The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Over the last two and a half years, the Atlas Obscura podcast has published well over 500 original episodes. For the next few weeks, we're taking a holiday break  -- but not leaving you without wonder. Over the course of 20 episodes, host Dylan Thuras is going to take you on a journey starting in the cosmic reaches of space, to the earliest days of life on earth, through a tour of our fellow earthly creatures, and finally arrive at us, the great apes who record podcasts. We'll be back in late January with brand new episodes. 

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42 giant busts of U.S. presidents are slowly crumbling in a field in Virginia. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/president-heads

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Specific smells have been linked to specific geographies, cultures, and mythologies for THOUSANDS of years. Today, we hear from Saskia Wilson-Brown about fragrance, power, and the power of scent. 

MORE: Saskia is the founder of the Institute of Art and Olfaction, a nonprofit to expand access and education around scent. She also teaches a 3-part online class with us here at Atlas Obscura, and it runs a couple of times a year. Head to the online courses page on our website, and you can use code AMBERGRIS to get 15% off your registration. 

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We learn about an age-old practice of nightwalking, with the help of two women who took it on as an experiment in the early chaotic days of the pandemic. Joining the conversation is Bianca Giaever, creator of one of our favorite podcasts of the year, Constellation Prize. 

MORE: To hear Constellation Prize for yourself, you can head to thebeliever.net or anywhere podcasts are available. And if you want to learn more about nightwalking, check out this article Bianca wrote.

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Gastro Obscura’s senior editor Sam O’Brien returns to the podcast to go deeper with us on her strange beat – recipes etched into gravestones. We probe how food can help heal and remember those we’ve lost. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: Sam has written a bunch about recipe gravestones, and has even been on the podcast before. Read and listen to more of her work at these links:

The Family Recipes That Live On in Cemeteries

Podcast: The Spritz Cookie Gravestone

Podcast: Grandma Ida’s Nut Rolls Gravestone

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A producer takes a detour for a glimpse of what some call New York’s worst kept secret – a train station that’s been shut down and sealed away for nearly a century. 

MORE: Visit the New York Transit Museum’s website to learn how to become a member and book a tour of the station.

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Fishlake National Forest is home to the biggest organism by mass on the planet - but this giant is shrinking and an usual group has banded together to help defend it.  

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:  https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pando-the-trembling-giant

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This magical wonderland in Ithaca, New York is devoted entirely—almost spiritually—to this unusual and versatile fruit. It's also the brainchild of Graham Ottoson, who is teaching an Atlas Obscura course on gourds. Listeners get 15% off by using code GOURDLOVE during registration. End credit music in this episode is from Alexander Fals (ngoni + vocals), Hayley Dayis (vocals), and Manuel Solarte (percussion). If you like what you heard, you can listen to more of their songs here.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gourdlandia

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An oozing whale skeleton isn't the only attraction at this Massachusetts museum. Hear how a producer’s visit revealed some surprising facts about an industry that helped enrich a city and was inclusive well before diversity became a buzzword. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-oozing-whale-skeleton-of-new-bedford-new-bedford-massachusetts

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Back in the day, people were so hungry for info about the weather that they would stand in line all day to get a glimpse of a series of kiosks placed in towns across the country. We go to Tennessee to hear the story of one.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/knoxville-weather-kiosk

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A small cemetery in the grasslands of Kenya serves as a way to honor one of the most endangered animals in the world – the rhino – and elevate the plight of a species on the brink. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ol-pejeta-rhino-cemetery

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A midwest city has embraced what it means to be the namesake hometown of one very famous superhero. And at its center is a museum that holds the carefully cultivated collection of one superfan. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/super-museum-metropolis

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We follow a long set of wooden stairs deep underground to a sea cave with a mysterious and colorful past, and take in a spectacular, hidden view of the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla. 

Learn more about The Cave Store: https://www.cavestore.com/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunny-jim-cave-store

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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

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Professional Adventurer George Kourounis knew he needed to visit  the Cave of the Crystals, located nearly a 1000 feet beneath northern Mexico, the moment he saw a photograph from inside the cave.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/giant-crystals-naica

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We got so many responses to our question about listener experiences with animal encounters that we made a second episode. Experiences include a woman who touches a tiger’s tail, a man who plays peek-a-boo with a bear and a chance meeting of a herd of elk. 

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 you’ve been to that made you instantly feel at home. What made it special? Have you returned there? What sticks out about this place that makes it unique to you? Why does it remind you of home? How does it connect 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 two minutes, so you may need to call multiple times if your story is long.

You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com

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This episode will break your heart. And that’s a good thing. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-of-broken-relationships

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A small town in Texas has embraced the story of the visit and demise of an otherworldly being from the 1800s… and what many say is America’s only alien gravesite. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/1800-s-alien-gravesite

If you can’t make it out to Texas, check out this documentary about the incident which is online.

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A few weeks ago, our staff here at Atlas Obscura put out an episode about our traveling expectations – places that either blew us away… or were a major letdown.  And today - we are hearing YOUR stories.

WE WANT YOUR STORIES: We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and we want to hear yours. 

Tell us about a place you’ve been that made you instantly feel at home. What made it special? Have you returned there? What sticks out about this place that makes it unique to you? Why does it remind you of home? How does it connect 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 two minutes, so you may need to call multiple times if your story is long.

You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com

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An art gallery in Kansas celebrates the losers of presidential elections.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/they-also-ran-gallery-norton-kansas

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A Seattle restaurant pushes diners to eat beyond their borders through its embrace of global street foods.

