Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Fruitlands Museum

Discover Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts: Utopia and nostalgia mingle at the site of Bronson Alcott's ill-fated agrarian commune.

Kaweah Post Office

Discover Kaweah Post Office in Three Rivers, California: This small shack near the entrance to Sequoia National Park has been in almost continuous operation for the last century.

The Maiden of Deception Pass

Discover The Maiden of Deception Pass in Rosario Beach, Washington: This statue and its surrounding plaques tells the story of Ko-kwal-alwoot and the kinship between the Samish people and the sea.

Cementerio Santa Ifigenia

Discover Cementerio Santa Ifigenia in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba: A tomb in this cemetery holds soil from every country in Latin America.

The Mountains of the Moon

Located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Rwenzori Mountains are legendary for their beauty and biodiversity. But they are threatened by the changing climate.

Airmail Arrow

Discover Airmail Arrow in Reno, Nevada: A concrete arrow from a 1920s network of airmail beacons is still preserved at the western edge of suburban Reno.

The Scythe Tree

Discover The Scythe Tree in Waterloo, New York: A rusted blade sticks out from the trunk of this tree, left as a memorial to a young man who left to fight in the Civil War but never returned home.

Lynde House Museum

Discover Lynde House Museum in Whitby, Ontario: One of Whitby's first homes is now a showcase of the lifestyle of early Canadian families.

Dhigurashu Thun’di (Long Beach)

Discover Dhigurashu Thun'di (Long Beach) in Dhigurah, Maldives: A narrow, serpentine spit of sand is constantly eroded and rebuilt by competing currents.

Henry Chadwick’s Grave

Discover Henry Chadwick's Grave in Brooklyn, New York: The real "father of baseball" rests in Brooklyn.

Dharavandhoo Fish Market

Discover Dharavandhoo Fish Market in Dharavandhoo, Maldives: When the sun sets, the customers arrive—but they’re not human.

Gishora Drum Sanctuary

Discover Gishora Drum Sanctuary in Gishora, Burundi: This century-old site established by King Mwezi Gisabo preserves the art of Burundi's ancient drum rituals.

Melanin Cafe

Discover Melanin Cafe in Opelika, Alabama: At this coffee shop, each drink celebrates African-American history and luminaries.

Barshaw Park

Discover Barshaw Park in Paisley, Scotland: A Paisley park where little has changed since its early 20th-century creation.

Maryland Watermen’s Monument

Discover Maryland Watermen's Monument in Grasonville, Maryland: This statue of two men in a rowboat was erected to honor those who died while fishing in the Chesapeake Bay.

Back Lot

Discover Back Lot in West Hollywood, California: Peek inside Howard Hughes' garage at this Hollywood-themed art installation.

Bridge to Nowhere, Manawatu-Wanganui

Discover Bridge to Nowhere, Manawatu-Wanganui in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand: This bridge was designed to connect a road that never came to fruition.

Faces Bridge

Discover Faces Bridge in Loveland, Colorado: A surprising collection of bronze faces beneath a bridge in Loveland.

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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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