The Atlas Obscura Podcast
An audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Co-founder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters explore a new wonder every day, Monday through Thursday. In under 15 minutes, they’ll take you to an incredible place, and along the way, you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Our theme and end credit music is composed by Sam Tyndall.
Episodes
Museum of Clean (Classic)
A tidy little story from Pocatello, Idaho, home to the Museum of Clean
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-of-clean Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
How Superstar Lionel Messi Returned to Argentina
Lionel Messi left Argentina and became a soccer superstar playing in Spain. But when he came back home to play for the Argentina National Team, he had a tough time. NPR reporter and The Last Cup podcast host Jasmine Garsd talks about Messi’s return to his home club and the bigger story immigration, identity, belonging, and the meaning of coming home after time away. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWiz
Beyond the Game: The Mapparium Globe in Boston
At the Mapparium® globe in Boston, visitors can step inside a giant, three-story stained glass globe…and get a glimpse of the bigger picture.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beaten track.
Learn more here about visiting the “Mapparium” globe. Hosted by Simplecast,
The Animal Worlds We Rarely See
A massive California wildfire prompted author Ryan Huling to get curious about the boundaries between human civilization and a vacant wilderness. It led him on a travel quest into the world of animals, which he documented in a new book, The Hidden Nations of Animals. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adv
Beyond the Game: Vancouver’s Dude Chilling Park
A renegade art project in Vancouver galvanized a small community, pitted residents against city government, and ultimately resulted in a new name for a chill park.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beaten track. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswi
Weekend Road Trip: The Jokes Phone
A pay phone in Washington, D.C tells you jokes and affirmations.
This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wondrous places right here in the United States, that you can see from the road. This series was produced in partnership with T-Mobile. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o
The Rainmaker (Classic)
Professional rainmaker Charles Hatfield was either a scientist or a con man who had a particular influence on San Diego, CA.
Curious about cloud seeding? Learn more from our earlier podcast on the Lynmouth Flood: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-lynmouth-flood-memorial-hall
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lower-otay-reservoir Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW
AO Mailbag: Five Friends, Three Nights, One Bathroom
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Amanda answer questions about books where the setting is transportive, travel in the Middle East right now, and how to handle sharing an Airbnb with five friends but only one bathroom.
If you have a question for our next mailbag episode, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@
Beyond the Game: Guadalajara’s Telmex Building
We visit an office building in Guadalajara, and learn how one man moved it – workers and all – exactly 40 feet.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beaten track. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us
The Kindred Spirit Mailbox
Nestled on North Carolina’s southern shoreline, the Kindred Mailbox keeps countless secrets and confessions left in the sand. This episode tells the story of mailbox and its dedicated keepers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Beyond the Game: LA's Kuruvungna Sacred Springs
Eight thousand years ago, this land’s first inhabitants built a village around a sacred spring. And today, in what is now Los Angeles, CA, their descendants still work to protect the site.
Learn more about the Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation: http://gabrielinosprings.com/wpsite/
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond
Weekend Road Trip: National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum
Today we visit the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is home to 10,000 bobbleheads inspired by sports, pop culture, politics, and even some niche viral Internet moments. Some even date back hundreds of years.
This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wondrous places right here in the Un
The Atomic Clock (Classic)
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 Standards and Technology, and we go there to visit.
LEARN MORE: NIST doesn’t give public tours. But if you want to watch the seconds go by as precisely as humanly possible, dial (303) 499-7111. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for
French Horns on Ice
Professional French horn player Kyra Sims tells us about a once-in-a-lifetime trip she took to Antarctica with a program called Polar STEAM, which pairs artists with scientists. She tells us about living on a research vessel, getting up close and personal with zooplankton, and where she found inspiration on the ice.
You can find Kyra Sims online at her website or on Instagram. And learn more abou
Beyond the Game: This Atlanta Monument is a Tombstone For…Gravity?
This stone at Emory University is a marker of one millionaire's personal vendetta against gravity.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beaten track. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal
The Last Wild Apple Groves (Classic)
The variety of apples we enjoy today have a common ancestor that lies in the forests of Kazakhstan, where scientists are studying the wildest version of the fruit. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Beyond the Game: Mexico City's Footwear Museum
One of Mexico’s oldest shoe stores holds a collection of more than 2,000 thousand shoes in a museum called el Museo Del Calzado. From booties worn by a rescue dog to slippers owned by Queen Elizabeth II, each pair tells a story.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beat
Weekend Road Trip: Tinkertown
It took Ross Ward more than 40 years to build Tinkertown, an indescribable array of carvings, figurines, and folk art. The project became both a source of inspiration for young artists, and an unexpected refuge for Ross himself.
