The Atlas Obscura Podcast
Episodes
The Immovable Ladder
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a place where multiple world religions intersect, this unassuming little ladder is a symbol of the very delicate balance that keeps a church in Jer...
The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft (Classic)
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Reporter Eric Grundhauser recounts a memorable visit to an unusual museum in Iceland, where he explored the ancient lore of the occult, learned how to...
Yemrehanna Kristos Church (Classic)
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Photographer and author Paul Koudonaris brings listeners to this Ethiopian Church and explores ossuaries, jeweled skeletons, and death practices throu...
Scary Stories from Real Places (Classic)
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Atlas contributors bring listeners stories from spooky locations they’ve visited, and which continue to haunt them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
Spooky Sites with the Places Team (Classic)
31 Oct 2023
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...
Bloody Island (Classic)
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This island between Missouri and Illinois was a preferred meeting place for duels to the death in the early 1900’s. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
Abandoned Chacaltaya Ski Resort (Classic)
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear from the caretakers of a ghost town in Bolivia that was once the world's highest ski resort. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.co...
The Art of the Heist with Noah Charney
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with one of the leading experts on art theft – professor and author Noah Charney, who unpacks the cultural fascination with this type of cri...
Great Plains Dinosaur Museum
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We visit a museum in Montana that’s a dream for dinosaur nerds, and home to bones that are the real deal, locally sourced and sustainably foraged.RE...
Venturing Into the Twilight Zone with Susan Casey
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Susan Casey takes us to the deep deep ocean, where she explores the relationship between humans and this mysterious underworld.READ MORE: F...
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A basketball fan goes to the hall of fame – and no, it’s not the big one in Massachusetts that you may be thinking about. Hear the story behind a ...
Science that Doesn’t Stop (Classic)
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Host Dylan Thuras riffs on a subject that has long fascinated him: The world’s longest-running science experiments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
The Wishing Tree
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a special tree in Portland that’s full of a city’s hopes, dreams, and wishes.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places...
The Golem
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We peek into the life and work of the oft-understood artist Niki de Saint Phalle, who was behind a strange and wildly popular playground sculpture in ...
Robot Saints
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We meet the robot saints – sculptures made of wood and wire, of cams and pulleys during medieval times – that might just help us understand this n...
Nasothek Noses
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We get up close and nosey about a peculiar exhibit in Copenhagen that reveals a lot about what artists and society considered beautiful throughout the...
The Plotz Plot (Classic)
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Foer, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, takes us to a remote patch of land in the Arizona desert, where he built (and later rebuilt) a museum in h...
The Stanley Hotel
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go inside a place that some paranormal investigators call the most active haunted location in the world. Before it was known as the inspiration for...
Our Travel Expectations
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Travel is sometimes like a box of chocolates – never know what you’re going to get. In this episode, we share stories of places that blew us away,...
The Tunguska Event
10 Oct 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...
Tolkien Takes Us Places
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This fall marks 50 years since JRR Tolkien’s death. In honor of the writer’s life and legacy, we want to take you back to the places where it all ...
La Piedra Movediza (Classic)
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A huge rock, teetering on the edge of a hill for thousands of years, brought tourism, fame, and what’s said to be a 100-year curse to the town of T...
Grave Bells
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go to Bonaventure Cemetery in Georgia to the grave of one Charles F. Mills to learn about a distinct – but at one time widespread – phobia – ...
Baobab Fare
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Chef Hamissi Mamba, whose family sought asylum in the US and years later founded an East African restaurant that serves up a small slice ...
Enchanted Woods
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go to Wilmington, Delaware, to a 4-acre garden with characters and exhibits created using castoff materials and greenery that invites kids to drop ...
Searching for Squids with Dr. Sarah McAnulty
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go on a journey through the depths of the ocean, meeting a different squid deity at each stop along the way. Our guide is cephalopod expert, biolo...
Secret Places with Ashley Ray (Classic)
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Podcaster Ashley Ray has more than a soft spot for her Midwest hometown. Hear why she thinks it may just be the best kept secret. HEAR MORE FROM OUR ...
The 49th Parallel (Classic)
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A listener takes us to a town on the edge of the longest undefended border in the world. Note: US-Canada border regulations have been updated since t...
Lake Karachay (Classic)
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lake Karachay in Ozersk, Russia is the site of a former secret Soviet Union nuclear facility - that’s inspired art despite the little that’s publi...
The Dedan Kimathi Post Office Tree (Classic)
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Dedan Kimathi Post Office played a notable role in Kenya’s struggle for Independence.GREAT NEWS: We’re up for an award - and you can help us w...
Twin Oaks
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An intentional community in rural central Virginia has been testing an interesting premise for decades — that maybe three, or four, or more paren...
Moses Gates and the Chrysler Building Eagles (Classic)
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Urban planner, Moses Gates, shares his unlikely experience with the residents of the 61st floor of one of New York City’s most iconic buildings.. Ho...
The Fear Lab
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At Denmark’s largest haunted house attraction, it’s not just about the screams. Researchers are studying the effects – good and bad – that fea...
