The Atlas Obscura Podcast

We visit a mysterious sinkhole in Arizona that has befuddled an exclusive group of divers who've gotten a glimpse of a strange world at its sandy bottom. For more unusual stories, lists, and offbeat itineraries, check out the Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide to the National Parks. 

A 50-square-mile patch of Yellowstone National Park in Idaho might just be the perfect place to commit a crime. For more unusual stories, lists, and offbeat itineraries, check out the Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide to the National Parks. 

In March of 2024, a park ranger and volunteer were taking their regular walk together around Big Bend National Park. They came across a teeny tiny fuzzy little plant with unusual ribbon-like flowers bursting out of the center – something neither of them had ever seen before. As it turned out, they had stumbled on a rare scientific discovery. Learn more about the woolly devil, and check out iNaturalist. For more unusual stories, lists, and offbeat itineraries, check out the Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide to the National Parks.

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. 

We will always love Dolly Parton, who's installed a “dreambox” time capsule at her amusement park. In it, there's a secret song that no one will hear until the legendary artist turns 100. LEARN MORE about Dolly's songwriting prowess in Unlikely Angel, a book by Hamilton College professor Lydia Hammesley.

Today, we're sharing an episode from our friends at the Sporkful. Dan Pashman goes on a tour of Los Angeles, with an Atlas Obscura guide in hand. In search of an elusive slice of coconut cake, Dan begins at the airport, takes a detour to an underground tunnel system, and pays a visit to a very unusual store: Time Travel Mart.

Producer Luz Fleming chats with the co-founders of MoF, or the Museum of Friends, about how they managed to create one of the best contemporary art museums Colorado has to offer, in one of the least likely locations you can imagine.

The roadside dinosaur has been part of the Americana cannon since the 1930s, and we've got theme parks and Sinclair gas station mascots as a result. Today, Places Editor Diana Hubbell and producer Johanna Mayer head to two spots on opposite ends of the United States to ask one question: Why is there a dinosaur here?Learn more about Steve's Dinosaur House, and check out his Facebook page for the most up to date visiting hours.

It's Memorial Day, and the unofficial start of summer! To kick off the season, we hear a sampling of listener-submitted stories of summer adventure in the wild, strange, and wonderful world in which we live. Plus: Birds! 

It's almost Pride Month, and we want to hear your stories about places that celebrate lesser-known queer history, or that have a deep personal connection to you. Give us a call at (315) 992-7902, and leave us a message telling us your name and story. Or, record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

Iconic musician Fela Kuti declared his home in Lagos, Nigeria, an independent state. He called it Kalakuta - and in 1977 it was invaded by the Nigerian Army. 

In 1926, a wildly popular evangelical preacher named Aimee Semple McPherson disappeared from Venice Beach, in front of the Ocean View Hotel. When her body wasn't found, she was presumed to have drowned. There's just one curious thing: Over the next few weeks, people kept on seeing her.

Dystopian fiction is all the rage these days. But back in the 1800s one of the bestselling books in the United States was a work of utopian fiction, about a guy who falls asleep in 1887 and accidentally time travels to the year 2000. The book, called “Looking Backward” launched political parties, communal living projects, and inspired a generation of architects and city planners. Check out the Bellamy House in Chicopee, the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles, and read Looking Backward for free on Project Gutenberg. 

In Guyana's Square of the Revolution, a statue honors Cuffy, an Akan man from West Africa who became a legendary figure. Captured and enslaved by the Dutch in the colony of Berbice (present-day Guyana), Cuffy rose from house slave to revolutionary leader. But an act of civility would be the beginning of his downfall.

Earlier this month, the Atlas Obscura staff shared the places we gained during the pandemic. Now, we hear your stories – from a university that is an unlikely home for a certain critter, to a private community, to an arboretum and a chance encounter.Plus: We want to hear from you for our next compilation episode! Pride month is coming, and we want to hear your stories about the places that celebrate LGBTQ+ history, and what they mean to you. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

Drawbridge operators in Chicago used to live at these specific homes nestled at the base of their bridges.

At the height of the Incan empire, a series of 200 woven suspension bridges crisscrossed the valleys of the Andes. Today, only one remains. It's called the Q'eswachaka, and it's rewoven every year by a continuous line of bridge builders.  Journalist Eliot Stein traveled to Peru to meet the current bridge builder, and to witness this incredible tradition. His book, Custodians of Wonder, chronicles traditions like these across the globe, and the people preserving them.  Plus: Listen to our episode all about the the world's rarest pasta, or “threads of god.”

