The Atlas Obscura Podcast

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. 

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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). 

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Producer Johanna Mayer travels to Times Square in NYC,  in search of particular sound that may sometimes go overlooked. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-times-square-hum-new-york-new-york

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What to do when you have 20-foot-tall busts of nearly every U.S. President and nowhere to put them?

This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Williamsburg. 

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Dylan visits a patch of Nevada desert known at times as Paradise Ranch, Dreamland Resort, or as most people know it, Area 51. His goal? To try and find out where The X-Files end, and the truth begins. And he falls deeper down the rabbit hole when he meets a man who is a German immigrant, a programmer, and possibly the premier Area 51 expert in the world: Joerg Arnu.

Check out Joerg’s website, DreamlandResort.com.

Special thanks to Ryan Broderick and the Panic World team. Panic World is a weekly podcast from Garbage Day about the moral panics, witch hunts, and viral freakouts that bubble up out of the weirdest corners of the internet. Subscribe now!

Plus: Check out Dylan’s Panic World conversation about Area 51 and the New Jersey drone panic. 

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Jeremy Bentham began planning for his death at a young age. He wrote a will in 1769, at the age of 21. But how did this philosopher’s dead body wind up on display in a university student center?

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Two small stories about early morning, otherworldly encounters with animals. 7 a.m. in Kelso was written by Emma Jones, and 10:30 a.m. in Choteau, Montana was written by Annika Berry. Both essays were edited by Aube Rey Lescure and originally appeared in Off Assignment.

Plus: Order the audiobook of Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders today!

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Dylan and producer Johanna take your questions about exploring abandoned ruins, where they want to carve their initials, and whether they should feel guilt for going on multiple trips to the same location.

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 send your question via email. 

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We want to hear your stories about the first time you left home to live somewhere else. Why did you make the move? How did you choose your new home… and how did you feel when you arrived? 

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. 

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One of the world’s tallest waterfalls is nestled in Northwestern Peru, right where the Amazon rainforest crashes into the Andes Mountains.

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

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Apple TV’s Severance takes a dystopian view of the middle management office space, where the sprawling corridors, overhead fluorescent lights hide the mysterious purpose of Lumen Industries. But that terrifying imagined office space is based on the real headquarters of Bell Labs – huge, incredible incubator of ideas in the 1960s with the aim of creating a corporate utopia.

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This ranch in Sanger, Texas trains people in jousting and sword-fighting with the goal of making them knights of the highest order - for the Medieval Times dinner theater chain. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/behind-the-scenes-at-medieval-times-where-knights-battle-and-pepsi-is-plentiful

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Off the southern coast of Jamaica, there are the underwater ruins of pirate city from the 1600s – a city that could be considered the Las Vegas of its time. But its days would come to an end when it faced three disasters in a single day.

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For this St. Patrick’s Day, author and friend of the show Colin Dickey joins Dylan to demystify leprechauns. Where do they come from? Is there a Leprechaunland? What’s with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? And why are they always wearing green? Are they just drunk mischievous creatures? Or is there something deeper there – perhaps leprechauns are even an immigrant story?

If you want to learn more, check out Colin’s series called Monster of the Month. 

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Green Bank, West Virginia is free of wifi and cell signals due to the massive telescope nearby that requires radio silence.  

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/town-for-wi-fi-refugees

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What happens when a real place becomes a reality TV set? Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker staff writer and author of “Cue The Sun: The Invention of Reality TV,” tells us about the tumultuous first season of Survivor. The island where the first season was filmed, Pulau Tiga, presented serious challenges for cast and crew alike… and then the production team added some of their own.

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The first time John Ringling and his brothers saw a circus come to town, it changed their lives forever. They’d go on to form their own circus company – which put them on top of the world. Today we trace John Ringling’s rise and fall, from his early days crisscrossing the Midwest in a wagon (dressed as a clown in wooden shoes) to his work establishing Sarasota, Florida as the circus capital of the world. This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Sarasota.

