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.

Minneapolis’s Giant Pencil

December 29, 2025 00:12:53 2.16 MB ( 10.2 MB less) Downloads: 0

When a 180-year old bur oak tree collapsed during a rainstorm, a couple in Minnesota made a new life for it. 

Plus: How many U.S. states have you visited? Join the AO community and create your own U.S. state tracker map here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/my-state-map  


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