Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Me Little Brudder Memorial

Discover Me Little Brudder Memorial in Creeragh, Ireland: A small memorial commemorates a man who died at Kilkee Cliffs.

Statue of Abraham Lincoln at Lytle Park

Discover Statue of Abraham Lincoln at Lytle Park in Cincinnati, Ohio: One of the few beardless depictions of Lincoln, George Grey Barnard's 1917 was denounced by many—including Lincoln's own son.

The Divided Church at Kreuzbichl

Discover Geteilte Kirche am Kreuzbichl (Divided Church) in Gmünd in Kärnten, Austria: A road runs through the middle of this small Austrian chapel.

The Museum of Sketches

Discover Skissernas Museum in Lund, Sweden: House in a university's former gym, this museum focuses on the artistic creative process.

Horatio Alger House

Discover Horatio Alger House in Natick, Massachusetts: The American author whose "rags-to-riches" stories were popular during the Gilded Age.

Vénus de Quinipily

Discover Vénus de Quinipily in Baud, France: Despite the name, this ancient statue of uncertain origins is unlikely to represent the Roman goddess Venus.

Fashion Island Wind Chimes

Discover Fashion Island Wind Chimes in Newport Beach, California: These were the largest wind chimes in the world when artist Tom Van Sant created them for a California mall in 1967.

‘Spirit of the Marathon’

Discover 'Spirit of the Marathon' in Hopkinton, Massachusetts: A monument to the winner of the 1946 Boston Marathon, Greek runner Stylianos Kyriakides.

‘The Boules Player’

Discover 'The Boules Player' in Leeds, England: This sculpture celebrates a boules tournament and the link between Leeds and its twin city Lille.

Mission San Xavier Del Bac

Discover Mission San Xavier Del Bac in Tucson, Arizona: This church on a Tohono O'Odham reservation has stood since 1797.

Brotherhood Bridge Fireweed Field

Discover Brotherhood Bridge Fireweed Field in Juneau, Alaska: Every summer, the Mendenhall River greenbelt comes alive with an explosion of magenta flowers.

Finger Lakes Drive-In

Discover Finger Lakes Drive-In in Auburn, New York: Opened in 1947, this is the oldest continuously-operating drive-in theater in New York.

Smallest Gothic Window in Bruges

Discover Smallest Gothic Window in Bruges in Bruges, Belgium: You can spot this teeny tiny stained-glass window from the Bonifacius bridge.

Fort Churchill

Discover Fort Churchill in Silver Springs, Nevada: The ruins of a military outpost from the 1860s form the centerpiece of a Nevada state park.

Salem Art Works

Discover Salem Art Works in Salem, New York: This sprawling art park is filled with sculptures, nature trails, and art workshops.

Everard t’Serclaes Monument

Discover Everard t'Serclaes Monument in Brussels, Belgium: A shining memorial to a Belgian hero is said to bring luck to anyone who touches it.

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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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