Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Gregangelo Museum

Discover Gregangelo Museum in San Francisco, California: A 1920s home transformed into an immersive art experience, where every room is a portal to another realm.

Ohakune Carrot

Discover Ohakune Carrot in Ohakune, New Zealand: The largest model carrot in the world.

Kushtarajagala Statue

Discover Kushtarajagala Statue in Weligama, Sri Lanka: Does this 10-foot-tall statue carved into a rock face depict a king afflicted by a skin condition or a Buddhist figure?

Saint Croix Island National Historic Site

Discover Saint Croix Island National Historic Site in Calais, Maine: A shoreline exhibit describing the disastrous first attempt by the French to colonize North America.

East Broad Top Railroad

Discover East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill, Pennsylvania: Catch a ride through the Pennsylvania countryside on this historic narrow-gauge railroad.

Shipwreck Museum

Discover Shipwreck Museum in Hastings, England: From battleships to Roman vessels, this museum explores the depths of shipwrecks in the region.

Eight-Hour-Day Monument

Discover Eight-Hour-Day Monument in Melbourne, Australia: Monument to commemorate the ideal eight-hour working day with “eight hours labour, eight hours rest and eight hours recreation”.

Buckner Mansion

Discover Buckner Mansion in New Orleans, Louisiana: This Garden District mansion was built to be bigger and grander than its original owner's former partner turned rival.

The Press Room

Discover The Press Room in New York, New York: Home to a dizzying array of letterpress blocks with a rich history.

The Discovery Tree

Discover The Discovery Tree in Big Trees, California: California's longest-running tourist attraction is a stump.

Dalhalla

Discover Dalhalla in Rättvik, Sweden: The unique design of this former quarry provides ideal acoustics for concerts.

Hahn’s Peak Lookout

Discover Hahn’s Peak Lookout in Clark, Colorado: A long and winding trail through history led to the current iteration of this mountaintop tower.

Ruins at Coco Mat Athens B.C. Hotel

Discover Ruins at Coco Mat Athens B.C. Hotel in Athens, Greece: When construction began on this hotel, developers were surprised to find the ruins of an ancient civilization.

Mar Chiquita

Discover Mar Chiquita in Manatí, Puerto Rico: Enjoy the waters of this half-moon-shaped natural pool surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

The Box Shop

Discover The Box Shop in San Francisco, California: Overflowing with shipping containers, this location has been transformed into a massive workspace for artists.

Edinburgh Meat Market

Discover Edinburgh Meat Market in Edinburgh, Scotland: The lasting remains of a bygone era of open-air meat markets.

Devil’s Throat

Discover Devil's Throat in Bunkerville, Nevada: An unexpected sinkhole in a desert flat within Gold Butte National Monument.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 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. 480 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. 514 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. 642 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. 137 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. 172 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). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 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. 98 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. 168

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