This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wondrous places right here in the United States, that you
Fairy Circles (Classic)
We head to the Namib Desert in Africa, where the landscape is dotted with mysterious, pimple-like indents known as fairy circles. Where do these things come from? Scientist Walter Tschinkel has spent the last several years studying and experiencing a natural occurrence so enchanting, locals describe it as “The footprints of the gods.”
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fai
100 Years of the LA Central Library with Susan Orlean
The LA Central Library has always been unique. It doesn’t look like a typical big city library, many people didn’t want it to be built in the first place, and, in 1986, a fire affected more than one million of its books. But the library endured, and is now celebrating its 100th anniversary. Susan Orlean joins Kelly to talk about this storied institution.
Check out Susan’s book about the LA Centra
True Treats Historic Candy
Candy scholar Susan Benjamin brings us to her research-based historic candy shop, and introduces us to some surprising sweets that have shaped American history … from abolitionist sugars to WWI's chocolate energy bars.
Today's episode is brought to you in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Tourism. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o
The Real Town Behind War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds by Orson Welles is perhaps the most famous radio play on Earth. But what’s left out of the story is where the play was set — a real, little town in New Jersey. It took decades, but the people who live in Grover’s Mill have come to embrace their part in one of the biggest media hoaxes of all time. In fact, they’ve turned it into something to be proud of. Hosted by Simplecast, an
Garbage Goat (Classic)
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-goat-statue Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weekend Road Trip: The Bob Baker Marionette Theater
The Bob Baker Marionette Theater is a beloved place in Los Angeles, California. The theater almost closed down when its founder, Bob Baker, died in 2014. But it has managed to survive.
Randel Metz is the director of the Storybook Puppet Theater in Oakland, California, and the author of Enchanted Strings: Bob Baker Marionette Theater.
This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where
Temple of Pythons (Classic)
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 spiritual systems.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-temple-of-pythons-ouidah-benin Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Walking the Johnny Appleseed Trail with Isaac Fitzgerald
Isaac Fitzgerald grew up taking long walks with his father in rural Massachusetts. And on those walks, his father told him stories about legendary figures like Johnny Appleseed. As an adult, Isaac decided to retrace his path, and learn the true story behind this mythical character he’d grown up with.
Isaac is the author of American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed
. Hosted by Simplec
A Syrian Seed Library, Under Siege
When armed fighters captured his workplace during Syria’s civil war, Ali Shehadeh decided to pay them a visit. He was determined to save his life’s work: a massive collection of seeds. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Paris Sewer Museum
We dive into the dirty history of the famed Paris sewer system, from its unorthodox cleaning methods, to a pneumatic postal service that ran via the sewer, to… a poop tax.
We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or a story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com
. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz
National Ice Core Lab (Classic)
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 ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/national-ice-core-lab Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weekend Road Trip: The Mark Twain Stump
In 1891, a knot of men murdered a 1,300-year-old tree to prove it wasn’t a "tall tale." We visit the Mark Twain Stump, a 16-foot-wide wooden stage that serves as a monument to early American hubris, the cost of disbelief, and the bittersweet birth of the conservation of the Sequoias.
This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wo
Enchanted Woods (Classic)
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 screens and rules – and instead give in to a state of play.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/enchanted-woods-winterthur-gardens Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec
Haw Par Villa (Classic)
This amusement park in Singapore holds the Ten Courts of Hell, a series of dioramas that depict the kind of horrible fates awaiting people who behaved badly on Earth.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/haw-par-villa Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
AO Mailbag: Who Gets to DJ on a Long Road Trip?
Producers Jerome and Johanna join co-host Kelly McEvers to answer questions about souvenir-buying stress, multigenerational travel, and what to listen to on a road trip when you don’t have the same taste as your driving buddy.
Our next mailbag episode will be next month. If you have a question, email us at hello@atlasobscura.com. Or call us directly and leave a voicemail at 315-992-7902. Hosted by
The Lunchbox Museum
Allen Woodall’s first lunchbox was a brown paper bag. Since then, he’s amassed a collection of over 5,000 lunchboxes, all housed in a museum in Columbus, Georgia.