The Ark of Citrus
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are thousands of varieties of citrus, many more than just the navel oranges. And they’re all being preserved in a collection at the University...
Getting lost in Golden Gate Park
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us rely on digital maps and GPS to get anywhere these days. Hear what happens when Producer Amanda McGowan finds herself lost in San Francisco...
Italy’s Bomb Squad
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with writer Alessio Perrone about what he learned from the people who hunt for Italy’s unexploded bombs, leftover from times of war. READ M...
Harvard Bridge Smoots (Classic)
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How an MIT fraternity pledge instituted a new, unique unit of measurement. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/harvard-brid...
The Atomic Clock
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do we determine the time? Believe it or not, there is an official clock. It’s located in Boulder, Colorado at the National Institute of Standard...
Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go to the Allegany territory of the Onödowá'ga people to learn about "The Creator's Game” – which evolved into the sport now known as lacross...
Bridget Cleary
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the power of myth and folklore through the story of an Irish woman, whose husband murdered her because he believed she’d become a fairy. ...
Fenway Victory Gardens
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the last remaining World War II Victory Gardens in the U.S is quietly growing across from Boston’s Fenway Park. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...
Rites of Passage
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
School is back in session. So for this episode, Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring two stories - one from the campus o...
Mini Golfing in Myrtle Beach
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Myrtle Beach, mini golf is not so mini. It’s over the top! This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Myrtle Beach, and to find a list o...
Face to Face Yet Again
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our team has shared memorable encounters they’ve had with animals, and some were very unexpected. So this time we asked YOU about those experiences ...
Kennett Square
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just an hour west of Philadelphia, there’s a charming town in Pennsylvania that produces about two thirds of all the mushrooms sold in the US. We vi...
Carousel of Happiness (Classic)
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A music box given to Scott Harrison while he served in Vietnam inspired him to hand-carve all the animals for the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, ...
Maine Windjammers
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go back in time to another era of travel and take a trip on the oldest commercial sailing vessel in the United States. Click here to learn more ab...
The Last White Deer of Mount Madonna (Classic)
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The story of the white deer on Mount Madonna, the two robber barons who put them there, and the last survivor of the herd. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...
How to Quarantine in a Ghost Town
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Back in 2020, a lot of people moved to faraway places to escape urban life amid a global pandemic. Brent Underwood bought and moved to an abandoned to...
It’s Getting Hot in Here
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s all go to hell. Seriously. Hell, Michigan, that is :)READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hell-michigan Hosted by Simpl...
Villa de Vecchi
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An abandoned mansion in Italy has become the source of rumors about ghost activity that some believe is justified by its very real gothic past. READ ...
Dead Companions (Classic)
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We nearly stump host Dylan Thuras with a seemingly simple question: Who are the top five dead people he would like to go on a road trip with? Hosted b...
Arthurdale
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The New Deal is known for ushering a string of social safety net programs. But in this episode, we tell the saga of an ambitious, government-backed ho...
Mysterious Sinkholes of Mt Baldy
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One family’s regular day of exploring some sand dunes at the edge of Lake Michigan turned into a wild tale of a little boy being sucked into a sinkh...
Embracing Adventure in Fayetteville
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A tiny town in West Virginia takes “living lift to the fullest” to a different level, with its embrace of extreme adventure activities. Like, for ...
A Whale of a Tale with Daniel Kraus
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with writer Daniel Kraus, who let his imagination run deep into the ocean after hearing a wild news story about an encounter between kayakers ...
Spacecraft Cemetery (Classic)
18 Aug 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...
Demon Wall
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A small church in a village in Norway is home to an unusual and perplexing mural that’s become known for its demonic illustrations. READ MORE IN TH...
APOPO Rats
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode may have you reconsidering what you think about rats. That’s because at this training and research center in Tanzania, African Giant Po...
Texas Painted Churches
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A series of churches in Texas that look unassuming from the outside in fact have some of the most intricately painted interiors. And for one of our li...
Snake Island
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A tiny island off the coast of Brazil is known for being a dangerous place … purely because its inhabitants are, well, snakes. But we speak to a res...
Winchester Mystery House (Classic)
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does this sprawling mansion in San Jose, California live up to its reputation as one of the most haunted places in the world?READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: h...
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The oldest operating pet cemetery in the world is just north of NYC, and it’s where dearly departed four-legged friends come to rest – and sometim...
Gullah Museum
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We visit a museum in Georgetown, SC that’s dedicated to preserving and prioritizing the rich and historic Gullah Geechee culture.READ MORE: http://w...
Burj Al Babas
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An incomplete luxury housing development in Turkey is a mashup of fairy tale and ghost town, and almost everyone has an opinion of (or wants to see) t...
Pā‘ula‘ula / Russian Fort Elizabeth
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Producer Johanna Mayer and Atlas Obscura associate editor Sarah Durn tell us the story of a fort in Hawaii with two names – and how those names bo...
Sunny Jim Cave (Classic)
04 Aug 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...
Jacko Steps
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go to the Caribbean island of Dominica and hear the story of Jacko, a formerly enslaved man who became a national hero for his ingenious escape and...
