The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Marching through the galaxy with Dr. Moiya McTier

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Author, astrophysicist, folklorist, and science communicator Dr. Moiya McTier guides Dylan through the galaxy, and along the way reveals why she loves...

Arecibo Observatory (Classic)

20 Mar 2024

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:/...

A Mission to find a Meteor with Amir Siraj

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Friend of the show Amir Siraj tells us the wild tale of his search for an interstellar object – a journey that led the astrophysicist to the bottom...

Goblin Valley State Park (Classic)

18 Mar 2024

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 (Classic)

15 Mar 2024

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 nationa...

Law of the Tongue

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Atlas Obscura writer Roxanne Hoorn brings us the story of an extraordinary relationship between people and killer whales. And, through conversation wi...

Introducing Sound Detectives from LeVar Burton

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

LeVar Burton presents SOUND DETECTIVES – a funny, engaging, and thought provoking podcast that invites elementary school-aged kids to explore the ma...

The Lighthouse Keeper

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We go to Fayerweather Island, off the coast of Connecticut, and get the story of Kate Moore, one of the first recorded woman lighthouse keepers. Over ...

The Grave of XYZ

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We go to Deep River, Connecticut – where the story of a botched bank robbery more than 100 years ago has taken on a life of its own as an urban lege...

Organ Stop Pizza (Classic)

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The largest theater pipe organ in the world lives in a restaurant in Mesa, Arizona. Phenomenal musicians play requests while diners feast on pizza.REA...

Exploring the Abandoned with Blake Pfeil

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dylan sits down with guest Blake Pfeil about what inspired him to begin exploring abandoned spots, what those spaces have taught him about escapism, s...

Mr. Kaor’s Letters

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We visit a quaint Dutch fishing village and attempt to unravel the mystery that unfolded there… a mystery that involved strange and curious letters ...

GALS Gone Wild

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On our second day with Sporkful senior producer Andres O’Hara, we see what happens when invasive creatures that have made their way to the US refuse...

What Happens to the Food You Try To Sneak into the Airport?

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With the help from a podcast friend (Andres O’Hara of The Sporkful), we go inside one of the busiest airports on earth. And we find out the fate of ...

Madame Tussaud (Classic)

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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

Black History in Plain Sight with Places Editors Jonathan and Michelle

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For years, contributions from Black Americans to public spaces like beaches and museums have been hard to detect. Places Editors Jonathan and Michelle...

Jerry’s Hat Museum

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We visit Jerry’s Hat Museum, where a retiree has turned to an old chapel to house a collection of thousands of hats, pens, odds, ends and other arti...

Hints of Home

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners share their stories of places that made them feel at home, from the beaches of Australia to a ubiquitous coffee shop.WE WANT YOUR STORIES! W...

Hotel Theresa (Classic)

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Hotel Theresa in Harlem, New York played a pivotal role in the influential neighborhood’s cultural identity. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

Eastern State Penitentiary (Classic)

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A producer revisits her hometown (Houston) and goes to the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, learning about the contributions of Black members of the armed for...

Stone of Destiny

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This giant rock has been used in the coronation of every English monarch since the 1300s, but is it authentic? Or could the real one be in a Scottish ...

World’s Loneliest House

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We visit the misnamed “world’s loneliest house” and visit the flocks of puffins who live there. Some people want to eat them, some want to prote...

Boston’s Blue Hill

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We take a hike up Great Blue Hill in Boston and get more than a stunning view of the city. A visit to the peak reveals the story of a weather observat...

The Goiter Belt (Classic)

16 Feb 2024

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 AdsWi...

Damanhur

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A mysterious religious community founded by an insurance agent-turned spiritual leader in northern Italy spent 15 years constructing an underground te...

Owamni

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning chef Sean Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef, has dedicated his Minneapolis restaurant to decolonized food and honoring indigenous meal traditi...

Toy Story

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mexico City is known for its museum and art scene. The collection at El Museo del Juguete Antiguo – The Antique Toy Museum – encourages visitors t...

Robert Is Here

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We go to south Florida and hear the story of a family that took a gamble on a humble roadside stand that blossomed into a fruit emporium and community...

Library of Congress Hair Collection (Classic)

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This collection, preserved by the United States Library of Congress, features locks of hair from cultural icons from Beethoven to General Ulysses S. G...

Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This museum in John Day, Oregon, was once a Chinese general store and medicine shop that dates back to the 1800s. But these days it’s a perfectly pr...

Welcome Home

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hear staff stories about places in the world that made them instantly feel at home, from the Big Easy to the Magic Kingdom. WE WANT YOUR STORIES: We’...

Moynaq

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A city in Uzbekistan used to be the site of one of the world’s largest seas. Now it’s a dusty reminder of one of the largest and most forgotten en...

Taquile Island

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This tiny island off the coast of Peru is an UNESCO World Heritage site for having the finest textile art. It’s also the place where a knitted hat r...

Père Lachaise Cemetery (Classic)

02 Feb 2024

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...

