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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Hotel Jorge Juan

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The French Instinct

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 Mirror Lab (Classic)

May 23, 2023 00:15:56 15.29 MB Downloads: 0

A spinning furnace tucked under the football stadium at the University of Arizona is building giant telescope mirrors. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/richard-f-caris-mirror-laboratory

Åtvidaberg Sun Cannon (Classic)

May 22, 2023 00:12:35 12.08 MB Downloads: 0

Sun cannons have been around since the 1600s. But as far as we know, there’s only one left that’s still up and running. We pay it a visit. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/atvidaberg-sun-cannon

Chili Pepper Institute

May 19, 2023 00:12:36 12.09 MB Downloads: 0

Habaneros!  Jalapenos! Green! Red! These days, an appreciation for chilis is pretty mainstream. But that wasn’t always the case. We head to New Mexico to learn how this food became such a huge part of our culture, and visit an institute dedicated to its continual improvement.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chile-pepper-institute

Fugitive Train Wreck

May 18, 2023 00:12:09 11.66 MB Downloads: 0

A North Carolina town has become a draw for people who want to see the wreckage of the train wreck from the movie “The Fugitive.” But a more interesting – and true – story happened just a pistol shot away.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-fugitive-train-wreck-sylva-north-carolina

Theatricum Botanicum

May 17, 2023 00:11:57 11.47 MB Downloads: 0

A once-blacklisted Hollywood star created a magical theater in Topanga Canyon, California, that still endures and inspires today.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/theatricum-botanicum

Voynich Manuscript

May 16, 2023 00:17:48 17.09 MB Downloads: 0

One of the oldest books in the world is also the most misunderstood. A  medievalist tells us about the Voynich, which is in the collection of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/beinecke-rare-book-manuscript-library

Big Bertha Drum (classic)

May 15, 2023 00:10:21 9.93 MB Downloads: 0

 She’s about 8 feet wide and 500 pounds. And her history spans all the way from the stockyards of Chicago...to a nuclear test during the Manhattan Project...to a stadium at the University of Texas at Austin. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/big-bertha-drum

Kilwa Kisiwani (Classic)

May 12, 2023 00:15:38 15.01 MB Downloads: 0

We dig through more than 1,000 years of dirt, history,  colonialism, and myth on the Swahili Coast.Read more in the Atlas https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kilwa-kisiwani-ruins

Butter Sculptures

May 11, 2023 00:16:49 16.14 MB Downloads: 0

Where can you find the smoothest, most scrumptious edible art? If you ask our host, Dylan, it’s in the Minnesota State Fair butter sculpture room. He’s joined in this episode by Gastro Obscura writer Sam O’Brien, who got the scoop on the yummy centerpieces. 

Close to the Edge

May 10, 2023 00:15:30 14.88 MB Downloads: 0

We all dream of the perfect vacation when everything goes right. This episode is about the opposite. Hear stories of people having near death travel experiences.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 near-death travel experience.. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Iowa Remnant Prairies

May 09, 2023 00:14:28 13.89 MB Downloads: 0

Elusive patches of land in America’s Midwest can show us what the environment was like 150 years ago and tell us about the future.

National Poo Museum

May 08, 2023 00:11:27 10.99 MB Downloads: 0

We spend time with the world’s foremost poo enthusiasts, who operate a museum in England where poo is elegant, elevated and celebrated.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/national-poo-museum

Mississippi River Basin Model (Classic)

May 05, 2023 00:13:08 12.61 MB Downloads: 0

A walk through this scale model has you feeling like a giant, and striding from Baton Rouge to Omaha in an hour. LEARN MORE about the model and the group trying to revive it, here: https://friendsofmrbm.org/

The Nutmobile

May 04, 2023 00:13:21 12.81 MB Downloads: 0

The next time you go out on a road trip, keep your eyes peeled for a peanut-shaped car that got its start as an advertising play during the Great Depression

Okomfo Anokye’s Sword

May 03, 2023 00:08:29 8.14 MB Downloads: 0

Nestled in a hospital courtyard in Kumasi, Ghana, you’ll find the strength of the Asante people: the sword of Okomfo Anokye, planted in the ground over 300 years ago. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sword-of-okomfo-anokye