Dmanisi
02 Aug 2023
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 kn...
Heating things up in Hatch
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're headed just a couple hours south of Albuquerque to Hatch, New Mexico, a town where the heat doesn’t just come from the sun. It also come...
Bone Vinyl
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the Soviet Union, x-rays didn’t just give you a look inside the human body. They also gave you a glimpse of the outside world, thanks to music th...
Beale Treasure (Classic)
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grab your pickaxes, your shovels, and your code breaking supercomputers because today we’re going on a treasure hunt. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi...
Knight’s Spider Web Farm
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The family behind this farm relies on itsy bitsy helpers to produce one-of-a-kind art. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kn...
Amazon Night Hikes
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear how a trip to the jungle, and a series of nighttime hikes, cured producer Chris Naka’s bug-phobia, once and for all. Hosted by Simplecast, an A...
Spaces for Spies
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Places editors Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy bring us two stories about two particular places whose histories intersect with real world American...
Mapping the Gay Guides
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, a one of a kind travel guide opened up the world for gay travelers. Today, historians are using them to create an interactive map of LGBT...
Rödstensgubben (Classic)
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A trip to Sweden prompts former show producer Sarah Wyman to dig into a superstitious story passed through generations about the Red Stone Man Hosted ...
Face to Face
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our show often focuses on interesting people and places. But in this episode, the team shares memorable encounters they’ve had with animals – ever...
Darién Gap
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An infamous break in the road that links North and South America has been in and out the news for more than 100 years – for good reason. This stretc...
A house move like no other
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author Dave Eggers has an enduring affinity for Idaho. In this episode, he chats with Dylan about a unique family that undertook what is perhaps one o...
The Coffee Palace
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A majestic building in Santos, Brazil used to be the center of the coffee trade. LEARN MORE: Go deeper with Professor Ian Read’s work here and rea...
The Capitoline Wolf (Classic)
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Blind Guy Travels host Matthew Shifrin discusses a formative encounter with a wolf tied to the origins of Rome. Listen to Blind Guy Travels: https://...
Man’s Best (Stiff) Friends
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring us two charming stories of some very special canines who have been (literally) pres...
The Complaint Tablet of Ea-Nasir
12 Jul 2023
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...
A Friendly Town With An Ax To Grind
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, lumberjacks and lumberjills from around the world flock to Hayward, Wisconsin – a couple hours north of Minneapolis – to compete in th...
Gunnar Schonbeck Exhibit
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For years, students at Bennington College snuck into a locked room for a glimpse of strange and magical instruments created by professor Gunnar Schonb...
Magical Summer Memories Vol. 4 - The Magic of Water (Classic)
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this final installment of summer stories we tackle a topic that transcends the seasons—the captivating magic of water during travel. If you’d ...
Magical Summer Memories Vol. 3 - The Cardiff Giant (Classic)
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this installment we hear a listener’s tale of a theological dispute that became a real money-maker known to some as “Old Hoaxy.” This is the...
Magical Summer Memories Vol. 2 (Classic)
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second of a series of listener-powered episodes about summer travel stories. If you’d like to share a story about your summer, record a ...
Magical Summer Memories Vol. 1 (Classic)
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first of a series of listener-powered episodes about summer travel stories. If you’d like to share a story about your summer, record a v...
Special Episode: Witches and Ritual Around the Globe from Women Who Travel
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The nights in the northern hemisphere are drawing in, which means whispering stories of witches and spirits are top of mind for many of us. Lale chats...
Museum of Quackery and Medical Fraud (Classic)
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We visit what might be the world’s largest collection of fraudulent, nefarious, or otherwise ineffectual medical machinery -- and meet the founder w...
No Taste Like Home
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Asheville is a well-known foodie destination. In this ep we hear about a group that takes visitors into the wild – to learn all about North Carolin...
We Heart Disasters… with John Marr
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Host Dylan Thuras meets a teenage hero: author John Marr, who created the infamous Murder Can Be Fun zine and chronicled tales of unusual amusement pa...
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Created by a volcanic eruption in 2015, this island in the South Pacific no longer exists… but we chat with a person who got to see it before it dis...
The Italian War on Pasta
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gastro Obscura Writer Sam Lin-Sommer tells us the story of the fascist war on pasta and its surprisingly delicious legacy.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: http...
Bone Wars
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve probably heard about the Gold Rush. But what about the bone rush of the 1870s? Hear the story of a bitter rivalry between two paleontologist...
The Hand Collection
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You can learn a lot about a person from their hands. In this episode, we hear the story of a doctor who made it possible for us to hold onto the stori...
Secret Places with Ashley Ray
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Podcaster, TV critic and comedian Ashley Ray has more than a soft spot for her Midwest hometown. Hear why she thinks it may just be the best kept secr...
Flavor Graveyard
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Behind the Ben & Jerry's factory in Vermont sits a very peculiar graveyard... one dedicated to dearly departed ice cream flavors.READ MORE IN THE ATLA...