If you’re curious about Florida’s Cultural Coast and want to learn more about the art and culture scene in Sarasota today, check out the podcast “Behind the Masterpiece”!

Take a closer look at John and Mabel Ringling’s mobile mansion with this cool archaeology project from the University of South Florida.

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A Black American living in Korea writes a letter to a restaurant worker, reckoning with race and the meaning of home. This essay was edited by Aube Rey Lescure and originally appeared in Off Assignment. Kat Lewis' debut novel, GOOD PEOPLE, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster in 2026.

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Diana Hubbell and Roxanne Hoorn from the Places team take us to two locations on opposite sides of the world that both evoke deep reverence – and an appreciation for an architectural style not usually associated with beauty.

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Producer Manolo Morales – a verified 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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James Beard award winning photographer and writer Gary He tells us about traveling to more than 50 countries across six continents, all to document and photograph one of the most popular fast food chains in the world: McDonald’s. 

His book McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches is out now.

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In the 1880s, Madrid’s most famous resident was a medium-sized black and white dog called Paco who frequented cafes, parades, and even bullfights. 

Check out some of our favorite episodes about charismatic dogs: Hachiko, two beloved taxidermied dogs, and Brown Dog Statue. 

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In the 1960s, London Bridge was falling down – specifically, it was sinking down under the weight of modern-day traffic. London decided to put the bridge up for sale, and it attracted all kinds of buyers, from casinos to major cities to entertainers. But the winning bid came from an unexpected place: a chainsaw-manufacturing millionaire in the Arizona desert. 

Learn more about London Bridge at Lake Havasu City, and check out the voodoo doll found under the bridge. 

This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Arizona.

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From a once in a lifetime natural event, to two very different Olympic experiences, to a special concert, we hear listener stories of trekking someplace for the joy of being there up close and in real life.

Plus, we want to hear your stories of the first time you moved. Why did you make that move? What motivated you to leave your town? How did you choose your new home? What do you miss, and what are you glad to have left behind? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave us a message telling us your story. Or better yet, record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

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The story of Chef Hamissi Mamba, whose family sought asylum in the US and years later founded an East African restaurant that serves up a small slice of Burundi in the Motor City.

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A couple years ago, Josh Foer, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, took us to a remote patch of land in the Arizona desert, where he built (and later rebuilt) a museum in honor of the company’s former CEO, David Plotz. And just a few weeks ago, this patch of land appeared on a reality TV show. In a strange collision, Dylan talks with one of the stars of TLC’s Sister Wives about her own experience at the Plotz Plot. 

Learn more about Wow in the World family tours. 

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Dylan and producers Amanda and Johanna take your questions. 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 send your question via email. 

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The pools at Cuatro Ciénegas Basin are a portal into the ancient past – and they may soon disappear. 

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In cool, misty forests along the coast of New South Wales Australia, a group of lyrebirds is suspected of singing human songs they learned in the 1920s. A team of researchers sets out to investigate.

Read more about Hollis Taylor et al.’s investigation here.

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We get up close and nosey about a peculiar exhibit in Copenhagen that reveals a lot about what artists and society considered beautiful throughout the years | READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nasothek-nose-collection

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Host, reporter, and podcaster Sam Sanders talks with Dylan about the places that have shaped his life – from when he was a kid in a small town in Texas secretively listening to Stevie Wonder in the bathroom, to running along the Charles River, to exploring Joshua Tree National Park with Zora Neale Hurston (kind of).

Check out Sam’s podcasts Vibe Check and the The Sam Sanders Show.

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On May 7, 1902, a man named Ludger Sylbaris was thrown in jail – and it saved his life.     

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Every year, a number of snowy owls (aka Arctic owls) find their way to an unlikely haven: Boston Logan International Airport. Owl expert Norman Smith has been leading the way to study these birds and figure out why they love to land at one of the busiest airports in the country.

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Today we’re bringing  you an episode from our friends at the Women Who Travel podcast. 

