Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Oyster Sidewalk

Discover Oyster Sidewalk in New Orleans, Louisiana: After the oysters have been shucked, and the restaurant's been shuttered, the terrazzo sidewalk from the 1940s is all that remains.

Amsterdam’s Resistance Museum

Hidden weapons, secret radios, and anti-Nazi literature were just a few of the tools used by the Dutch resistance during World War II.

Australia’s Creationist Dinosaur Museum

Discover Jurassic Ark in Bells Bridge, Australia: A museum in rural Queensland wrongly claims that dinosaur fossils possess evidence that the earth is only 10,000 years old.

Sunkenkirk

Discover Sunkenkirk in Cumbria, England: One of the best-preserved, yet least visited stone circle sites in Cumbria.

Kankan Jizō

Discover Kankan Jizō in Tokyo, Japan: Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

The Bremer Car

Discover The Bremer Car in London, England: Likely the first car with an internal combustion engine constructed in the United Kingdom.

Legato School Museum

Discover Legato School Museum in Fairfax, Virginia: The last of Fairfax County's one-room schoolhouses.

Hermit’s Castle

Discover Hermit's Castle in Achmelvich, Scotland: Believed to be the smallest castle in Europe.

Doris Duke’s Pet Cemetery

Discover Doris Duke's Pet Cemetery in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey: A billionaire heiress' menagerie of animals were lovingly laid to rest on the grounds of her former estate.

The Weeks Estate

Discover The Weeks Estate in Lancaster, New Hampshire: The summer estate of John Weeks offers dazzling views and a moose captured by Theodore Roosevelt.

Pink Dolphin Monument

Discover Pink Dolphin Monument in Galveston, Texas: This little dolphin is the first monument dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community in the southern United States.

The Roman Bath

Discover The Roman Bath in York, England: The remains of an ancient bathhouse sit inside this aptly-named pub.

Holmes Mill

Discover Holmes Mill in Clitheroe, England: This historic former textile mill now houses a brewery, hotel, and what's believed to be the longest bar in the United Kingdom.

The Tower of Wisdom

Discover Torre della Sapienza (Tower of Wisdom) in Averara, Italy: This enigmatic piece of art is a mnemonic device from the early Renaissance.

Ojo de la Vaca

Discover Ojo de la Vaca in Santa Fe, New Mexico: An old water station with a few abandoned structures from the early 1900s.

‘Pollution’

Discover 'Pollution' in Kingston, Ontario: This sculpture was made in 1973 for the city's 300th-anniversary celebrations and was largely considered an eyesore at the time.

The Cows of Ventspils

Discover The Cows of Ventspils in Ventspils, Latvia: The Latvian city of Ventspils is filled with dozens of cow statues showcasing unique themes.

Menu

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

PP ToS