Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Durham’s Hidden Dinosaur

Discover Durham's Hidden Dinosaur in Durham, North Carolina: Don't be surprised if you see a long-necked dinosaur peeking out from among the trees in Northgate Park.

Musée d’art Moderne St Just D’Ardeche

Discover Musée d'art Moderne St Just D'Ardeche in Saint-Just-d'Ardèche, France: This massive and eclectic collection is filled with thousands of sculptures, masks, and assemblages.

Dorich House Museum

Discover Dorich House Museum in London, England: This Art Deco house is home to the world's largest collection of Dora Gordine's paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

Gustave Whitehead Fountain

Discover Gustave Whitehead Fountain in Bridgeport, Connecticut: This monument commemorates an aeronaut who allegedly flew a plane before the Wright brothers.

Tiki Murph

Discover Tiki Murph in Milford, Delaware: Live chainsaw carvings of tiki statues aim to keep a tradition with ancient roots alive in this small Delaware town.

Egyptian Museum of Turin

Discover Egyptian Museum of Turin in Turin, Italy: One of the oldest and most significant collections of Ancient Egyptian archeology outside of Egypt.

Hacksaw Ridge

Discover Hacksaw Ridge in Okinawa, Japan: A World War II battle site made famous by one man's heroic actions.

The Obscuratorium

Discover The Obscuratorium in Port Richey, Florida: An author's private collection of quirky travel-trinkets and oddities has become a rotating mini-museum in the window of a local bookstore.

Merrill Fountain

Discover Merrill Fountain in Detroit, Michigan: This elaborately-carved white marble fountain was built to stand outside the Detroit Opera House.

John Brown Monument

Discover John Brown Monument in Akron, Ohio: A moving tribute to a leader of the American abolitionist movement.

Jünger-Haus Wilflingen

Discover Jünger-Haus Wilflingen in Langenenslingen, Germany: The former home of Ernst Jünger, an eccentric German novelist, philosopher, entomologist, and psychonaut.

Fern Ridge Unit

Discover Fern Ridge Unit in Elkader, Iowa: This tiny site in Iowa, part of a patchwork national wildlife refuge, is home to ancient flora and fauna.

Sawley Abbey

Discover Sawley Abbey in Sawley, England: The last two abbots of this monastery were both executed by Henry VIII.

Thunder Dome Car Museum

Discover Thunder Dome Car Museum in Enumclaw, Washington: A sun-filled museum featuring an ever-rotating collection of classic and exotic cars.

The Wreck of the Dorcas Pendell

Discover The Wreck of the Dorcas Pendell in Harbor Beach, Michigan: An easy-to-reach, century-old shipwreck in shallow and crystal clear waters.

The Dolphin Fountain

Discover The Dolphin Fountain in Melbourne, Australia: Somewhat controversial when first unveiled, this gathering of sea creatures has become a hidden gem.

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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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