The Lunchbox Museum is part of the Columbus Collective Museums. Learn more:
https://www.columbuscollectivemuseums.com/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per
The Places Behind the Star Wars Franchise
Producers India Rice and Morgan Johnson take you beyond this planet as they share two stories tied to the franchise Star Wars. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Smith Court (Classic)
In Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, there was once a revolutionary community for African Americans willing to do whatever it took to maintain their own freedom – and help others achieve theirs. Learn more about planning a trip to Smith Court via the Black Heritage Trail. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data fo
The Merchant’s House and the Not-So-Secret Passageway
Historians have known about the strange passageway in the Merchant’s House Museum for decades, but they never knew what it was for… until now. And now that we know, it changes everything we thought we knew about why the Merchant’s House really matters.
Learn more about the fight to save the Merchant’s House: https://merchantshouse.org/calltoarms/
We always want to hear from you! If you have a qu
The Emma Crawford Coffin Race
The townspeople of Manitou Springs, Colorado do something very interesting to celebrate the legacy.of a young woman who loved, lived and died there 130 years ago. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Rita’s Place
Co-host Kelly McEvers doesn’t usually return to places – she always wants to go somewhere new. But there’s one place that makes her break her own rule over and over again. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Wonder in Your Backyard: The Aztec Ruins
A listener shares a wonder from his backyard, this time in the small town of Aztec, New Mexico.
Plus, we want to hear from you. Tell us about the wonders in your backyard. Is there a strange, unusual or surprising place in your city or town? What makes this place special to you? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after th
Garden Week: Cementerio Municipal José María Azael Franco Guerrero
The José María Azael Franco Guerrero Cemetery in Tulcán, Ecuador is a topiary anomaly and a lush green paradise for the dead. This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with classic and new stories about unusual gardens around the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Garden Week: Underwater Sculpture Gardens
Jason deCaires Taylor takes intentional art to another level with his sculptures that can be visited by humans and fish.
This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic stories about unusual gardens around the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Garden Week: A Floating National Park
Today we visit a hidden gem of Washington, D.C.: the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, an oasis of ponds filled with lotuses and waterlilies. This unusual National Park – the only aquatic gardens that are a National Park – were first dug in the 1800s by a Civil War veteran.
This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic stories about unusual gardens around the world.
This epis
Garden Week: A Sound Garden
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" with its unique sound.
This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic stories about unusual gardens around the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use
Garden Week: Alnwick Poison Garden
The Alnwick Poison Garden in England is a place where stopping and smelling the flowers could actually kill you. The garden is dedicated entirely to plants that are narcotic or deadly.
This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic stories about unusual gardens around the world
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our colle
Bone Vinyl (Classic)
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 that was imprinted onto this unassuming medical tool.
Read more in the Atlas HERE.
Plus: We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura
The World’s Biggest Social Studies Assignment with Paul Barbato
As a young adult, Paul "Barbs" Barbato gave himself perhaps the world's biggest social studies assignment: make a profile of every single one of the 193 UN-recognized countries in the world. Ten years later, he finally finished.
Check out Paul’s project – and what he’s up to next – on YouTube @GeographyNow.
We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call a
Bean There, Baked That
In a storefront in Kearney, Nebraska, Morris Press Cookbooks Store houses a massive "Google of family recipes," chronicling nearly a century of American home-style cuisine. To test the archive, producer Jerome Campbell attempts to “bake his way back home” by testing an unusual make-do dessert recipe: A pinto-bean-based cake. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform
When In Rome… Accidentally Break the Rules?
We asked you to send us stories about a time you accidentally broke the rules while traveling… and some you really went there.
