Blog Profile / Atlas Obscura
| URL : | http://atlasobscura.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Lifestyle / Travel | |
| Posts on Regator: | 3966 | |
| Posts / Week: | 19.4 | |
| Archived Since: | June 22, 2009 | |
Blog Post Archive
Atomic Survival Town
In 1955 a series of 14 Nuclear test explosions were set off in the Nevada desert at Yucca Flats. Known as "Operation Teacup" the most memorable part of the tests were the purpose built homes and structures structures set at varying distances...Show More Summary
Sark Dark Sky Island
The tiny Channel Island community of Sark was awarded the distinction of becoming the world’s first Dark Sky Island in 2011, indicating its excellent light-free location for naked eye astronomical observation. The International Dark Sky Association was formed in 1988 in the United States by astronomer Dr. Show More Summary
Aarhus Hjernesamlingen – Aarhus Brain Collection
In 1945, hoping to learn as much as possible from the brains of the mentally ill post-mortem, Denmark established a centralized institute to insure that standardized methods were followed and the findings properly documented. The result...Show More Summary
The Qingping Market
The Qingping Market is one of China's most notorious places. In "glittery Guangzhou" it remains a pocket of grit and grime, despite government efforts to clean it up after the SARS scares of pre-2003. Vendors can be found selling everything...Show More Summary
Hawker's Hut
Despite being the retreat of a clergyman, a visit to Hawker's Hut was probably a pretty good time. Robert Stephen Hawker was vicar of Morwenstow from 1834 to 1875. Regarded as being a good minor poet and ballad writer he is remembered...Show More Summary
Crystal Cave
The difference between Ohio's crystal cave and other more standard caves may not be, at first, apparent. The key difference is that you are not in fact inside cave, so much as wandering within a single rock. Crystal Cave is the world's...Show More Summary
The Long Room Library at Trinity College
Built between 1712 and 1732, the Long Room at Trinity College's Old Library hold the collections 200,000 oldest books. The distinctive and beautiful barrel ceiling was added in 1860 to allow for space for more works when the existing shelves became full. Show More Summary
Barker Ranch
It is easy to think of Charles Manson as simply a mass murderer, and he was surely that. What people tend to forget is that the murders were simply a tactic to bring about Doomsday. The Manson family was first and foremost a Doomsday Cult. Of course when Arlene Barker rented her ranch to them she didn't know that. Show More Summary
Rajneesh invasion Plaque
A small metal plaque can be found outside the Antelope, Oregon post office. It reads: Dedicated to those of this community who throughout the Rajneesh invasion and occupation of 1981-1985 remained, resisted and remembered…. What sounds vaguely like something from a science fiction movie is in fact a testament to a very real cult invasion. Show More Summary
Dresden Codex
The Dresden Codex was named in the tradition of all other codices: not for its point of origin, but for its final resting place. It lives in the Saxon State Library in Dresden, Germany, under glass and above mirrors, allowing for the...Show More Summary
Mayan 2012 Prophecy Carvings
In the year 2012, a particular strain of doomsday predicting (and preparing) swept the world. Aptly named the "Mayan Doomsday," experts and amateurs the world over were debating whether the Maya predicted the end of the world on December 21st. One might guess at the causes of such a craze. Show More Summary
Jonestown Memorial
The Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California is the final resting place of the 412 unclaimed bodies from the Jonestown Massacre, and so it seemed fitting that this would be the location of the official memorial. Despite what seemedShow More Summary
Noah Purifoy's Outdoor Desert Art Museum
Noah Purifoy's Outdoor Desert Art Museum 10 acres of "Environmental Sculptures" in the Mojave desert Set in Joshua Tree, California, Noah Purifoy's "Outdoor Desert Art Museum" is 7.5 acres of open land displaying Purifoy's assemblage sculptures, all created on-site between 1989 and 2004. Show More Summary
Gunkanjima Island
Gunkanjima Island Once the most densely populated place in the world, this island is now a ghost town Few places in the world have a history as odd, or as poignant, as Gunkanjima's. The tiny, fortress-like island (also known as "Hashima") lies just off the coast of Nagasaki. Show More Summary
Socotra Island
Socotra Island The most alien-looking place on Earth. The island of Socotra is part of an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. It is so isolated that a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. Notable are the dragon's blood trees that look like flying saucers perched on trunks. Show More Summary
The Whistling Island
The Whistling Island On La Gomera, "Silbadors" communicate in a 4,000-word language of whistles On the small mountainous island of La Gomera, one of the Canaries, the children speak to each other from miles apart using one of the most unusual languages in the world. Show More Summary
Teylers Museum
Teylers Museum Oldest Museum of the Netherlands is a true cabinet of curiosities Founded with an endowment from a wealthy 18th century cloth and fabric merchant, the Teylers Museum is the oldest museum in the Netherlands, and walking...Show More Summary
Fram Museum
Fram Museum Housing the famous Norwegian ice-defying 19th century polar exploration ship No other ship better symbolizes the age of polar exploration then the Fram. Built originally for Fridtjof Nansen, and reputed to be the strongest...Show More Summary
Loughareema
Loughareema The lake that fills and empties itself at random Situated on the coast road, just a few miles from the seaside town of Ballycastle, "The Vanishing Lake" is a chalk sinkhole that occasionally gets blocked up when peat washes...Show More Summary
Jindo-Modo Landbridge
Jindo-Modo Landbridge Landbridge created by the South Korean version of Moses The story of Moses parting the Red Sea in order to save the Israelites from the Egyptians is well-known. South Koreans have a similar story. Their version is that the Island of Jindo was attacked by vicious tigers. Show More Summary