The Atlas Obscura Podcast

For decades, people have been addressing love letters to an oak tree deep in the Dodauer Forest in Germany called the Bridegroom’s Oak. The hope is that a passerby might find their letter, write back and form a connection. Journalist Elliot Stein visited this romantic post office box and talked to the mail carrier who used to deliver these letters and who one day, found a letter that was addressed...

“Stockholm Syndrome” is a term in pop psychology that’s come to mean situations where hostages develop emotional bonds with their captors. But it comes from an actual hostage situation back in the 1970s, when a botched bank robbery in downtown Stockholm turned into a six-day long stand-off between the would-be robbers and police. Today, the bank is a hotel – and you can still see evidence of this...

We asked you about traveling to all 50 states, and in response got several stories about interesting quests and journeys across the U.S. Up Next: Tell us your stories about visiting the U.S National Parks. Which ones have you been to? Which ones are you looking forward to? Did everything go as planned? Did anything surprising happen? Tell us all about it. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a...

In the 1980s, a group of friends on the track team at Sul Ross State University hauled a discarded dorm room desk to the top of a mountain. They left a notebook there to keep track of their run times and leave little notes for each other. Then… other people found it. And then… it started a tradition. Visit the Atlas entry for the Sul Ross desk , and learn more  about the archives containing the Su...

The story of a big idea, and a big duck – and how this duck would go on to become an important architectural landmark that would influence buildings all around the world.   READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/big-duck Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we visit a baklava shop in Istanbul at the intersection of autocracy, violence and urban renewal. Kelly speaks with journalist Suzy Hansen , author of the book “ From Life Itself: Turkey and Istanbul in the Age of Erdogan” about a 2019 attack on a Syrian-owned sweet shop and what it says about Turkey today.  (Note: the sweet shop we discuss in this episode, El Nour, is still open today and c...

We visit the Louisiana town where the infamous – but often misunderstood – couple’s story came to an end.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bonnie-and-clyde-ambush-museum Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Step back in time with us at the Wagner Free Institute of Science and explore how this museum defies modernity, preserving its original mission of education and inclusivity since the 19th century.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Besides the sky, blue is a color you don’t often see in nature. It often signals poison, something artificial. True blue is astonishingly rare. But today, producers Amanda McGowan and Glydel Go take you to two places on opposite ends of the earth, with blues that feel almost otherworldly. We begin deep inside the Grand Canyon, at the Havasupai Indian Reservation, with a waterfall that is very much...

A hospital and rehab center for birds in Manhattan started with a woman who just wanted to do all she could to help an injured goose. Decades later, it has become an institution. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wild-bird-fund Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the eve of the Second World War, there was one place that was the source for all good stories — the Hotel Imperial in Vienna. It exuded luxury and power, and also was the converging spot for foreign correspondents in the 1920’s and ‘30s who were warning the world about the rise of dictatorship. Historian and author Deborah Cohen takes us back in time and into the lives of these influential jour...

Her image is just about everywhere in New York City. But her name and story is rarely known. This is the story of America’s first supermodel Audrey Munson Plus, if you find yourself in New York City, we would love to hear from you about your encounters with Audrey Munson. Tell us your thoughts and snap a picture with her. Give us a call at 315-992-7902, and leave us a message with your name and st...

In Hastings, Nebraska, the Kool-Aid man is a bit of a local legend. Not the anthropomorphic glass pitcher with a face who yells “Oh yeah” (though he’s part of the story too) but the original Kool-Aid man, Edwin Perkins, who invented the drink almost 100 years ago right here in Hastings.  This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Nebraska. Learn more about the Hastings Museum Kool-Aid exh...

Visitors to the Truck Yard beer garden in The Colony, Texas (outside Dallas) are treated to a very unusual art collection: a sweeping array of around 1400 hand-painted toilet seats, many of which are also collaged with objects ranging from tortoise shells to Zippo lighters to Pez dispensers. This is the life’s work of Barney Smith, a beloved Texas outsider artist who spent decades creating these “...

We want to hear from you! Have you visited all 50 states? Or maybe you’re really close? Tell us about your 50 state journey – whether you’re a quester type, or more of an accidental type, like me. 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@AtlasObscura.com, or simply email your question. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company....

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 represents and symbolizes a man’s code of honor, marital status, and love for life.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/taquile-island Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our colle...

Dean Karnazes has visited all 50 states in the U.S. But he did it in an incredible way: In 2006, he ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.  Plus: Have you visited all 50 states? Or are you trying to? We want to hear your story. 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@AtlasObscura.com, or simply email your suggestion. And d...

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

Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Amanda answer a fun hypothetical, and a classic would-you-rather question.  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@AtlasObscura.com , or simply email your question. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

Monterrey, Mexico is known for its mountains, its industry, and its close connection to the US. But Monterrey was also home to one of the first private radio stations, run by a man who would become known as the father of Mexican radio: Constantino de Tarnava. Historian Sonia Robles talks about early Mexican radio stations in the 1920s and 30s  - the big ‘border blasters’ run by US outlaws, and the...

The story of how a former nuclear missile silo in Wamego, Kansas became the site of the largest LSD bust in US history (allegedly). Fore more information, check out author Dennis McDougal’s website  and Rolling Stone’s interview with Leonard Pickard . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beverly Gage is a Pulitzer Prize award winner and a professor of history at Yale University.  Her new book This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S History is a travelogue that takes us on the road into America's past as she travels to visit 13 key locations that she says  define the country’s successes and challenges.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

In this episode, we explore Smither Park, an artistic oasis in Houston where self-taught artists transform a humble park into a mesmerizing gallery.  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 info...

Pea Island is a wildlife refuge, and one of the most untouched parts of the Outer Banks. But a century ago, this small piece of land was the site of one of the most remarkable water rescues to date. And it was thanks to a man who, just 30 years after Reconstruction, became the first Black person to lead a Life Saving Station.    There are many ways to learn more about Richard Ethridge and the Pea...

Reporter Elah Feder ventures into one of her hometown’s biggest tourist attractions: A 98-room castle in the middle of Toronto that bankrupted a 19th century electricity multimillionaire. 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...