Plus, we want to hear stories about a place you love returning to. Where in the world is this place? What fond memories do you have about this place? Why do you return to this place? How often do you visit? Who, if anyone, have you met there? Has this place changed over t
When Kelly McEvers Was In Over Her Head
As a foreign correspondent, Kelly McEvers has found herself detained by the KGB, held up at ISIS checkpoints, and on the front line in Syria. But it was a much more mundane experience that left her feeling in over her head years later. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Thomas Merton's Hermitage (Classic)
This little house in New Haven, Kentucky is where Thomas Merton aka profit-poet aka the rebel monk tried to get away from the world.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/thomas-mertons-hermitage
Plus: We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com Hoste
A Short, Strange Trip
In 1971, five hippies made a trek through the Amazon looking for rare psychedelic drugs. One of them was Terence McKenna, who, along with his brother Dennis, would go on to change the way Americans thought about “magic mushrooms” forever. We talk to John O’Connor, author of “A Short, Strange Trip: An Untold Story of Magic Mushrooms, Madness, and a Search for the Meaning of Life in the Amazon.” Hos
Wonder in Your Backyard: Crabby Steve’s
Producer Manolo Morales shares a story with co-host Kelly McEvers, about a legendary place in the backyard of our Canadian northern neighbors.
Plus, we want to hear from you. Tell us about the wonders in your backyard. Is there a strange, unusual or surprising place in your city or town? What makes this place special to you? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name
Jerry’s Hat Museum (Classic)
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 artifacts from his Illinois hometown.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jerrys-hat-museum-illinois Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adv
AO Mailbag: Best Movie to Watch on an Airplane?
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Jerome answer questions about whether you should experience certain places with other people, the best movies to watch on an airplane, and the delicate etiquette of traveling to places where you know people.
If you have a question for our next mailbag episode, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also record a voice memo and em
Ganvie Lake Village (Classic)
A producer sits down with Dylan and recounts his trip to a place referred to as “The Venice of Africa.”
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gavie-benin Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Tasting the World’s Most Unique Honeys with Marina Marchese
Marina Marchese is a beekeeper and trained honey sommelier. She explains how honey tastes like the place where it’s made… and guides co-host Kelly McEvers through a taste test of some of the world’s most unique and unusual honeys.
Plus, if you’re interested in learning to taste honey like a sommelier, consider one of Marina’s classes, or check out her books
. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co
Was It All A Hoax?
Today, we are celebrating the spirit of April Fools’ Day with two stories about hoaxes. One is about a mythical creature in Fouke, Arkansas and the other about a giant sea serpent in a small town of New York. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Deadly Beard
For one sixteenth century Austrian mayor, a long, luscious beard was both his claim to fame – and the cause of his downfall.
Read more about Hans Steininger and his deadly beard: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/beard-braunau-steininger-hans
And how about a deep-dive into facial hair culture in 16th century central Europe?
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-0424.12538 Hos
The Farewell Spit
Daren Grover was on vacation near the top of New Zealand’s South Island when he got a call: some whales needed help. Hundreds of them had stranded on a spot so notorious for whale strandings, it’s cause for celebration when a year goes by without a stranding: the Farewell Spit.
Check out Project Jonah: https://www.projectjonah.org.nz/
Giant searchable database of sustainable seafood (and seafood
Exotic Feline Rescue Center (Classic)
Long before Joe Exotic got the country talking about big cats, there was Joe Taft – regular guy – who began raising and rescuing these types of felines in Indiana.
MORE: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/exotic-feline-rescue-center-2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Alone on the Alaskan Frontier
What drives a person to live in isolation? Meet Sue Aikens, who thrives in the icy expanse of the Arctic. She shares stories of survival, self-discovery, and the wild encounters that continue to shape her life. Her memoir, "North of Ordinary," was just published.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad
Meet the Man Visiting 800 Museums in LA
Todd Lerew has spent a decade visiting every single museum in Los Angeles. He chronicled his journey in his book Also on View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles.
Check out Todd’s map of the museums at Everymuseum.la. Plus, listen to our episode with Jane August who is undertaking a similar project in NYC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform
Alice Austen House
In the 1950s, a journalist doing archival research at the Staten Island Historical Society came across a collection of images that stopped him in his tracks. These photos featured women from the 1890s smoking cigarettes, dressed in men’s clothing, showing their petticoats or legs or hair. These photos were taken by a woman named Alice Austen, and Jensen decided to track her down…a trail which led
The Barbican
You may have heard the phrase 'third place' being used more often as the world started opening up post-pandemic. People were craving somewhere that was neither their home or work, but still a place to focus social connection. But the Barbican, in London, was WAY ahead of its time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal
Tell Us: What Rules Have You Broken?
We wanna hear your stories about the times you’ve accidentally broken the rules somewhere foreign to you.
Maybe you went into a temple with your shoes on, when you weren’t supposed to. Maybe you had a drink at a sacred place and were forbidden to enter again. Or maybe you even wound up in a brush with the local police for something minor that’s not against the rules where you live.
