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.

The Mothman!

September 22, 2026 00:17:34 3.49 MB ( 13.36 MB less) Downloads: 0

Today we venture (with flashlights on) into the TNT area, a vast abandoned munitions factory in Point Pleasant, West Virginia – where, in the 1960s, people started reporting sightings of a strange, winged creature with red glowing eyes. The creature became known as “the Mothman,” and these sightings generated a legend that has since inspired books, movies, an annual culture, and a thriving Mothman subculture in Point Pleasant. This episode is brought to you in partnership with West Virginia Tourism. 

For more information on the annual Mothman festival: https://www.mothmanfestival.com/ 

Trying to see the Mothman yourself? Our guest today Sherri Brake has you covered: https://www.hauntedhistory.net/mothman-haunted-history-walk-of-point-pleasant.html 

In the mood for scary stories and places? We’ve got a list for you: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/guide-to-halloween-travel 


 


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.