The Atlas Obscura Podcast

We visit a quaint Dutch fishing village and attempt to unravel the mystery that unfolded there… a mystery that involved strange and curious letters and a voyage to the other side of the world.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mr-kaors-portrait Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...

On our second day with Sporkful senior producer Andres O’Hara, we see what happens when invasive creatures that have made their way to the US refuse to leave… even when they’re slow and slimy.  MORE: If you like these episodes, and are looking for more surprising and fascinating food stories, check out The Sporkful , which just released a new series called Deep Dish, which looks at the surprising...

With the help from a podcast friend (Andres O’Hara of The Sporkful ), we go inside one of the busiest airports on earth. And we find out the fate of all the food that gets confiscated by customs. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t get eaten.  If you like these episodes, and are looking for more surprising and fascinating food stories, check out The Sporkfu l, which just released a new series called Deep Di...

Dylan braves one of New York’s most touristy sites to bring listeners the lesser-known history of Madame Tussaud’s origins. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For years, contributions from Black Americans to public spaces like beaches and museums have been hard to detect. Places Editors Jonathan and Michelle Cassidy take us to New Jersey’s Chicken Bone Beach  and Chicago’s Field Museum  to highlight a couple of these stories. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for a...

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...

Listeners share their stories of places that made them feel at home, from the beaches of Australia to a ubiquitous coffee shop. WE WANT YOUR STORIES! We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and want to hear yours.  Tell us about your hometown’s weird or unique local tradition. Walk us through what goes down—who’s there and what’s happening? Is there an interest...

The Hotel Theresa in Harlem, New York played a pivotal role in the influential neighborhood’s cultural identity. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The founders of this prison in Philadelphia aimed to revolutionize incarceration for the better - and unintentionally created new horrors.   READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/eastern-state-penitentiary Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A producer revisits her hometown (Houston) and goes to the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, learning about the contributions of Black members of the armed forces and one man in particular, who started the collection years ago in his garage.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This giant rock has been used in the coronation of every English monarch since the 1300s, but is it authentic? Or could the real one be in a Scottish bar? We parse through the evidence and debate! READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/glasgows-stone-of-destiny Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of persona...

We visit the misnamed “world’s loneliest house” and visit the flocks of puffins who live there. Some people want to eat them, some want to protect them. And these two groups collide here.  If you want to learn more about the puffin situation in the Westman Islands, check out our episode called Puffin Patrol  – about a community that sweeps the streets each night looking for lost pufflings and help...

We take a hike up Great Blue Hill in Boston and get more than a stunning view of the city. A visit to the peak reveals the story of a weather observatory with the longest continuous daily weather record in the United States. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A public health crisis plagued the Midwest until a simple solution was introduced to a ubiquitous cooking ingredient.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A mysterious religious community founded by an insurance agent-turned spiritual leader in northern Italy spent 15 years constructing an underground temple covered in intricate paintings, mosaics, trippy colors and images inspired by Roman, Greek and Egyptian mythology.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/temple-of-damanhur Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm....

Award-winning chef Sean Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef, has dedicated his Minneapolis restaurant to decolonized food and honoring indigenous meal traditions  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/owamni Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mexico City is known for its museum and art scene. The collection at El Museo del Juguete Antiguo – The Antique Toy Museum – encourages visitors to lean into their imaginations – and reflect on the rich history and culture in this city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We go to south Florida and hear the story of a family that took a gamble on a humble roadside stand that blossomed into a fruit emporium and community staple.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/robert-is-here Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This collection, preserved by the United States Library of Congress, features locks of hair from cultural icons from Beethoven to General Ulysses S. Grant. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This museum in John Day, Oregon, was once a Chinese general store and medicine shop that dates back to the 1800s. But these days it’s a perfectly preserved time capsule, down to the fruit – down to the orange its former owner left on the counter in the 1950s. Tours of the shop are offered seasonally, but you can get a virtual look inside here. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS HERE Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

Hear staff stories about places in the world that made them instantly feel at home, from the Big Easy to the Magic Kingdom.  WE WANT YOUR STORIES: We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and want to hear yours.  Tell us about a place that makes you feel at home. What made it special? Have you returned there? What sticks out about this place that makes it unique...

A city in Uzbekistan used to be the site of one of the world’s largest seas. Now it’s a dusty reminder of one of the largest and most forgotten environmental disasters. READ MORE: Visit the Stihia website here  to learn more about the music festival that happens in Moynaq, including where it may be this year. And this news article  is a good primer on some of the current conflicts and issues in th...

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...

Producer Baudelaire Ceus searches for the resting place of famed author Richard Wright among the graves of other cultural icons like Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Sadegh Hedayat. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pere-lachaise-cemetery Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

We pick up the ball from internet sleuths and journalists and find the mysterious maker of a Minnesota-shaped forest, who’s never spoken about his secret project – until now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.