Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Banks Lake

Discover Banks Lake in Mold, Washington: Every drop of water in this 27-mile long reservoir was pumped up from the Columbia River using power from Grand Coulee Dam.

Antonov An-24

Discover Antonov An-24 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: This massive piece of aviation history calls this residential neighborhood home.

Wallace and Gromit Statue

Discover Wallace and Gromit Statue in Lancashire, England: Everyone's favorite clay duo immortalized in bronze.

Balibó Fort

Discover Balibó Fort in Balibo, East Timor: A colonial-era fort with panoramic views across the East Timor-West Timor border, now home to a hotel.

‘La Leçon’ (‘The Lesson’)

Discover ‘La Leçon’ (‘The Lesson’) in Montreal, Québec: Immortalized in bronze, this frazzled student will be glued to his screen for centuries.

Lythe Mill

Discover Lythe Mill in Foss, England: The ruins of a 19th-century corn mill are haunted by a malevolent cave-dwelling spirit.

Castello Pozzi

Discover Castello Pozzi in Milan, Italy: A larger-than-life house of cards stands outside the house of a former fashion designer.

Old Mulgrave Castle

Discover Old Mulgrave Castle in Whitby, England: This historic castle was already in ruins by the 13th century.

Earthquake House

Discover Earthquake House in Comrie, Scotland: The site of the world's first modern seismometer.

Yul Brynner Monument

Discover Yul Brynner Monument in Vladivostok, Russia: A tribute to a Hollywood icon far from Tinseltown.

Canberra Holodomor Memorial

Discover Canberra Holodomor Memorial in Canberra, Australia: A memorial that honors the victims of a tragedy in Ukraine.

Fred Rogers Memorial

Discover Fred Rogers Memorial in Latrobe, Pennsylvania: A bronze statue of Mister Rogers in the neighborhood where he grew up.

Aiea Cemetery

Discover Aiea Cemetery in Aiea, Hawaii: A unique collection of Western and Japanese-style graves.

‘Cornucopia’

Discover 'Cornucopia' in Leeds, England: Winner of the Leeds Award for Architecture and the Environment.

Matianuck Natural Area Preserve

Discover Matianuck Natural Area Preserve in Bloomfield, Connecticut: Sand dunes from a glacial lake are preserved in this woodland park.

Site of the Rhoads Opera House Fire

Discover Site of the Rhoads Opera House Fire in Boyertown, Pennsylvania: The site of a tragedy in 1908 that claimed the lives of 171 people and changed fire safety laws across the state.

Biltmore McDonald’s

Discover Biltmore McDonald's in Asheville, North Carolina: Classy up your Big Mac with bow-tied servers and chandeliers at the world's fanciest McDonald's.

Biddenden Maids

Discover Biddenden Maids in Biddenden, England: Eliza and Mary Chulkhurst were the first famous conjoined twins in England, but it's not clear when they were born.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 474 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 499 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 633 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 135 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 167 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 96 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 166

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