Seeking the (Minnesota-shaped) Forest Through the Trees - Part 2

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We pick up the ball from internet sleuths and journalists and find the mysterious maker of a Minnesota-shaped forest, who’s never spoken about his s...

Seeking the (Minnesota-shaped) Forest Through the Trees - Part 1

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We follow one man’s journey down an internet rabbit hole that becomes a search for a one-of-a-kind forest and its mysterious creator. Hosted by Simp...

Hello From The Otter Side

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At one time, sea otters had an enormous historical range—from Baja California, up the West Coast, through Alaska, Russia, and Japan. But these days,...

The Guerrero

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We follow a man’s quest to find the remains of a shipwrecked slave ship off the coast of the Florida Keys, and learn about its forgotten history, my...

Moon Trees (Classic)

26 Jan 2024

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...

A Giant Spectacle in Goffstown

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We go to New Hampshire – but not for politics. Instead, we visit Goffstown, the pumpkin boat capital of New England, and meet the man who came up wi...

Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We go to Houston, where a gigantic underground vessel that used to be a water source is now an enchanting – and echo-filled – part of the downtown...

Slowjamastan

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We get out our passports and visit The Republic of Slowjamastan, a nation built on good vibes, good music and a dream of eliminating one very popular ...

Whimzeyland

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We go to Safety Harbor, Florida – where two artists have made their house into a magnet for creativity and culture, and where Troll Dolls, Jello mol...

Forest of the Future Library (Winter Wonder Classic)

19 Jan 2024

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...

Ark Two Shelter (Winter Wonder Classic)

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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

Congo Square (Winter Wonder Classic)

17 Jan 2024

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: htt...

The Complaint Tablet of Ea-Nasir (Winter Wonder Classic)

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Turns out, complaining about bad service really is as old as time. Hear the story of an ancient Babylonian clay tablet that has launched a slew of mod...

Dmanisi (Winter Wonder Classic)

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An archeological site in the country of Georgia, which features the oldest, human skull fossils found outside of Africa, challenges what we think we k...

Monkey Island (Winter Wonder Classic)

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An island off the coast of Puerto Rico is home to more than 1500 imported monkeys, which have been studied by researchers for decades.READ MORE IN TH...

Cranes of the DMZ (Winter Wonder Classic)

11 Jan 2024

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...

Mafra Palace Library Bats (Winter Wonder Classic)

10 Jan 2024

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-...

Parrots of Green-Wood Cemetery (Winter Wonder Classic)

09 Jan 2024

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 inf...

Luomus Spiders (Winter Wonder Classic)

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki has had an infestation of Chilean recluse spiders for more than 50 years. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi...

Micropia (Winter Wonder Classic)

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Take a trip to Micropia, the world’s only museum dedicated to microscopic organisms and learn about our invisible life companions.READ MORE IN THE A...

Milky Seas (Winter Wonder Classic)

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Dylan Thuras, a satellite scientist, and a ship captain in search of gigantic swaths of bioluminescence that radiate up from the surface of ...

Laguna Del Diamante (Winter Wonder Classic)

03 Jan 2024

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...

Relampago del Catatumbo (Winter Wonder Classic)

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s an everlasting lightning storm in Northwestern Venezuela that appears in the night sky nearly every night.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://ww...

The Various Ends of the World (Winter Wonder Classic)

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Science writer Peter Brannen takes listeners on a tour of the world’s five major mass extinctions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...

Spacecraft Cemetery (Winter Wonder Classic)

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Where does space stuff go after it dies? To this spot deep, deep in the Pacific ocean.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spac...

Fun and Funny Science with Mary Roach (Winter Wonder Classic)

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Mary Roach takes us into the hidden corners of the scientific world. From training to poop in space to the surprisingly pleasant Common Cold Un...

The Grave of Miss Baker (Winter Wonder Classic)

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Visitors leave bananas on the grave of “America’s First Lady of Space,” an early astronaut whose incredible life was forgotten. READ MORE IN TH...

The Tunguska Event (Winter Wonder Classic)

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We head to a remote region of Russia, to the epicenter of what would become known as the Tunguska Event. An event that may seem unfathomable… except...

Amir Siraj and the Interstellar Object (Winter Wonder Classic)

25 Dec 2023

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 A...

Tumbleweed Christmas Tree (Winter Wonder Classic)

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chandler, Arizona creates a Christmas Tree made entirely of the diaspore of this Western plant. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/...

A Holiday Announcement

23 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last two and a half years, the Atlas Obscura podcast has published well over 500 original episodes. For the next few weeks, we're taking a ho...

President Heads (Classic)

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

42 giant busts of U.S. presidents are slowly crumbling in a field in Virginia. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/president-...

Sniffing out What’s Special with Saskia Wilson Brown

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Specific smells have been linked to specific geographies, cultures, and mythologies for THOUSANDS of years. Today, we hear from Saskia Wilson-Brown ab...

