Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Face Rock

Discover Face Rock in Bandon, Oregon: According to legend, this rock represents a young girl trapped by an evil ocean spirit.

Tobin Range (Pearce) Scarps

Discover Tobin Range (Pearce) Scarps in Winnemucca, Nevada: The strongest earthquake in Nevada's recorded history left these spectacular breaks along the west front of a range in central Nevada.

The Slave Port of Bimbia

Discover The Slave Port of Bimbia in Bimbia, Cameroon: Buried deep in the forest near Limbe, this little known slave port became the point of no return for 10 percent of enslaved Africans.

Elizabeth Blackwell’s Grave

Discover Elizabeth Blackwell's Grave in Kilmun, Scotland: The first woman in America to receive a medical degree.

Woodville School

Discover Woodville School in Gloucester, Virginia: One of the few remaining Rosenwald Schools left in Virginia.

‘The Walking Man’

Discover 'The Walking Man' in Annapolis, Maryland: A touching tribute to a local hero who made sure his neighborhood stayed clean.

Skater Girls Mailbox

Discover Skater Girls Mailbox in Bratislava, Slovakia: Although a work of public art, this sculpture is still very much a functioning mailbox.

Kamuy Kotan

Discover Kamuy Kotan in Asahikawa, Japan: The various potholes in this region are said to be the footprints of the evil Ninekamuy.

Northern Cattle Market Wall

Discover Northern Cattle Market Wall in Parkville, Australia: A unique reminder of the once-bustling cattle market during the 19th-century.

Church of the Holy Parking Structure

Discover Church of the Holy Parking Structure in Cleveland, Ohio: On the upper deck of this church-owned parking garage stand eight pillars topped with different Catholic saints.

Table 31 at Tam O’Shanter

Discover Table 31 at Tam O’Shanter in Los Angeles, California: Sit at the "Disney table,” where Walt and his team of "imagineers" once dined on the regular.

Sapphire City House

Discover Sapphire City House in Somerville, Massachusetts: A home decorated by its owner with eye-catching and captivating assemblages of found objects.

Eiffel Tower Park

Discover Eiffel Tower Park in Paris, Tennessee: A 70-foot replica of the famed Eiffel Tower.

Talking Trash Cans of Malmö

Discover Talking Trash Cans of Malmö in Malmö, Sweden: These waste baskets play a few risque messages to discourage littering.

Virginia City Flume

Discover Virginia City Flume in Carson City, Nevada: Ruins of the original wooden flume that carried water to Virginia City are still visible high on the Virginia Range.

Vacation City

Discover Perlora Ciudad de Vacaciones (Vacation City) in Perlora Ciudad de Vacaciones, Spain: The closed and crumbling Francoist luxury resort for workers is still full of life—for now.

Caffé REL

Discover Caffé REL in Franklin, North Carolina: Step past the gas pumps and into a fine French bistro.

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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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