The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Just an hour west of Philadelphia, there’s a charming town in Pennsylvania that produces about two thirds of all the mushrooms sold in the US. We visit during the town’s annual festival and check out the mycelium madness. This Small Town, Big Story episode is produced in partnership with Go USA TV. Check out our video series featuring Kennett Square here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company....

A music box given to Scott Harrison while he served in Vietnam inspired him to hand-carve all the animals for the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, Colorado.   READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/carousel-of-happiness Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We go back in time to another era of travel and take a trip on the oldest commercial sailing vessel in the United States. Click here  to learn more about windjammers and here  to book a trip with Captain Becky. This episode was made in partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of persona...

The story of the white deer on Mount Madonna, the two robber barons who put them there, and the last survivor of the herd. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back in 2020, a lot of people moved to faraway places to escape urban life amid a global pandemic. Brent Underwood bought and moved to an abandoned town. We check in, three years later. To learn more about Brent Underwood and Cerro Gordo, you can check out their instagram @brentunderwood and their youtube channel named Ghost Town Living. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

Let’s all go to hell. Seriously. Hell, Michigan, that is :) READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hell-michigan Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An abandoned mansion in Italy has become the source of rumors about ghost activity that some believe is justified by its very real gothic past.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/villa-de-vecchi Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We nearly stump host Dylan Thuras with a seemingly simple question: Who are the top five dead people he would like to go on a road trip with? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The New Deal is known for ushering a string of social safety net programs. But in this episode, we tell the saga of an ambitious, government-backed homestead project in West Virginia that never quite lived up to its hype.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/arthurdale-historic-district-west-virginia Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informat...

One family’s regular day of exploring some sand dunes at the edge of Lake Michigan turned into a wild tale of a little boy being sucked into a sinkhole, and the discovery of underground tunnels. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mysterious-sinkholes-of-mt-baldy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...

A tiny town in West Virginia takes “living lift to the fullest” to a different level, with its embrace of extreme adventure activities. Like, for instance, a day where people sign up to jump off a bridge.  This Small Town, Big Story episode is produced in partnership with Go USA TV. Learn more about Bridge Day here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...

We chat with writer Daniel Kraus, who let his imagination run deep into the ocean after hearing a wild news story about an encounter between kayakers and a whale. And we get the backstory to Kraus’ new novel Whalefall, about a man who finds himself in the belly of a sperm whale. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d...

Where does space stuff go after it dies? To this spot deep, deep in the Pacific ocean. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spacecraft-cemetery Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A small church in a village in Norway is home to an unusual and perplexing mural that’s become known for its demonic illustrations.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/demon-wall-norway Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode may have you reconsidering what you think about rats. That’s because at this training and research center in Tanzania, African Giant Pouched Rats are being raised up to sniff out landmines and disease, proving to be the heroes we all need.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-best-secret-weapon-against-landmines-and-tuberculosis-is-a-rat Hosted by Simplec...

A series of churches in Texas that look unassuming from the outside in fact have some of the most intricately painted interiors. And for one of our listeners, these churches mean home – religiously and culturally. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A tiny island off the coast of Brazil is known for being a dangerous place … purely because its inhabitants are, well, snakes. But we speak to a researcher who’s seen it up close and says it’s time for this place to shed its reputation.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/snake-island-ilha-de-queimada-grande Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

Does this sprawling mansion in San Jose, California live up to its reputation as one of the most haunted places in the world? READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/winchester-mystery-house Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The oldest operating pet cemetery in the world is just north of NYC, and it’s where dearly departed four-legged friends come to rest – and sometimes, even their owners. Grab your tissues.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hartsdale-pet-cemetery Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...

We visit a museum in Georgetown, SC that’s dedicated to preserving and prioritizing the rich and historic Gullah Geechee culture. READ MORE: http://www.gullahmuseumsc.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An incomplete luxury housing development in Turkey is a mashup of fairy tale and ghost town, and almost everyone has an opinion of (or wants to see) this place. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/turkey-castle-ghost-town Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Producer Johanna Mayer and Atlas Obscura associate editor Sarah Durn tell us the story of a fort in Hawaii with two names – and how those names both preserve and erase its history. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/hawaiian-history-russian-fort-elizabeth Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of persona...

We follow a long set of wooden stairs deep underground to a sea cave with a mysterious and colorful past, and take in a spectacular, hidden view of the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla.  Learn more about The Cave Store: https://www.cavestore.com/ READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunny-jim-cave-store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...

We go to the Caribbean island of Dominica and hear the story of Jacko, a formerly enslaved man who became a national hero for his ingenious escape and emancipation efforts  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jacko-steps Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An archeological site in the country of Georgia, which features the oldest human skull fossils found outside of Africa, challenges what we think we know about our deep past. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dmanisi-hominins-brain-shape Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adverti...