You might think of The Great Gatsby as a classic New York City novel –  but the events that set off the action of the story actually take place somewhere else. In Louisville, Kentucky. It's where Daisy and Gatsby first meet, and where Daisy marries Gatsby's rival, Tom Buchanan (boo, hiss!) In today's episode, we track down the footsteps of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who spent two tumultuous months of his life near Louisville while stationed at an Army camp during WWI. And we'll try to find the places that might have inspired his most famous work… Plus: Track down Fitzgerald's footsteps in Louisville and find events related to the 100th birthday of the Great Gatsby.This episode was produced in partnership with Louisville Tourism.

For 300 years, only a handful of women in Sardinia knew how to make the “threads of God,” an exceptionally intricate pasta. But then, one woman decided to share the recipe with the outside world.        Read Diana Hubbell's article about the quest to save the world's rarest pasta. 

Dylan and producers Johanna and Amanda take your questions. If you have a question for Dylan, 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.Plus: Listen to Dylan's episode about how he learned to love Las Vegas. 

The history of medical clowning extends back to Ancient Greece and the time of Hippocrates and is taught in workshops throughout the world.  READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medical-clowning-program-at-haifa-university

In the 1870s the Midwest experienced a devastating natural disaster in the form of… an enormous cloud of extremely hungry locusts. Dylan and producer Amanda discuss what happens when a cloud of locusts twice the size of Colorado descends on your town.If you can't get enough of Rocky Mountain Locusts check out our episode on Grasshopper Glacier! 

We get a crash course in the Chitlin' Circuit, a network of entertainment venues for Black musicians during segregation. And we take a closer look at a special stop along the way: Club Ebony. It's a place that still thumps with the blues of the past, even as it welcomes a new generation of musicians.

In 1887, Greensburg, Kansas was a small town in a relatively new state. The town needed to come up with a way to attract visitors – and they chose to think big. Very, very big.

It's been five years since the pandemic shutdown. So often, conversations about that time revolve around places we've lost. But for this episode, Atlas Obscura staffers share the places they gained during the pandemic. Plus: We want to hear from you. Tell us about the places that you gained or discovered during the pandemic. How did you discover this place? Why is it important to you? What's it like visiting that place now vs. then? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. 

Dylan sits down with podcaster Ashley Ray, who has more than a soft spot for her Midwest hometown. Hear why she thinks it may just be the best kept secret, despite its bad reputation.  Check out Ashley's podcast all about TV and culture.  All week, we're collaborating with the great podcast Terrestrials to tell stories about people, places, and animals with bad reputations – and the surprising truths behind them.

As a child, Lulu Miller had a beloved dog. But one day, the dog disappeared – and in all likelihood, it was probably eaten by coyotes. Since then, Lulu has been strangely fascinated by these crepuscular creatures. Now, she heads to Graceland Cemetery in Chicago at the crack of dawn – to marvel at the urban coyotes that make the cemetery their home, and to grapple with their longstanding bad reputations. Plus: You can check out the coyote photos of Robert Loerzel (Lulu's coyote guide) on his Instagram.  All week, we're collaborating with the great podcast Terrestrials to tell stories about people, places, and animals with bad reputations – and the surprising truths behind them.

Toronto is home to a massive underground mall called the PATH, a labyrinth of hallways with shops, banks, and no fewer than nine Tim Hortons. At 30 kilometers long, it's the largest underground shopping complex in the world. It's also famously dull. What wonder can be found in a dreary, underground mall? Reporter Elah Feder takes this as a challenge and descends into the PATH to see if she can wring an ounce of wonder from this godforsaken place. Along the way, she ponders the nature of boredom – and confronts some existential questions. All week, we're collaborating with the great podcast Terrestrials to tell stories about people, places, and animals with bad reputations – and the surprising truths behind them.

Dylan has complicated feelings about rats. On one hand, they're amazingly resourceful creatures. On the other, they caused the bubonic plague (and other harmful situations). So when Terrestrials producer and composer Alan Goffinski went on a rat reporting spree Dylan knew just who he had to talk to in order to come to terms with his feelings about the rodents. From a subterranean rat city underneath NYC to a “rat hotline,” Alan and Dylan journey down the rabbit hole – er, rat hole. Will Dylan come down pro-rat or anti-rat? Let the scorekeeping begin!Want more rats? Listen to Alan's episode all about these fascinating creatures. All week, we're collaborating with the great podcast Terrestrials to tell stories about people, places, and animals with bad reputations – and the surprising truths behind them.

From laundromats to Sacramento, listeners go to bat for places with bad reputations. All week, we're collaborating with the great podcast Terrestrials to tell stories about people, places, and animals with bad reputations – and the surprising truths behind them.

Niles, Illinois is home to an exact replica of Italy's leaning tower of Pisa - only it's half the size of the original structure.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/leaning-tower-niles

Adventurer Elise Wortley retraces the footsteps of historic female explorers – and she does it all with no modern gear, no shortcuts, and no guarantees that it is going to work out.Learn more about Elise's trip to the Valley of the Assassins.

