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.
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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
Easy Italian: Learn Italian with real conversations | Imparare l'italiano con conversazioni reali
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The Smallest Mollusk Museum (Classic)
The Smallest Mollusk Museum in New York City is part of a fleet of tiny museums that might just have a big impact on the world.
Living on Mars
Kelly and Zach Weinersmith walk Dylan through the practicalities of making a home on the red planet. Check out their book A City on Mars everywhere books are sold.
The South's Hidden Confessional
Outside the French Quarter lies Hidden South, an antique shop like any other. And hidden amongst the oddities is a bathroom full of secrets.
Aftel Archive of Curious Scents
Producer Alexa Lim visits a collection of natural aromas in Berkeley, California. She gets a whiff of some of the world’s lesser known smells, and stumbles down the rabbit hole of the hidden world of scents.
Bessie Stringfield, Motorcycle Queen of Miami
In the 1930s and 1940s, a young Black woman named Bessie Stringfield decided she’d strike out on her own and hit the road – and ended up crisscrossing the United States eight times, and becoming the first Black woman to ride a motorcycle through each of the lower 48 states. If she ran out of money, she’d join a circus. If she couldn’t find a place to stay, she’d sleep out under the stars. Read more about Bessie Stringfield in this Atlas Obscura article by Natalie Zarrelli. Check out the work of cartoonist Joel Christian Gill online.
The Divorce Colony (Classic)
For a brief period the small frontier city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota drew in socialites and celebrities who were desperate to end their marriages.For more stories from the Divorce Colony, check out April White's book: The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier.
The Hogs of Ossabaw Island
Reporter Diana Hubbell brings us to an island off the coast of Georgia, and tells Dylan the story of an eccentric heiress, a daring mission, and the fight for North America’s most unusual pig.Read Diana’s James Beard Award-winning article called “Saving the Hogs of Ossabaw Island.”
Skinny Houses
Producer Talon Stradley takes us on a tour of three skinny houses – each with a big story inside. Do these skinny houses have you curious about spite houses? Check out that episode here.
A Visit to the Reptile Super Show with Jacob Wysocki
Comedian, actor, and podcaster Jacob Wysocki takes Dylan on a tour of a very special expo: The Reptile Super Show! Listen to Jacob’s full experience at the Reptile Super Show (and his journey to other expos) here.
The Places We Loved and Lost
We’re bringing you stories about places that you can no longer visit – this time we have stories about a hometown hangout spot, a beloved amusement park, a mural building in Queens, and a disappearing natural wonder. Plus: We want to know about places that give you the creeps. Places that get under your skin and give you that eerie feeling. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.
The Stanley Hotel (Classic)
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Phone Booth on a Roof (Classic)
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The Most (and Least) Accessible Travel Destinations with Cory Lee
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Spruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing
The small mountain town of Spruce Pine provides nearly all of the ultra-pure quartz used to make the world’s semiconductors. When Hurricane Helene nearly wiped out the mines, it provided a stark wake-up call. Journalist Ed Conway joins Dylan to discuss what we can learn from this near-miss. Check out more of Ed Conway’s reporting and subscribe to his Substack here. To support disaster relief efforts in North Carolina, you can donate to vetted organizations here or here.
Screeching Like Seagulls
A group of seagull lovers in Belgium wants you to sympathize with these birds… by sounding just like them.