Nightwalking with Bianca Giaever

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We learn about an age-old practice of nightwalking, with the help of two women who took it on as an experiment in the early chaotic days of the pandem...

A Return to Recipe Graves

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gastro Obscura’s senior editor Sam O’Brien returns to the podcast to go deeper with us on her strange beat – recipes etched into gravestones. We...

Old City Hall Station

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A producer takes a detour for a glimpse of what some call New York’s worst kept secret – a train station that’s been shut down and sealed away f...

Pando the Trembling Giant (Classic)

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fishlake National Forest is home to the biggest organism by mass on the planet - but this giant is shrinking and an usual group has banded together to...

Gourdlandia

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This magical wonderland in Ithaca, New York is devoted entirely—almost spiritually—to this unusual and versatile fruit. It's also the brainchild ...

New Bedford Whaling Museum

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An oozing whale skeleton isn't the only attraction at this Massachusetts museum. Hear how a producer’s visit revealed some surprising facts about an...

Knoxville Weather Kiosk

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Back in the day, people were so hungry for info about the weather that they would stand in line all day to get a glimpse of a series of kiosks placed ...

Ol Pejeta Rhino Cemetery

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A small cemetery in the grasslands of Kenya serves as a way to honor one of the most endangered animals in the world – the rhino – and elevate the...

The Super Museum

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A midwest city has embraced what it means to be the namesake hometown of one very famous superhero. And at its center is a museum that holds the caref...

Sunny Jim Cave (Classic)

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We follow a long set of wooden stairs deep underground to a sea cave with a mysterious and colorful past, and take in a spectacular, hidden view of th...

The Great Stalacpipe Organ (Classic)

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Luray Caverns in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia are home to an instrument that draws out the secret sounds of millenia-old stone. READ MORE...

The Naica Cave (Classic)

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Professional Adventurer George Kourounis knew he needed to visit  the Cave of the Crystals, located nearly a 1000 feet beneath northern Mexico, the m...

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We got so many responses to our question about listener experiences with animal encounters that we made a second episode. Experiences include a woman ...

Museum of Broken Relationships (Classic)

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode will break your heart. And that’s a good thing. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-of-broken-relations...

Aurora Alien Gravesite

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A small town in Texas has embraced the story of the visit and demise of an otherworldly being from the 1800s… and what many say is America’s only ...

Travel Ups and Downs

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A few weeks ago, our staff here at Atlas Obscura put out an episode about our traveling expectations – places that either blew us away… or were a...

They Also Ran Gallery

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An art gallery in Kansas celebrates the losers of presidential elections.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/they-also-ran-gal...

Nue

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A Seattle restaurant pushes diners to eat beyond their borders through its embrace of global street foods. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...

Elephant Clock (Classic)

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Elephant Clock, a replica of an ancient invention, sits in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, surrounded by stores like The Gap and H&M. READ MORE IN THE...

The Family Tree (Classic)

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A listener’s voicemail sent us searching for the story of a very special -- and giant -- oak tree in Peoria, Illinois, and the family of arborists w...

Dyatlov Pass Part 2

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, rumors and conspiracy theories swirled after nine people disappeared in the Ural mountains of the Soviet Union in 1959. But just a few ye...

Dyatlov Pass Part 1

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Doug Preston guides us through the first half of a cliffhanger story about the mysterious disappearance of a group of hikers in ...

A Gaga Tour of the Town

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Producer Manolo Morales, a devoted Little Monster, gallivants around the Lower East Side via an immersive performance-art walking tour dedicated to an...

Martian Meteorites and Greek Columns (Classic)

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Places editors Jonathan and Michelle are back again with a few new standout entries to the Atlas … including a spot in Antarctica that’s home to t...

The Lightning Field

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For art nerds, the Lightning Field installation in the New Mexico desert is a bucket-list destination. It’s also a testament to the extraordinary co...

Tiny Bread Box

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A couple created what is perhaps the cutest and most filling micro-store to pop up during the pandemic. But to find it, you’ll have to trek through ...

Montezuma Well

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A mysterious sinkhole in Arizona has befuddled an exclusive group of divers who’ve gotten a glimpse of a strange world underneath its sandy bottom.R...

Café 't Mandje

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re in Amsterdam, learning about a bad-ass woman who championed queer folx and provided a safe haven throughout World War II via her quirky bar in...

Brooklyn Latrine (Classic)

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A listener tells us about a treasure buried in his literal backyard, and the two strange men who showed up on his doorstep and asked to dig it up. Hos...

Dolly Parton’s Dreambox

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We will always love Dolly Parton, who’s installed a “dreambox” time capsule at her amusement park. In it, there’s a secret song that no one wi...

A Long Walk Home

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We meet back up with our pal Bernie Harberts, the beast whisperer, who trekked 19 million mule steps across the United States only to find himself, fo...

Gregynog Hall

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We go to the former estate of the Davies sisters, two unusually wealthy Welsh women who traveled the world, fell in love with art, served their countr...