The Atlas Obscura Podcast

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to run away and join the circus, this episode is for you. Dylan talks with Jack Lepiarz, also known as Jacques Ze Whipper, about how he created a life for himself on the Renaissance Festival circuit.    Learn more on Jack’s website .  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

When Peter James first stumbled on the Lowfield Heath Windmill, it was falling apart. Determined to save it, he embarked on a years-long effort with the town that would lead to its complete deconstruction before being rebuilt somewhere new. Find out  how you can visit the Lowfield Heath Windmill or donate to its ongoing restoration efforts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz...

In the 1980s, a team of Soviet scientists dug a hole in the Earth’s crust so deep that they reached Hell … complete with high temperatures, unexplained happenings, and even the tortured screams of damned souls. At least, that’s what a popular urban legend at the time claimed. Dylan and producer Amanda McGowan explore the origins of this legend – and the real-life scientific quest that inspired it....

Listener stories about traveling abroad for the first time – from a trip to Germany in 2020, to a chalet in Switzerland in 1986, to a trip to Iran just before the Shah revolution.  Plus, we want to hear your stories of traveling with a significant other for the first time. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave us a message telling us your story. Or better yet, record a voice memo and email it t...

The Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri was founded by zoologist and wildlife TV host Marlin Perkins and was home to an extraordinary wolf who gives us hope for the future of wolf survival.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zach Stafford found great career success at a very young age – he’s a writer, producer, and co-host of the news & culture podcast Vibe Check . His intense work schedule has taken him all over America, and each of the cities and towns he found himself in has shaped him in some way. And through it all, Zach has been searching for a very specific feeling. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...

In the year 1329, a woman named Christine Carpenter was enclosed in a tiny cell in the walls of a church in Shere, England. She was expected to spend the rest of her life praying in almost complete isolation. But the reason we know her name is that she did something very unusual – she broke out. Learn more about our guest Professor Diane Watt’s work about the lives of medieval women in England, an...

Dylan and producer Gabby Gladney dive into the colorful world of art cars, from Houston’s epic parades to DIY creations in Minneapolis.  Then, Dylan talks to his own father about the multiple art cars they’ve had over the years.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Writer Joshua Rigsby takes a very strange journey into the birthplace of Cabbage Patch Kids. After he returns, he can never look at the dolls the same way again.   Read Joshua’s essay about his trip to BabyLand General Hospital, and check out his bookstore, Pretty Good Books . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...

We’re (almost) back! And we want to hear your New Year’s travel resolutions.  Send a voice memo to hello@atlasobscura.com . Or, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For a brief period the small frontier city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota drew in socialites and celebrities who were desperate to end their marriages. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ultimate slow travel adventurer (and friend of the show) Bernie Harberts returns to tell us what happened when he spent months floating alone at sea. Bernie is also an author and filmmaker.  You can read more about Bernie's travels at his website www.riverearth.com . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adve...

The 1980s birthed a gleaming creature that spread its wings of scrap wood and glass over the intersection of two iconic Brooklyn, NY neighborhoods for thirty years.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/broken-angel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the tiny Kinmen Island, a bow-tie-shape strip of land between China and Taiwan, sits a giant weaponized wall of sound that still stands--and still broadcasts--today. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/beishan-broadcast-station-art Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising...

This garden in Lynchburg, Virginia is the key to unlocking the writing and mind of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Just a little check in. Plus: We want to hear your stories of traveling with a significant other for the first time – the good, the bad, and the strange. You can send an email or voice memo to hello@atlasobscura.com . Or, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data fo...

A listener in Lawrence, Kansas takes us on his journey of discovering the secrets of his hometown. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dylan sits down with guest Blake Pfeil about what inspired him to begin exploring abandoned spots, what those spaces have taught him about escapism, sobriety and the sometimes blurry line between real and unreal that he finds there.  MORE: Blake is an artist and adventurer. He’s also the creator and host of the podcast “Abandoned: All-American Ruins.” Check it out here. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...

We visit a park in Palo Alto, California, home of the world’s most famous donkey.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-donkeys-of-barron-park-palo-alto-california Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An industrial water tank-turned-concert hall in the high deserts of Colorado is nothing less than a sonic wonder of the world.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-tank-rangely-colora Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

These documents highlight the intellectual legacy of an ancient civilization based in Timbuktu, Mali. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/timbuktu-manuscripts-mali Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A small bit of news, and a request. To ask Dylan your question, send an email or voice memo to hello@atlasobscura.com .  Or, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A map in the archives of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library in Portland, OR may be the key to finding buried treasure that has yet to be found.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/buried-treasure-portland-oregon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at Terrestrials , a Radiolab spinoff show for families that explores strangeness on Earth. In this episode, host Lulu Miller visits some of our planet’s most magical tree stumps – which are anything but dead.    Plus: Cast your vote  in Radiolab’s quasi-moon naming contest! Voting is open until January 1. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. Se...

Writer and friend of the show Colin Dickey tries to destroy Dylan’s holiday cheer with arguments about why Christmas is actually full of monsters from around the world.  (Just a note for parents listening with little ones, Dylan and Colin talk frankly about Santa and his surrounding lore.)    Check out Colin’s Atlas Obscura column, Eerie Feeling .  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...