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This Italian Town Really, Really Likes Ocarinas
Long before “The Legend of Zelda,” Budrio made ocarinas into a global phenomenon. For thousands of years, humans across the world have played music using some version of the ocarina, a rounded wind...
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A Surprising New Tail From Jurassic China
The discovery of a fossil species suggests that the story of birds started about 20 million years earlier than we thought. One hundred and fifty million years ago, the swamps of Fujian province in...
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Jump Shots at 6,000 Feet: Inside Oaxaca's Love of Hoops
Every year, thousands of Indigenous athletes flock to a small mountain town for "el honor del competir." “A-TE-PEC! A-TE-PEC! A-TE-PEC!” It was loud enough in the gymnasium to make one’s eardrums hurt....
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Titanic's Legacy: Our Favorite Reads
The world's fastest glacier, Chartreuse jelly, and other stories connected to the doomed ocean liner. Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg. What happened next...
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Cracking Open Evolution’s Black Box on 'Lizard Island'
On an island in South Florida, scientists use trials to see how natural selection drives evolution in real time. This story was originally published on The Conversation. It appears here under a...
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A Guide to the Gingers of the World
It's spicier than you might expect. This article is adapted from the April 16, 2025, edition of Gastro Obscura’s Favorite Things newsletter. You can sign up here. You might be surprised to learn that...
View ArticleDear Atlas: Can You Recommend Haunted Accommodations for Paranormal Enthusiasts?
Test your nerves at these purportedly paranormal-plagued hotels and homes. Dear Atlas is Atlas Obscura’s travel advice column, answering the questions you won’t find in traditional guidebooks. Have a...
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In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
For a century, Norwegians have practiced the dark and cozy phenomenon of Påskekrim. “Bergen train robbed in the night!” The newspaper headline was dramatic, and the story equally so: As travelers in...
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Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
Toxicologist Liz Dauncey invites you to admire the marvels of plants (carefully). AO Wants to Know is an ongoing interview series where we ask experts in extraordinary subjects to share their knowledge...
View ArticleDear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
Go beyond the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in the City of Lights. Dear Atlas is Atlas Obscura’s travel advice column, answering the questions you won’t find in traditional guidebooks. Have a question...
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How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
The history behind Decoy’s iconic duck is rooted in craftsmanship. The original 1985 Decoy label. Courtesy of Duckhorn Vineyards Along the sun-dappled hills of Sonoma County, where salt air from the...
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Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
Professional magician Siegfried Tieber performs extraordinary feats with everyday objects. AO Wants to Know is an ongoing interview series where we ask experts in extraordinary subjects to share their...
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In Ancient Bulgaria, the Tombs of the Elite Were Filled With Golden Treasures
Maybe you can take it with you. The reign of Seuthes III began with blood and strife. The Odrysian Kingdom of Thrace, which made up much of the territory of modern-day Bulgaria, had been invaded by...
View ArticleDear Atlas: How Can I Explore My Hometown Like a Tourist?
You next adventure might be right outside your door. Dear Atlas is Atlas Obscura’s travel advice column, answering the questions you won’t find in traditional guidebooks. Have a question for our...
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Rodeos, Star Parties, and Festivals: Your Guide to Colorado’s Magical Summer...
These are the block parties and summer shindigs Coloradans spend all year looking forward to. When summer arrives in Colorado, and the whole state seems to burst into bloom, there’s a sense of euphoria...
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Salt & Straw Wants You to Create Your Own Ice Cream Flavors
In his new cookbook, Tyler Malek wants you—yes, you!—to go off-script with fish sauce caramel and pandan cilantro scoops. In the eighth century, as Arab Muslims landed on the island of Sicily, they...
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Wyoming’s Sacred Landscapes: A Journey Through Native American History
High-spirited powwows, wild horses, ancient carvings, and figures that changed the course of history. The peaks of the Wind River Range rise and fall like the rhythm of a heartbeat against the vast...
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We Visited the Dino Bodega in (Jurassic) Park Slope
Unearth prehistoric wares like Trilo-bites, Snarlboros, and The Maul Street Journal at Rex’s Dino Store. A long time ago, when dinosaurs roamed New York—long before smartphones, Ubers, and LinkNYC...
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