Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The World’s Oldest Football

Discover The World's Oldest Football in Stirling, Scotland: Tucked away in this local museum is a piece of sporting equipment that dates to the 16th-century.

Lake Havasu Lighthouses

Discover Lake Havasu Lighthouses in Lake Havasu City, Arizona: More than 25 fully functional scale replicas of famous lighthouses dot the shores of Lake Havasu.

Grey Towers Castle

Discover Grey Towers Castle in Glenside, Pennsylvania: Designed by Horace Trumbauer in 1893, this Gothic-style castle is now a home for academics.

The Golden Hand Sculpture

Discover The Golden Hand Sculpture in Mansfield, England: Constructed 20 years ago, this sculpture is slowly fading to the hands of time.

Pooseum

Discover Pooseum in Richmond, Australia: A small museum dedicated to taking the taboo out of all things related to poo.

The Footlight Club

Discover The Footlight Club in Boston, Massachusetts: America’s oldest community theater, this Boston club has been in operation since 1877.

Cataract General Store

Discover Cataract General Store in Spencer, Indiana: Both funky and traditional, it's the oldest of its kind in Indiana.

Sagano Scenic Railway

Discover Sagano Scenic Railway in Kyoto, Japan: A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

Batad Rice Paddies

Discover Batad Rice Paddies in Banaue, Philippines: These tiered rice paddies were carved into the hillsides 2,000 years ago.

The Whale of Zena Valley

Discover La Balena della Val di Zena in Pianoro, Italy: A great white whale sculpture now sits in the location where the remains of a prehistoric cetacean were found.

1912 Herschell-Spillman Carousel

Discover 1912 Herschell-Spillman Carousel in Ocean City, Maryland: One of the oldest active carousels in the country—but it might be missed by all but the keenest-eyed boardwalk strollers.

Saint John Maroon Church

Discover Saint John Maroon Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone: One of the most important Krio heritage sites in the country.

Gloucester Waterways Museum

Discover Gloucester Waterways Museum in Gloucester, England: This fantastic museum honors Gloucester waterway heritage.

Art & History Museums of Maitland

Discover Art & History Museums of Maitland in Maitland, Florida: This historical art colony is adorned with thousands of hand-carved concrete sculptures in the Mayan Revival style.

The Bastion & Thieves Pot

Discover The Bastion & Thieves Pot in Stirling, Scotland: Hidden in this modern shopping center is a relic of 16th-century capital punishment.

Prairie Observatory

Discover Prairie Observatory in Oakland, Illinois: An abandoned observatory in the middle of the Illinois prairie.

Giant Lady’s Leg Sundial

Discover Giant Lady's Leg Sundial in Lake Village, Indiana: A unique outdoor timepiece at a "clothing-optional" resort.

Esztergomi szénrakodó

Discover Esztergomi szénrakodó in Esztergom, Hungary: An abandoned cable car station located on the Danube stands like a haunted house above the river.

Seaham Hall Beach

Discover Seaham Hall Beach in Seaham, England: For decades, a bottle factory dumped their waste into these waters—now it's considered the best sea glass beach in England.

Texas Broadcast Museum

Discover Texas Broadcast Museum in Kilgore, Texas: A collection of obscure and vintage equipment used for television, film, and radio.

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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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