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.
Similar Podcasts

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

Hotel Jorge Juan
Una historia. Una anécdota. Un detalle. Un punto de inflexión. Un fracaso. Un miedo. Un libro. Una frase. Una serie.La conversación alrededor de una copa. Algo para masticar, pensar, creer y crecer. Una cita semanal. ¿Nombre? Hotel Jorge Juan. No molestar.Con Javier Aznar.

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.
Tangier American Legation Museum
This building in Tangier was one of the first pieces of land owned by the United States Government outside of the country, and was a gift from “America’s first friend.”READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tangier-american-legation-museum
Classic: Cueva de los Tayos
This Ecuadorian cave has captured the attention of government officials, scientists, professional cavers and is home to a particularly rare creature.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cueva-de-los-tayos
Rae Wynn-Grant and the Bear
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, Ph.D. is a wildlife ecologist specializing in large carnivores. And in this episode she unfolds a mystery for listeners.
Empress Anna’s Ice Palace
Empress Anna’s Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia was the site of an incredibly strange wedding. Was it a cruel joke? A strategic power move? Or something else?READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/russia-anna-ioannovna-ice-palace-castle
Lee’s Legendary Marbles and Collectables
Lee's Legendary Marbles & Collectables in York, Nebraska is a pilgrimage of sorts for serious collectors and a curiosity for the casual passerby.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lees-legendary-marbles-collectables
Urnes Stave Church
This intricately carved church in Luster is one of Norway’s great treasures of architecture.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/urnes-stave-church
Classic: The Great Stalacpipe Organ
The Luray Caverns in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia are home to an instrument that draws out the secret sounds of millenia-old stone.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-great-stalacpipe-organ-luray-virginia
Cementerio Municipal José María Azael Franco Guerrero
The José María Azael Franco Guerrero Cemetery in Tulcán, Ecuador is a topiary anomaly and a lush green paradise for the dead.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tulcan-municipal-cemetery
The Lion House
This abandoned lodge in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has been reclaimed by local lions - a story deeply enmeshed in the larger history of the country. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-lion-house-gorongosa-mozambiqueFurther Reading: S is for Samora (book by Sarah Lefanu)Let My People Go (poem by Noémia de Sousa)Apartheid’s Contras: An Inquiry Into the Roots of War in Angola and Mozambique (pdf book by William Minter)The Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992) (article by Samuel Momodu, BlackPast.org)Mozambique History Net (Resource)A Year in Gorongosa (film by Augusto Bila, narrated by Gabriela Curtiz)In Mozambique, a Living Laboratory for Nature’s Renewal (article by Natalie Angier, The New York Times)Narrative Fortresses: Crisis Narratives and Conflict in the Conservation of Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique (article by Christy Schuetze)White Man's Game: Saving Animals, Rebuilding Eden, and Other Myths of Conservation in Africa (book by Stephanie Hanes)
Songs of Ice with the Places Team
Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring you stories of how sometimes giant monuments built for a specific site need to go on a journey. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/church-of-agios-sostis and https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rubjerg-knude-lighthouse
Green Mill Jazz Club
This internationally recognized jazz lounge has been running for more than a century. Its guests have included Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin and less reputable icons like Al Capone.
Classic: The Curse of the Kreisher Mansion
Host Dylan Thuras visits a Staten Island mansion with a dubious and vitriolic past, only to learn the site’s curse may not be as obvious as it seems. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kreischer-mansion
Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour
Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee provide tours and share stories about radical South Asian history, freedom fighters, and how it all lives on today in Berkley, CA.
The Mail Rail
This railway was built for one purpose and one purpose only: to keep the London’s mail coming on time. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-mail-rail-london-england
Chicago Bridge Houses
Drawbridge operators in Chicago, IL used to live at these specific homes nestled at the base of their bridges.