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.
Eastern State Penitentiary (Classic)
The founders of this prison in Philadelphia aimed to revolutionize incarceration for the better - and unintentionally created new horrors. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/eastern-state-penitentiary
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
A producer revisits her hometown (Houston) and goes to the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, learning about the contributions of Black members of the armed forces and one man in particular, who started the collection years ago in his garage.
Stone of Destiny
This giant rock has been used in the coronation of every English monarch since the 1300s, but is it authentic? Or could the real one be in a Scottish bar? We parse through the evidence and debate!READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/glasgows-stone-of-destiny
World’s Loneliest House
We visit the misnamed “world’s loneliest house” and visit the flocks of puffins who live there. Some people want to eat them, some want to protect them. And these two groups collide here. If you want to learn more about the puffin situation in the Westman Islands, check out our episode called Puffin Patrol – about a community that sweeps the streets each night looking for lost pufflings and helping them find their way back to the beach.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ellidaey-island-lodge
Boston’s Blue Hill
We take a hike up Great Blue Hill in Boston and get more than a stunning view of the city. A visit to the peak reveals the story of a weather observatory with the longest continuous daily weather record in the United States.
The Goiter Belt (Classic)
A public health crisis plagued the Midwest until a simple solution was introduced to a ubiquitous cooking ingredient.
Damanhur
A mysterious religious community founded by an insurance agent-turned spiritual leader in northern Italy spent 15 years constructing an underground temple covered in intricate paintings, mosaics, trippy colors and images inspired by Roman, Greek and Egyptian mythology. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/temple-of-damanhur
Owamni
Award-winning chef Sean Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef, has dedicated his Minneapolis restaurant to decolonized food and honoring indigenous meal traditions READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/owamni
Toy Story
Mexico City is known for its museum and art scene. The collection at El Museo del Juguete Antiguo/ – The Antique Toy Museum – encourages visitors to lean into their imaginations – and reflect on the rich history and culture in this city.
Robert Is Here
We go to south Florida and hear the story of a family that took a gamble on a humble roadside stand that blossomed into a fruit emporium and community staple. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/robert-is-here
Library of Congress Hair Collection (Classic)
This collection, preserved by the United States Library of Congress, features locks of hair from cultural icons from Beethovan to General Ulysses Grant.
Kam Wah Chung & Co Museum
This museum in John Day, Oregon, was once a Chinese general store and medicine shop that dates back to the 1800s. But these days it’s a perfectly preserved time capsule, down to the fruit – down to the orange its former owner left on the counter in the 1950s. Tours of the shop are offered seasonally, but you can get a virtual look inside here.
Welcome Home
Hear staff stories about places in the world that made them instantly feel at home, from the Big Easy to the Magic Kingdom. WE WANT YOUR STORIES: We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and want to hear yours. Tell us about a place that makes you feel at home. What made it special? Have you returned there? What sticks out about this place that makes it unique to you? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after 2 minutes so please call in again if you get disconnected. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@atlasobscura.com.
Moynaq
A city in Uzbekistan used to be the site of one of the world’s largest seas. Now it’s a dusty reminder of one of the largest and most forgotten environmental disasters.READ MORE: Visit the Stihia website here to learn more about the music festival that happens in Moynaq, including where it may be this year. And this news article is a good primer on some of the current conflicts and issues in the region.
Taquile Island
This tiny island off the coast of Peru is an UNESCO World Heritage site for having the finest textile art. It’s also the place where a knitted hat represents and symbolizes a man’s code of honor, marital status, and love for life. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/taquile-island