Producer Alexa Lim travels in search of the Kolache Triangle. Along the way, she visits some of the state's Czech communities, and hears how the kolache became the gem of the Texas roadside snack.

Two small stories about two cold nights in different parts of the world. 11:45 p.m. in Oulu was written by Anne Korkeakivi, and 2:30 a.m. in McMurdo Station was written by Elizabeth Endicott. Both essays were edited by Tusshara Nalakumar Srilatha and originally appeared in Off Assignment. Elizabeth Endicott is a writer based in Denver, and Anne Korkeakivi is the author of the novels Shining Sea and An Unexpected Guest.

Dylan and producers Amanda and Johanna answer a listener question that leaves them deeply shaken, and slightly disturbed.Have a question for Dylan? 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.

Thousands of kitschy lawn gnomes have taken over an Australian roundabout. Read more in the Atlas here.

Today, if you venture into the basement of a certain clothing store in the Soho neighborhood of NYC, you'll find an unusual sight: an old well. This well is tied to the first recorded murder trial in the United States – it's a story of a 22-year-old woman, her suspicious suitor, and a legal team consisting of none other than Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.    Author Lauren Willig joins Dylan to tell him the story. The case also inspired Lauren's newest book: The Girl from Greenwich Street: a Novel of Hamilton, Burr, and America's First Murder Trial.

We head to a public bathroom in Alresford, England to hear how a toilet played a key role in flushing out an infamous Cold War espionage ring.

The unusual-looking Price Tower, a 1-of-1 from starchitect Frank Lloyd Wright, has been the pride of Bartlesville, Oklahoma for more than 60 years. But the challenge of maintaining the skyscraper as a historic piece of art has made it difficult for the building's owners to keep it open.

Producer Johanna Mayer and Places editor Diana Hubbell tell us about two parts of the world where animals have invaded – and taken over. Plus: Tell us about a place that has a bad reputation – but still, you love it. Call us at 315-992-7902 and leave a message with your name and your story. Or you can record a voice memo of any length and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.  

Lake Natron in Tanzania can leave welts and burns on human skin but is a bit of a paradise for another animal. Read more in the Atlas. 

Animal-human conflict expert Bethany Brookshire explains why we put cats before rats – and a lot of it has to do with where we're encountering them. Read an interview with Bethany in our new column, AO Wants to Know. And check out her book Pests: How Humans Create Animal

We go on a hunt for what you might call an entomologist's most wanted insect. 

Paul Stewart's childhood fascination with cowboys and the Wild West turned into a museum dedicated to preserving the stories of the American West's early Black settlers.

Listeners share stories of leaving home for the first time – from a first apartment in San Francisco, to running away with a member of a famous band, to searching for a piece of Australia in the United States. Plus: Have you ever visited a place with a bad reputation, and found that you actually really loved it? We want to hear about it! Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story about a place that defies its bad rap. Or you can record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

We want to hear about a place you love that has defied its bad reputation. Maybe there's a drab local mall that's full of chain stores and overpriced frozen yogurt that strangely gives you a sense of comfort. Maybe you love eating at chain restaurants while traveling. Maybe all your high school friends dunk on your hometown, but it's the place you want to live forever.  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 two 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. 

Travel to the world's oldest intact pyramid in Egypt - and learn about the genius who also influenced the fields of architecture, astronomy, medicine. Read more in the Atlas here.

In September 1991, eight people moved into Biosphere 2, a nearly airtight glass and steel complex in the Arizona desert. The half-acre farm at its centre would supply all their food. Plants, algae and photosynthesizing microorganisms would supply all their oxygen. If things went according to plan, they would have everything they needed to survive inside for two years – but a lot of people were betting against them. Mark Nelson wrote a book about his time in Biosphere 2 called Pushing Our Limits. Archival footage in this episode was provide by the Institute of Ecotechnics.

In the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, on the tiny island of Saint Helena, sits the Longwood House. It was the final home of Napoleon Bonaparte. And while there – amidst the serenity Saint Helena has to offer – the former emperor of France became a more reflective person.

An urban explorer ventured deep below downtown Minneapolis in search of Schieks Cave. He discovered more than he bargained for. Read more about Schieks Cave and Greg Brick. 

For a brief window in the late 1800s, America's favorite sport was walking in circles over and over and over. The biggest sporting events in the country were “6 Day Races” – days-long tests of endurance where competitive walkers competed to see who could log the most miles. Check out our guest Matthew Algeo's book “Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Sport.” And if you're so inclined here is a selection of 6 Day Races that you can still compete in today: The Old Six Day, Six Days in the Dome, Across the Years (and a variation on the theme, the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race).