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The Elephant Clock, a replica of an ancient invention, sits in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, surrounded by stores like The Gap and H&M. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/elephant-clock

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A listener’s voicemail sent us searching for the story of a very special -- and giant -- oak tree in Peoria, Illinois, and the family of arborists who cared for it.

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For decades, rumors and conspiracy theories swirled after nine people disappeared in the Ural mountains of the Soviet Union in 1959. But just a few years ago, the case was solved – even though many don’t accept the explanation. Journalist and author Doug Preston guides us through the second half of the story. 

MORE: The mountain where the people disappeared has since been renamed Dyatlov Pass and is today a popular hiking destination. If you’re into this case and want to learn more – check out Doug’s new book The Lost Tomb, which will be released Dec 5.

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Journalist and author Doug Preston guides us through the first half of a cliffhanger story about the mysterious disappearance of a group of hikers in the Soviet Union... and the myriad conspiracy theories that sprouted up afterward.

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Producer Manolo Morales, a devoted Little Monster, gallivants around the Lower East Side via an immersive performance-art walking tour dedicated to an iconic pop star.

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Places editors Jonathan and Michelle are back again with a few new standout entries to the Atlas … including a spot in Antarctica that’s home to the oldest Martian meteorite and a column in Greece that symbolizes the fear and ritual past generations embraced when faced with their own plague.

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For art nerds, the Lightning Field installation in the New Mexico desert is a bucket-list destination. It’s also a testament to the extraordinary control the artist who created it was able to exert, even after death. To reserve your spot to stay at the Lightning Field, sign up at the Dia Foundation's website.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lightning-field

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A couple created what is perhaps the cutest and most filling micro-store to pop up during the pandemic. But to find it, you’ll have to trek through rural Vermont and look for the phone-booth sized box filled with baked goods.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiny-bread-box

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A mysterious sinkhole in Arizona has befuddled an exclusive group of divers who’ve gotten a glimpse of a strange world underneath its sandy bottom.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/montezuma-well-arizona

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We’re in Amsterdam, learning about a bad-ass woman who championed queer folx and provided a safe haven throughout World War II via her quirky bar in the red light district.

MORE: Schedule a visit of Cafe Mandje with Badass Tours, which runs tours in Amsterdam focusing on women’s history, LGBTQ+ history, BIPOC history, Jewish history, or one tour tailored to your interests.

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A listener tells us about a treasure buried in his literal backyard, and the two strange men who showed up on his doorstep and asked to dig it up.

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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 Hamessley.

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We meet back up with our pal Bernie Harberts, the beast whisperer, who trekked 19 million mule steps across the United States only to find himself, for the first time, a little homesick. 

MORE: To keep up with Bernie and to hear more about his travels, be sure to sign up for his newsletter – you can do that at his website: riverearth.com.

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We go to the former estate of the Davies sisters, two unusually wealthy Welsh women who traveled the world, fell in love with art, served their country, and then dedicated their home to culture and community.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gregynog-hall

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In a place where multiple world religions intersect, this unassuming little ladder is a symbol of the very delicate balance that keeps a church in Jerusalem running.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/immovable-ladder-church-holy-sepulchre

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Reporter Eric Grundhauser recounts a memorable visit to an unusual museum in Iceland, where he explored the ancient lore of the occult, learned how to steal milk from his neighbors, and laid his eyes upon a pair of pants… made of human flesh. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-museum-of-icelandic-sorcery-witchcraft-holmavik-iceland

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Photographer and author Paul Koudonaris brings listeners to this Ethiopian Church and explores ossuaries, jeweled skeletons, and death practices throughout the world. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/yemrehana-krestos-church

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Atlas contributors bring listeners stories from spooky locations they’ve visited, and which continue to haunt them.

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With Halloween just around the corner Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring you two spooky legends of The Mothman from Point Pleasant, West Virginia and a potentially ghoulish forest in the Transylvanian Region of Romania.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mothman-museum-2 and https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hoia-baciu-forest

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This island between Missouri and Illinois was a preferred meeting place for duels to the death in the early 1900’s.

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Hear from the caretakers of a ghost town in Bolivia that was once the world's highest ski resort. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/abandoned-chacaltaya-ski-resort

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We chat with one of the leading experts on art theft – professor and author Noah Charney, who unpacks the cultural fascination with this type of crime. Charney also tells us the story of one of the most notorious real life art thieves.

MORE: Charney is teaching a course in art crime that begins Nov 7, 2023. To enroll, visit the courses page on our website and use code ARTCRIMEPOD for 15% off. 

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We visit a museum in Montana that’s a dream for dinosaur nerds, and home to bones that are the real deal, locally sourced and sustainably foraged.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/great-plains-dinosaur-museum

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Journalist Susan Casey takes us to the deep deep ocean, where she explores the relationship between humans and this mysterious underworld.

READ MORE: Find out more about Susan’s work here, including her new book.

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A basketball fan goes to the hall of fame – and no, it’s not the big one in Massachusetts that you may be thinking about. Hear the story behind a Midwest state’s special link to the sport.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/indiana-basketball-hall-of-fame-museum

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Host Dylan Thuras riffs on a subject that has long fascinated him: The world’s longest-running science experiments.

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There’s a special tree in Portland that’s full of a city’s hopes, dreams, and wishes.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/portland-wishing-tree

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We peek into the life and work of the oft-understood artist Niki de Saint Phalle, who was behind a strange and wildly popular playground sculpture in Jerusalem.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-mifletzet-jerusalem-israel

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We meet the robot saints – sculptures made of wood and wire, of cams and pulleys during medieval times – that might just help us understand this new AI age we all find ourselves living in.

LEARN MORE about these inventions by reading City University of New York Professor Christopher Swift’s 2015 paper about these automated figures.

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