Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Henderson House

Discover Henderson House in Falls Church, Virginia: The former home of Dr. E.B. Henderson, also known as the "Father of Black Basketball.".

Fredrick Douglass Mural

Discover Fredrick Douglass Mural in Edinburgh, Scotland: A building-sized painting of the renowned 19th-century American abolitionist.

The Remains of Hell Point

Discover The Remains of Hell Point in Annapolis, Maryland: Just outside the Naval Academy, Hell Point is a historical marker that could easily be the point where failed students wait for the bus.

Berbera Shipwrecks

Discover Berbera Shipwrecks in Berbera, Somalia: A surprising number of shipwrecks visible just off the Somaliland coast.

Clitheroe Castle

Discover Clitheroe Castle in Clitheroe, England: The second smallest castle keep in England.

Paricutin Volcano

Discover Paricutin Volcano in Angahuan, Mexico: Climb and walk into the crater of one of the youngest volcanoes on Earth.

Wolf Road Prairie

Discover Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois: One of the finest examples of a black soil prairie that was barely saved by the Great Depression.

Rottingdean Wishing Stone

Discover Rottingdean Wishing Stone in Rottingdean, England: According to local folklore, this odd face on a wall of Rudyard Kipling's former home can bring visitors a bit of luck.

Moor Abbey

Discover Moor Abbey in Riverview, Ireland: The remains of a 13th-century Franciscan friary have survived multiple attempts at destruction, most recently in 1921.

Hildeville

Discover Hildeville in Hanover, Pennsylvania: These small house replicas have stood proudly since the 1950s, even as the property has changed hands.

Brandymore Castle

Discover Brandymore Castle in Arlington, Virginia: This "castle" is actually a limestone and quartz formation hidden along a trail.

Roman Tomb Köln-Weiden

Discover Roman Tomb Köln-Weiden in Cologne, Germany: The final resting place for a wealthy Roman family, this tomb might be the best preserved of its kind outside Italy.

Troll Falls

Discover Troll Falls in Kananaskis, Alberta: A stone troll guards the hike that leads to this waterfall.

Site of Alice’s Restaurant

Discover Site of Alice's Restaurant in Stockbridge, Massachusetts: You can get anything you want at the former site of the restaurant immortalized by Arlo Guthrie.

Whistle Stop Restaurant

Discover Whistle Stop Restaurant in Monon, Indiana: Train cars and railroad artifacts abound at this restaurant devoted to railway history.

Paris Mint

Discover Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) in Paris, France: The oldest continuously operating mint in the world that has been making coins since the 9th-century.

It’s All Good Bakery

Discover It's All Good Bakery in Oakland, California: This bakery sits on the site of the Black Panther Party's first headquarters.

Raithaane

Discover Raithaane in Lalitpur, Nepal: This restaurant preserves and serves lesser-known and regional Nepali food.

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

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