An audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Co-founder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters explore a new wonder every day, Monday through Thursday. In under 15 minutes, they’ll take you to an incredible place, and along the way, you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Our theme and end credit music is composed by Sam Tyndall.
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Easy Russian: Learn Russian with native speakers | Учим русский с носителями языка
Maybe you’re already learning Russian with us on YouTube? On this podcast, we talk about the Russian language and the culture of the Russian-speaking countries from the perspective of our two hosts who left Russia in 2022. We also explain words and expressions and answer your questions. Members also get interactive transcripts, early access and bonus content for each episode. Learn more at www.easyrussian.fm.
Armchair Explorer
The world's greatest adventurers tell their best story from the road. Each episode is cut documentary style and set to music and cinematic effects to create an immersive storytelling experience. 'Best travel podcasts 2020'- The Guardian, 'Thrilling Stuff'-Sunday Times, 'Ear Candy for Listeners' - Washington Post
The French Instinct
”Parle, pense, vis en français et découvre d‘autres horizons”. Hello, I‘m Katy Beauvais, native French as a Foreign Language Instructor. I feel passionate about languages myself and I speak 5 languages. This podcast will be entirely in French as it‘s dedicated to Intermediate and Advanced French students. You‘ll immerse yourself in authentic French and I‘ll help you improve your Language skills in context, through comprehensible input, in an enjoyable, relaxing, creative and inspiring way. We‘ll talk about everyday life in France, French Language and Culture but also about language learning and travelling. Follow my everyday life in France on Instagram http://instagram.com/thefrenchinstinct/ Check my website for more info about my free resources or to get in touch with me http://thefrenchinstinct.com/ I hold a Master‘s Degree in second language acquisition, with emphasis on French teaching, and another one in Spanish.
The Great Venus Fly Trap Heist
This story is about a heist that took place back in 2013 – not at a museum, or a gallery, or a royal palace, but at a garden. What these thieves were after… were Venus Fly Traps. We visit the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in Wilmington, North Carolina to learn about plants that eat meat, a venus fly trap lover with a vanity license plate, and the shocking $20,000 heist that’s still an unsolved mystery.Learn about visiting the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden…If you’re in the market for a Venus Fly Trap, check out this guide from the US Fish and Wildlife Service about how to avoid poached plants. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Tell Us: We want to hear your story!
We're working on an episode about interesting places to lay your head -- and we'd love to hear YOUR story about the places you have stayed during your travels. Tell us why and how you picked that place, and what made the experience of staying there good, bad, funny, interesting, or impactful? Maybe you had a terrible experience at a five star hotel after booking it months ahead of time, or maybe you got lost finding your way to a cabin We wanna hear it all. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Showgirl Magic Museum (Classic)
A one-room museum located in the basement of a church-turned-community arts center is crammed with mementos from a pretty spectacular period in history. We hang with some retired dancers who recall the time when Chinatown in San Francisco was filled with late night cabarets famed for their showgirls.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/showgirl-magic-museum-san-francisco-california Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Secret Subway Under Broadway
Decades before New York City’s subway system opened to the public, an eccentric inventor set about building his own underground system – IN SECRET – beneath Broadway. It wasn’t powered by steam engine…or electrical engine…or even horses. It was powered by pneumatic tube (yes, like those tubes you occasionally see at the bank, or at cannabis dispensaries.) We chat with Matthew Algeo, author of “New York's Secret Subway: The Underground Genius of Alfred Beach and the Origins of Mass Transit.” Find out more about New York’s Secret Subway and Matthew’s other books at his website. (And check out our previous episode about Pedestrianism to hear more.)We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Thomas Edison’s Botanical Laboratory
Toward the end of his life, the great inventor Thomas Edison became obsessed with one final project: finding a source of rubber that could grow in the United States. It would transform his Florida home into a bonafide botanical laboratory.This episode was produced in partnership with Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods. Find more information about the Edison and Ford estates here. If you’d like to learn more about Edison’s life in Florida check out this biography by Michele Wehrwein Albion. Find out more information about Henry Ford’s search for rubber sources in a previous episode of the Atlas Obscura podcast, “Fordlandia.”We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Off Assignment: To the Boy on the Night Bus
A stranger on an overnight bus ride causes a woman to contemplate her future. This essay originally appeared in Off Assignment. Plus, Off Assignment is offering a writing course this spring, called Writing the Mundane. Early bird pricing is on until February 9! Sign up here: https://offassignment.com/writing-the-mundane Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
AO Mailbag: What Can I Do With Guests When I’m Short on Cash?
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Amanda answer questions about places that exceeded expectations, finding yourself in dicey situations while on the road, and what to do when you have a lot of visitors but not a lot of money.If you have a question for our next mailbag episode, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com, or simply email your question. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Caring for Canids (Classic)
Welcome to the Judith A Basset Canid Education & Conservation Center, where a California couple has dedicated their lives to showing folks man has even more best friends than previously thought.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-jab-canid-education-and-conservation-center-jabcecc Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Belt and the Berm (Classic)
Today, we go on a special journey told in two parts, beginning with the world’s largest conveyor belt in the Western Sahara and ending on your dinner plate.We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Following the Painted Ladies
Have you heard of the Painted Lady butterfly? Scientists say this small speckled beauty – no more than 6 cm across – endures the longest migration path of its species. Photographer Lucas Fogalia dared to follow the path of this butterfly in his photo book, Constant Bloom, and he says the journey reveals a rich story of strength and vulnerability in our interconnected world. Check out: Lucas Fogalia’s book, “Constant Bloom”: https://www.nazraeli.com/complete-catalogue/lucas-foglia-constant-bloomTake a peek at some of the images from the bBook: https://www.lucasfoglia.com/constant-bloom/We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Your New Year’s Travel Resolutions
Listeners share their travel resolutions for 2026. Plus, we want to hear stories about interesting or unusual places where you’ve stayed the night. How did you find it? Who did you go with? What made the experience of staying there good… or bad? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after three minutes so please call again if you get disconnected. Or better yet, you can record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Tell Us: Wonders in Your Backyard
We’re taking the day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But in the meantime, we want to hear from you. Tell us about the wonders in your backyard. Is there a strange, unusual or surprising place in your city or town? What makes this place special to you? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after three minutes so please call in if you get disconnected. Or you can record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Little Lambs, Big Back Story (Classic)
Spring is a popular time to visit Colonial Williamsburg, not least because it’s “lambing season,” the time of year when baby lambs are born and take their first steps (which is obviously very, very cute). But small as they are, these lambs have a big baaa-ckstory (sorry) – they are part of a breed that was once guarded like a trade secret, was smuggled into the American colonies, went extinct in the US in the early 20th century, and then was brought back right here at Colonial Williamsburg. This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Williamsburg. Find out more at Visit Williamsburg. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Fendika Cultural Center (Classic)
The story of the Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is the story of Melaku Belay and his journey from homelessness to international acclaim as a community leader.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fendika-azmari-betWe always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Retracing A Grandfather’s Footsteps
Dawn Anahid MacKeen’s grandfather survived the Armenian genocide, journeying nearly a thousand miles (much of it on foot) out of what is now Turkey and into the Syrian desert. Dawn chronicled his journey in her book The Hundred Mile Walk: An Armenian Odyssey – and also retraced her grandfather’s route herself to better understand what he endured.Read Dawn’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Year-Walk-Dawn-Mackeen/dp/0544811941 We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.