The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Ross Jennings, aka the First Piper, has been on a world-spanning quest to play the bagpipes in every country of the world.  LEARN MORE: https://www.thefirstpiper.com/ 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 Northern Ethiopia and learn about an ancient King who left a great legacy to his people and the world: the rock hewn church known as St. Giyorgis, where religious services are held to this day. See a virtual rendering of all the rock hewn churches of Lalibela at the Zamani Project. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bete-giyorgis-lalibela Hosted by Simplecast, an...

This stunning geological marvel just north of Dahab, Egypt has been called the deadliest dive spot in the world. But is that reputation deserved? READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/red-sea-blue-hole Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author Mary Roach takes us into the hidden corners of the scientific world. From training to poop in space to the surprisingly pleasant Common Cold Unit, all the way to the inside of Elvis’s colon. If you want to check out her work, we recommend starting with Packing for Mars .  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d...

We head to the Namib Desert in Africa, where the landscape is dotted with mysterious, pimple-like indents known as fairy circles. Where do these things come from? Scientist Walter Tschinkel has spent the last several years studying and experiencing a natural occurrence so enchanting, locals describe it as “The footprints of the gods.” READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fai...

For decades, the Ashley House in Sheffield, Massachusetts preserved and promoted the story of Col. John Ashley, a wealthy businessman who opened his home to those fighting against British rule on the eve of America’s war for independence. But in this episode we hear a new narrative, about an enslaved woman and true patriot who tested the rhetoric of the revolution. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://...

Hear tales of our team’s most memorable family trips – like going on vacation with Thomas Jefferson, getting thrown in the ocean and meeting Klingons.  TELL US YOUR STORY: We want to hear your stories too! Give us a call at (315) 992-7902, and leave a message telling us your name, and about your own memorable family trip. Whatever it is, wherever you went, we want to hear about it. You can also re...

Photographer and author Paul Koudonaris brings listeners to this Ethiopian Church and explores ossuaries, jeweled skeletons, and death practices throughout the world.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/yemrehana-krestos-church Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1986, something really weird happened in Pennsylvania – a replica of The Statue of Liberty mysteriously appeared through the fog on the Susquehanna River. We unravel the mystery.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mini-statue-of-liberty-harrisburg Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

A 50 square mile patch of Yellowstone National Park in Idaho might just be the perfect place to commit a crime.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/yellowstones-zone-of-death Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An adventurous couple sets out to document and unearth the arrows of America’s past, once used to help pilots find their way across the skies. You can learn more about Charlotte and Brian’s journey – and see photos of the arrows they’ve documented – at their website: dreamsmithphotos.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

A tidy little story from Pocatello, Idaho, home to the Museum of Clean  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-of-clean Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trailblazing computer scientist Grace Hopper shaped the way people use and talk  about computers. Her actual computer bug is preserved at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:  https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grace-hoppers-bug Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

 This San Francisco museum, curated by a super-fan of the Beats, is a shrine to an incredibly influential cultural movement and a destination for folks keeping it alive today. *An earlier version of this episode contained a mispronunciation and a misattributed quote. Both have been fixed and we regret the error.   READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/beat-museum Hosted by Si...

Filmmaker and writer Cheuk Kwan takes us for a round-the-world meal. Three courses, three incredible places. Three stories of Chinese immigration. LEARN MORE: Cheuk Kwan’s new book is called “Have You Eaten Yet?” You can also check out “Chinese Restaurants,” his documentary series that started it all, on youtube https://www.youtube.com/@cheukkwan/featured Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company....

Dylan chats with Rowan Jacobsen, a food journalist and host of the podcast called OBSESSION: Wild Chocolate. And he takes us on a journey that follows his multiyear quest into the Amazon rainforest to learn more about a mythical chocolate that has a dark history and the potential to save parts of the rainforest. LEARN MORE: Check out Rowan's podcast here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company....

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring us stories about the biggest balls of twine. Plus, a special guest adds an additional tangle to the tale.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/world-s-largest-ball-of-twine Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertis...

Tonopah, Nevada is home to the Clown Motel - an inn on the edge of the desert that’s packed with statues and figurines of Clowns. The eerie and fully-functioning inn is also a labor of love.   READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/clown-motel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adverti...

The deep woods of Pennsylvania hold a phenomena that has drawn attention from scientists and people around the world, and was almost recently destroyed. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival visit https://www.pafireflyevents.org/ . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.

A massive 19th-century reservoir under the city of Copenhagen has been repurposed as a contemporary art cave. We venture inside to learn more about its history, and bask in the incredible acoustics of the space. Visit Cisternerne and Frederiksberg Museerne: https://frederiksbergmuseerne.dk/da/ READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cisternerne Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

A swath of land in Northern France still bears scars of the destruction of World War I. Destruction so bad that, in some cases, humans have never been allowed to return. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/zone-rouge Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of Women’s History Month, we're sharing some episodes from the archive including this story about mysterious doors scattered throughout Atlanta. They dare you to imagine what might be found on the other side. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:  https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiny-doors-atl Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...

Writer Stacy Horn tells us about a period in American history when the study of psychic phenomena and the paranormal was serious business at places like Stanford and Duke University. And she reveals the story of J.B. Rhine and Louisa Rhine, a scholarly couple who attempted to find the line where science ended and the unbelievable began. Horn is the author of  Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghos...

We go to Tokyo, to a particular place that is both nemesis and best friend to all those procrastinators out there. (Yes, we’re looking at you :)  LEARN MORE: The Manuscript Writing Cafe is open Saturdays and Sundays and you can reserve your seat online.  https://koenji-sankakuchitai.blog.jp/ManuscriptWritingCafe/   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...