnati, OH. A relic of an attempt to establish underground transportation in the c...

The Places You Return To

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Atlas Obscura listeners share stories from places they love so much they keep going back. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

La Paz Re-listen

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the busy, traffic-packed capital city of Bolivia, we meet the zebras who keep the streets of La Paz safe for its citizens.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: h...

World’s Oldest Edible Ham

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Atlas Obscura’s resident food and death reporter Sam O’Brien takes us to Smithfield, Virginia, where we meet a 120-year-old ham, and the people wh...

Nakagin Capsule Tower

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This social and architectural experiment in Tokyo, Japan was once the leading building in a movement attempting to pair construction and biological gr...

Phone Booth on a Roof

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The City Hall in Lincoln, Illinois has an unusual architectural appendage with a curious history. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.c...

Eastern State Penitentiary

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The founders of this prison in Philadelphia, PA aimed to revolutionize incarceration for the better - and unintentionally created new horrors.  READ...

The Heidelberg Project Re-Listen

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We take you to East Detroit, where an artist transformed a largely abandoned street into an immersive, living museum -- which grew into something even...

San Juan Sound

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

San Juan Sound is an iconic studio where musicians, engineers, and quite possibly a music-loving ghost carry on the Island’s musical traditions, whi...

Madame Tussaud

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dylan Thuras braves one of New York’s most touristy sites to bring listeners the lesser-known history of Madame Tussaud’s origins. Hosted by Simpl...

Two of Our Favorite Mummies

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners the stories of two mummies - one preserved in a bog in Jutland, Denmark a...

A Sound Garden

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An orchard of metal poles sits on a hill overlooking Lake Washington. And when the wind blows, this musical sculpture "sings the world into existence"...

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji Re-listen

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the depths of Northeastern India, centuries-old bridges are not built, they are grown.Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/r...

The Livestock Living at the End of the World

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pigs once plopped on an uninhabited Auckland Island known for capturing castaways now play an important role in modern medical research. READ MOR...

Carhenge

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This experimental automotive replica of Stonehenge has become a symbol of the town of Alliance, Nebraska. But residents haven’t always been fans.REA...

Père Lachaise Cemetery

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Producer Baudelaire Ceus searches for the resting place of famed author Richard Wright among the graves of other cultural icons like Gertrude Stein, O...

Leaning Tower of Niles

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Niles, Illinois is home to an exact replica of Italy’s leaning tower of Pisa - only it’s half the size of the original structure.READ MORE IN THE ...

Not Lost in the Umbrella Covers Museum

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brendan Francis Newnam, the host of the new podcast Not Lost, and Dylan Thuras discuss how getting lost is the best way to find yourself. And Brendan ...

The Places We Return To

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Atlas Obscura contributors take listeners to some of the places they loved so much they keep going back.Got your own place that calls you to return ag...

Monongahela Incline

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This funicular in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania used to offer coal and steel workers a respite from the smog of industry.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https:/...

Goblin Valley State Park

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today the story of how a street lamp, a tangle with municipal government, and a love of the stars led a man to Goblin Valley, Utah a “dark sky certi...

The Last Big Mac in Iceland

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Take a trip to a hostel in Iceland to visit the country’s last Big Mac, where the burger’s existence unfolds a story about economics and national...

The Boiling River Re-Listen

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A river in the Amazon is so hot that anything that falls into it will die … but how did it get this way?Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobs...

Ruins of Le Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This garden park in Paris, France contains the ruins of a colonial exhibition from 1907.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/le...

The Maiden of Deception Pass

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thousands of years ago, a young woman named Ko-kwal-alwoot crouched over a set of tide pools, looked into the water, and saw a face looking back at he...

National Ice Core Lab

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists in Denver, Colorado store and conduct tests on miles of ice core samples dating back hundreds of thousands of years. READ MORE IN THE ATLA...

Forestiere Underground Gardens

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This underground oasis in Fresno, California is a winding maze of rooms and passageways filled with lush citrus trees. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https:...

Mafra Palace Library Bats Re-listen

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A grand library in Portugal has some unexpected nighttime caretakers -- tiny bats. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mafra-...

The Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Noah Purifoy was a pugilistic LA artist who eventually filled a 10 acre plot of land in Joshua Tree, CA with his of-kilter art.  Noah Purifoy’s Ou...

Upton Chamber

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An underground chamber in Upton, MA puzzled some New Englanders while others long knew its ancient origins.   READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.a...

Benin Bronzes

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thousands of masks from the former Kingdom of Benin are spread throughout museums across the world.  Is that where they belong? Hosted by Simplecast,...

Hashima Island

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hashima Island in Japan was once the most densely populated place on Earth. Until – almost overnight – everyone left. Additional information for ...

Sputnik IV Crash Site Re-listen

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Typically, space junk ends up deep in the Pacific Ocean. This is the story of when it plunged back to earth … onto a street in small-town Wisconsin....

Forest of the Future Library

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This forest in Oslo, Norway will provide the trees for paper as part of a century long art project featuring famed contemporary authors. READ MORE IN...

The Last Tenement

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Last Tenement in Boston’s old West End has come to represent everything that can go wrong with urban planning.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https://www...

The Timbuktu Manuscripts

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

These documents highlight the intellectual legacy of an ancient civilization based in Timbuktu, Mali.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura....

Islands of America

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and island-hopper Anna Marlis Burgard takes us on a tour of three of the 135 strange, incredible, and wondrous islands she’s explored in the ...