Archives: Atlas Obscuras

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.

Himmelsweiher (Sky Ponds)

Discover Himmelsweiher (Sky Ponds) in Augsburg, Germany: In the city forest of Augsburg are oval, artificial ponds formed from a World War II bombing campaign.

The Old Apple Warehouse

Discover The Old Apple Warehouse in Kettle Falls, Washington: An early 20th-century fruit warehouse home of an artistic and cultural renaissance in northeastern Washington.

Ungurmuiža Manor

Discover Ungurmuiža Manor in Ungurmuiža, Latvia: One of the best-preserved wooden manor houses in Latvia, decorated with painted interior walls.

Harley Davidson Monument

Discover Harley Davidson Monument in Littleport, England: An unlikely connection between a little English town and the most famous brand of American motorcycles.

Blue Blazes Whiskey Still

Discover Blue Blazes Whiskey Still in Thurmont, Maryland: Unannounced visitors are now welcome at the site of the largest Prohibition-era bootlegging operation in the region.

Aungier Street Lidl Archaeology

Discover Aungier Street Lidl Archaeology in Dublin, Ireland: This supermarket offers shoppers a window into the past alongside their groceries.

Sleeping Giant Observation Tower

Discover Sleeping Giant Observation Tower in Hamden, Connecticut: Amazing views of Long Island Sound can be seen from this mountaintop tower.

Willamette Stone Heritage Park

Discover Willamette Stone Heritage Park in Portland, Oregon: Hidden in Portland’s West Hills, a 170-year-old marker literally stakes out the Pacific Northwest.

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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

PP ToS