Tell us wher
Old City Hall Station (Classic)
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 for nearly a century.
MORE: Visit the New York Transit Museum’s website to learn how to become a member and book a tour of the station. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d
The Blue That Upended the Art World
Cultural historian Kassia St. Clair tells the stories of two highly prized colors that are linked to specific places in the world: an exquisite, extremely expensive blue that crossed the globe and upended the European art world… and a shade of purple that possibly wouldn’t have ever come to exist in a different place and time.
Learn more about color history in Kassia’s book, The Secret Lives of
The Hummingbirds of Mexico City
Catia Lattouf has dedicated her life to nursing hummingbirds back to health – from inside her apartment in Mexico City.
Plus: We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection
Thomas Edison’s Last Breath
Over the course of a century, the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan has grown to house over 26 million artifacts of innovative achievements. However, one quiet piece – prized by Ford above all others – curiously stands out among the collection: a seemingly empty sealed test tube.
In this episode, we uncover this relic’s story and how it preserves an enduring friendship within the country’s t
Your Spring Break Travel Stories
We asked you to send us stories about your unforgettable spring break trips. From a U2 concert to a tornado in 1974, you delivered.
Plus, we want to hear your stories about the times you’ve accidentally broken the rules somewhere foreign to you. Tell us where you went. What happened? Why did you get in trouble? And how did you ultimately get out of it? Give us a call at (315) 992-7902 and leave
The Red Book (Classic)
In the early 1900s, influential psychologist Carl Jung spent more than a decade documenting the strange images that popped up in his unconscious mind and documenting them all in a beautiful illustrated manuscript. After his death, his family thought the book was too bizarre to be made public and locked it away in a Swiss bank vault for decades.
MORE:
Learn more about the Jung House Museum (and vi
The Family That Tried To Escape History
In 1978, a team of Soviet geologists working deep in the Siberian taiga came across something they never expected to see: a house. As it turned out, they had stumbled on a family that had lived in complete isolation for decades – they weren’t even aware of World War Two.
Sophie Pinkham, author of the new book “The Oak and the Larch: A Forest History of Russia and Its Empires,” tells us the story o
AO Mailbag: How Shlubby Is Too Shlubby On an Airplane?
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Jerome Campbell and Manolo Morales answer questions about places they could live permanently, how to navigate travel as a Type B person when all your friends are Type A, and appropriate airplane attire.
If you have a question for our next mailbag episode, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at
The Amargosa Opera House
Marta Becket was an artist from New York City. Then in 1967, when she was on a road trip with her husband, she discovered an abandoned social hall in the California desert town of Death Valley Junction. She left New York and moved there to transform this hall into the Amargosa Opera House to live out her dream as an artist.
To read more about Marta Becket, you can check out her autobiography To D
Mr. Toilet House
In 2007, the beloved former mayor of Suwon, Korea, demolished the home he and his wife had lived in for 30 years and built them a new house shaped like a toilet: curved walls, a toilet seat roof, and a bowl-shaped courtyard in the middle. For many spouses, this might be grounds for divorce, but the mayor had his reasons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information
The Grave of XYZ (Classic)
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 legend. MORE: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-grave-of-xyz-deep-river-connecticut Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Mirror That Reveals Your Truest Self
There is a mirror said to reveal the truest, most precise reflection of oneself. It’s called the Aranmula Kannadi. The tradition of mirror-making has been passed down for generations by self-taught artisans in a small village in India. Journalist Eliot Stein has visited the village, and he talks about the philosophical meaning behind these mirrors – and reveals what happens when he comes face-to-f
The Fish Doorbell of Utrecht
The Dutch city of Utrecht is built around an iconic canal lined with historic homes. But for the fish of the city, the view isn’t quite so picturesque. Each spring, migrating fish get trapped in the mazelike waterways of the city. Ecologist Mark van Heukelum came up with an innovative idea to help them out – a fish doorbell.
We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us,
Daylight Saving: Donuts and Mirrors
Daylight saving time is nearly upon us. Today, we’re visiting two places with very different approaches to harnessing the sun. One imposes rules on it, wreaking havoc on residents and travelers… and the other tries to physically manipulate it.
Plus: We want to hear your unforgettable spring break stories. Where did you go? What made this trip so memorable? Did everything go as planned… or did thi
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