The Atlas Obscura Podcast

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...

Josephine Baker’s Chateau (Classic)

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and travel educator Tracey Friley tells the story of the glamorous life of entertainer, French Resistance agent, and civil rights activist, Jos...

Forbes Pigment Collection (Classic)

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A repository in Cambridge, Massachusetts holds over 2,700 pigments that’ve been quietly coloring the world around us since the beginning of human hi...

World Famous Crochet Museum

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Step inside the cutest, most cuddly museum for handmade crafts. This museum, set near Joshua Tree National Park, has been called “a vortex of love a...

Reed College Reactor

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Students at Reed College study things like philosophy, history and English. But for the past 50 years they’ve also had access to a scientific instru...

The Greenbrier

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You’d never guess that beneath a historic, genteel southern resort sits a massive bunker that the US government built in case of catastrophic events...

Close to the Edge PART 2

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We asked, you answered. Hear listener stories of near death travel experiences. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for info...

Maine’s Burning Blueberry Fields (Classic)

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Travel to Penobscot, Maine, where one farmer maintains the tradition of burning his crop each year to rejuvenate it the next. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:...

Tabor Opera House

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Colorado is known for being a music and performance hub. And that history goes way back – all the way to a theater that staged high dramas, tragedie...

Frozen Dead Guy

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Atop a mountain in a picturesque Colorado town is the frozen corpse of a Norwegian grandpa. We get the tale of how this came to be, from the person wh...

Temple of Pythons

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We visit southern Benin to hear the story of the Temple of Pythons and clear up some misconceptions about one of the world's most misunderstood spirit...

Fairy Castle

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A famous movie actress from the 1920s left the world a lasting piece of art — a remarkable miniature home that could be considered Chicago’s cutes...

Hitler’s Toilet (Classic)

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It roamed the seas, served an evil dictator, survived a war, and ended up in a New Jersey auto-repair shop bathroom. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz ...

Tonopah Mining Camp

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We step into the shoes of the miners who once labored in the Nevada mountains, via a trip to the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. This episode was produc...

Koutammakou

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A race is on to save this world heritage site that straddles the border of Togo and Benin. It’s home to remarkable earth tower homes called Takienta...

Woman with the Handbag

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We go to Sweden, where some people are intent on making a woman a permanent symbol of resistance, whether or not she would have wanted it. Check out s...

Tick Collection

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We go to Statesboro, Georgia to the US National Tick Collection to learn what ticks, often thought of as little monstrosities, can teach us.READ MORE ...

Tina Turner Museum (Classic)

26 May 2023

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.atlasob...

Micropia (Classic)

25 May 2023

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 ...

American Chestnut Foundation (Classic)

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The story of the unimaginable destruction of the American Chestnut tree and the group of scientists, academics and tree lovers who are desperately try...

The Mirror Lab (Classic)

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A spinning furnace tucked under the football stadium at the University of Arizona is building giant telescope mirrors. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https...

Åtvidaberg Sun Cannon (Classic)

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sun cannons have been around since the 1600s. But as far as we know, there’s only one left that’s still up and running. We pay it a visit. READ M...

Chile Pepper Institute

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Habaneros!  Jalapenos! Green! Red! These days, an appreciation for chiles is pretty mainstream. But that wasn’t always the case. We head to New Mex...

Fugitive Train Wreck

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A North Carolina town has become a draw for people who want to see the wreckage of the train wreck from the movie “The Fugitive.” But a more inter...

Theatricum Botanicum

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A once-blacklisted Hollywood star created a magical theater in Topanga Canyon, California, that still endures and inspires today.READ MORE IN THE ATLA...

Voynich Manuscript

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the oldest books in the world is also the most misunderstood. A medievalist tells us about the Voynich, which is in the collection of the Bein...

Big Bertha Drum (Classic)

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

She’s about 8 feet wide and 500 pounds. And her history spans all the way from the stockyards of Chicago... to a nuclear test during the Manhattan P...

Kilwa Kisiwani (Classic)

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We dig through more than 1,000 years of dirt, history,  colonialism, and myth on the Swahili Coast.Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.c...

Butter Sculptures

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Where can you find the smoothest, most scrumptious edible art? If you ask our host, Dylan, it’s in the Minnesota State Fair butter sculpture room. H...

Close to the Edge

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all dream of the perfect vacation when everything goes right. This episode is about the opposite. Hear stories of people having near death travel e...

Iowa Remnant Prairies

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Elusive patches of land in America’s Midwest can show us what the environment was like 150 years ago and tell us about the future. Hosted by Simplec...

National Poo Museum

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We spend time with the world’s foremost poo enthusiasts, who operate a museum in England where poo is elegant, elevated and celebrated.READ MORE IN ...

Mississippi River Basin Model (Classic)

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A walk through this scale model has you feeling like a giant, and striding from Baton Rouge to Omaha in an hour. LEARN MORE about the model and the g...

The Nutmobile

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The next time you go out on a road trip, keep your eyes peeled for a peanut-shaped car that got its start as an advertising play during the Great Depr...

Okomfo Anokye’s Sword

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nestled in a hospital courtyard in Kumasi, Ghana, you’ll find the strength of the Asante people: the sword of Okomfo Anokye, planted in the ground o...

Hurricane Hunters

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We go on a bumpy ride with the Hurricane Hunters – the government’s team of scientists who fly into storms so the rest of us can have accurate inf...

Distant Relatives

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At a food truck in Austin, tried and true barbecue favorites meet unexpected spices and flavor profiles. Here, chef Damien Brockway’s journey into f...