The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Host Dylan Thuras riffs on a subject that has long fascinated him: The world’s longest-running science experiments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s a special tree in Portland that’s full of a city’s hopes, dreams, and wishes. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/portland-wishing-tree Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We peek into the life and work of the oft-understood artist Niki de Saint Phalle, who was behind a strange and wildly popular playground sculpture in Jerusalem. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-mifletzet-jerusalem-israel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We meet the robot saints – sculptures made of wood and wire, of cams and pulleys during medieval times – that might just help us understand this new AI age we all find ourselves living in. LEARN MORE about these inventions by reading City University of New York Professor Christopher Swift’s 2015 paper  about these automated figures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

We get up close and nosey about a peculiar exhibit in Copenhagen that reveals a lot about what artists and society considered beautiful throughout the years  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nasothek-nose-collection Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Josh Foer, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, takes us to a remote patch of land in the Arizona desert, where he built (and later rebuilt) a museum in honor of the company’s former CEO, David Plotz. The Plotz Plot is accessible from Adamana Road, off of I-40 exit 300, at 35.025639, -109.8195. The lock code is 4444. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/plotz-plot Hosted by Simp...

We go inside a place that some paranormal investigators call the most active haunted location in the world. Before it was known as the inspiration for Stephen King...the Stanley Hotel had a reputation -- and ghosts --  of its own.  This episode was produced with Visit Colorado. Find more information about the Stanley Hotel and its ghost tours online. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See p...

Travel is sometimes like a box of chocolates – never know what you’re going to get. In this episode, we share stories of places that blew us away, and those that didn't live up to the hype. We want to hear YOUR stories about the places you've visited that far exceeded--or failed to meet your expectations. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. (Just so y...

We head to a remote region of Russia, to the epicenter of what would become known as the Tunguska Event. An event that may seem unfathomable… except we have firsthand accounts from people who witnessed it. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tunguska-event-epicenter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...

This fall marks 50 years since JRR Tolkien’s death. In honor of the writer’s life and legacy, we want to take you back to the places where it all began. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A huge rock, teetering on the edge of a hill for thousands  of years, brought tourism, fame, and what’s said to be a 100-year curse to the town of Tandil, Argentina. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-piedra-movediza 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 Bonaventure Cemetery in Georgia to the grave of one Charles F. Mills to learn about a distinct – but at one time widespread – phobia –  and the hope to be saved by a bell. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/charles-f-mills-grave-bell Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adve...

The story of Chef Hamissi Mamba, whose family sought asylum in the US and years later founded an East African restaurant that serves up a small slice of Burundi in the Motor City. Find out more here . 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 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 collect...

We go on a journey through the depths of the ocean, meeting a different squid deity at each stop along the way. Our guide is cephalopod expert, biologist and science educator, Dr. Sarah McAnulty. LEARN MORE: Sarah is teaching a course this fall about the creatures that live in the deep sea. It starts October 3, 2023 and you can find more information here . If you want to sign up, you can use promo...

Podcaster Ashley Ray has more than a soft spot for her Midwest hometown. Hear why she thinks it may just be the best kept secret.  HEAR MORE FROM OUR GUEST: Ashley has her own podcast all about TV and culture. Check it out here: https://www.stitcher.com/show/tv-i-say-w-ashley-ray GREAT NEWS:  We’re up for an award - and you can help us win!  Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awa...

A listener takes us to a town on the edge of the longest undefended border in the world.  Note: US-Canada border regulations have been updated since this episode first aired. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/uscanada-border-slash GREAT NEWS:  We’re up for an award - and you can help us win!  Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awards! Go to vote.signalaw...

Lake Karachay in Ozersk, Russia is the site of a former secret Soviet Union nuclear facility - that’s inspired art despite the little that’s publicly known of the site. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-karachay GREAT NEWS:  We’re up for an award - and you can help us win! Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awards! Go to vote.signalaward.com  and vo...

The Dedan Kimathi Post Office played a notable role in Kenya’s struggle for Independence. GREAT NEWS: We’re up for an award - and you can help us win!  Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awards! Go to vote.signalaward.com and vote for us in the best commute podcast category through Oct 5! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our coll...

An intentional community in rural central Virginia has been testing an interesting  premise for decades — that maybe three, or four, or more parental figures are even better than two. This episode is part of a collaboration we did with Freakonomics. You can find a larger episode on this topic here . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

Urban planner, Moses Gates, shares his unlikely experience with the residents of the 61st floor of one of New York City’s most iconic buildings.. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At Denmark’s largest haunted house attraction, it’s not just about the screams. Researchers are studying the effects – good and bad – that fear has on humans  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-science-of-horror-fear Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are thousands of varieties of citrus, many more than just the navel oranges. And they’re all being preserved in a collection at the University of California Riverside. Learn more here . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many of us rely on digital maps and GPS to get anywhere these days. Hear what happens when Producer Amanda McGowan finds herself lost in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park for a sport you may have never heard of – orienteering – which forces participants to navigate checkpoints with old fashioned maps and compasses. MORE: If you think you might want to try orienteering, find a local group here. Host...

We chat with writer Alessio Perrone about what he learned from the people who hunt for Italy’s unexploded bombs, leftover from times of war.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/italy-unexploded-ordnance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.