Women make up just 7% of truckers in the United States—a number that shows no sign of increasing, even while the industry suffers from a huge shortage of workers. We hear from trucker Desiree Wood, whose job has taken her to 48 states, about the freedom of life on the road, the dangers that herself and women colleagues face, and the joys that come with the occasional return trip home.

Listen to and follow Women Who Travel from Condé Nast Traveler here: swap.fm/l/cnt-wwt-YUyg6t

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This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office sustained by the kindness of strangers. In today’s episode, we visit Post Office Bay, on the Galapagos Islands. The post office runs on luck and the goodwill of visitors, and has a knack for bringing strangers together.

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This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office sustained by the kindness of strangers. In today’s episode, Dylan talks with travel writer Susan Orlean, who is an admitted terrible tourist. But she’s an expert at getting lost – with a purpose. Today, she takes us to some of the places that have shaped her life. And she talks about throwing out the guidebook, opening herself up to these experiences, and the art of getting lost. 

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This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office sustained by the kindness of strangers. In today’s episode, we visit a museum in Croatia that will break your heart. And that’s a good thing. 

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This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office sustained by the kindness of strangers. In today’s episode, we visit the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation—a dog.

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This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office sustained by the kindness of strangers. In today’s episode, we meet back up with our pal Bernie Harberts, who trekked 19 million mule steps across the United States only to find himself, for the first time, a little homesick.

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We’re looking for questions for our next mailbag episode. Maybe you’re looking for travel advice, maybe you want to hear more about a weird thing that Dylan alluded to briefly in an episode, or maybe you want him to settle some sort of travel dispute with your partner. Anything goes! 

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 write your question in an email.

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Stories of how giant monuments built for a specific site sometimes need to go on a journey to get there. 

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

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/snowflake-bentley

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Dylan talks with actor and comedian Paul Scheer about three places that have shaped him. And to Dylan’s surprise, Paul doesn’t pick good memories. Instead he chooses three deeply embarrassing stories – because as he puts it, “trauma is the fire in which we are forged.”

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Dylan tries his hand at playing a “glass armonica,” a musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. Its high-pitched, eerie sounds were rumored to cure all kinds of illnesses – or even, sometimes, cause them.

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Africville was a Black-Canadian community north of Halifax, Nova Scotia. But when the Canadian government decided it wanted the land the community sat on, Africville was forcibly removed in the 1900s. We’ve covered other stories of Black displacement on the show before, including Lake Lanier and District Six.   

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Listener stories of traveling with a significant other for the first time – for better or for worse. 

Plus: We want to hear your stories about traveling to see an event that you’ve been wanting to experience in person. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave us a message telling us your story. Or better yet, record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

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This abandoned hospital outside Boston, Massachusetts was originally conceived as a place to help people with mental health issues. But it wound up doing a lot of harm.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medfield-state-hospital

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Joe Magarac is a folk hero that allegedly was born from the stories of immigrant steelworkers in the early 20th century. He is the Paul Bunyan of Steel Country. But is the legend of Joe Magarac an American immigrant folk story or is he the product of the imagination of writers and the steel executives?

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Last month, we asked you for stories about your first trips abroad. That really struck a chord – we got too many great stories to fit in a single episode. So today, we’re sharing MORE of your stories from your first international trips. This time we hear about traveling abroad for the first time to Italy, Slovenia, Canada, and Norway.

Plus: We want to hear your stories about traveling to see an event that you’ve been wanting to experience in person. That could be last year’s Olympics in Paris or visiting New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras for the first time. Or something totally different, like going to a special convention with an esoteric concept. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave us a message telling us your story. Or better yet, record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

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For half a century, horse diving was one of Atlantic City’s biggest attractions. One day in August 1964, a young girl attended one of these shows, and witnessed something that would change her life forever. 

Read Diana Hubbell’s story about horse diving in Atlantic City.

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Dylan and producer Johanna take your questions.     

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 send your question via email. 

And if you want to listen to Dylan’s episodes about getting shipwrecked in Antarctica, check out Beechey Island Graves Part I and Part II. 

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