Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Sydenstricker Schoolhouse

Discover Sydenstricker Schoolhouse in Springfield, Virginia: The last early 20th-century schoolhouse in Fairfax County has galvanized the community and engendered a spirit of service among residents.

Old Town Mall

Discover Old Town Mall in Baltimore, Maryland: Once a thriving business district, this former shopping area is now an urban ghost town in the heart of the city.

Krushuna Falls

Discover Krushuna Falls in Bulgaria: These cascading falls resonate throughout the Bulgarian forest.

Hallwylska Museet (Hallwyl Museum)

Discover Hallwylska Museet (Hallwyl Museum) in Stockholm, Sweden: The 19th-century home of Count and Countess von Hallwyl is now a museum.

Battle of Brownstown

Discover Battle of Brownstown in Rockwood, Michigan: Although outnumbered, the Tecumseh Confederacy defeated a large regiment of United States troops.

Sardis

Discover Sardis in Salihli, Turkey: These ruins once made up the capital of Lydia, which minted the oldest coins in the world.

The Doug Sanders Golf Museum

Discover The Doug Sanders Golf Museum in Cedartown, Georgia: This museum honors one of Cedartown's favorite sons.

Allan Hills

Discover Allan Hills in Antarctica: An ice field known for harboring an infamous Martian meteorite turned out to contain the oldest air on Earth.

Times Square Station Fake Tiles

Discover Times Square Station Fake Tiles in New York, New York: Fake subway tiles were installed to cover a design that resembled the Confederate flag—it's unclear if the resemblance was intentional.

Harmon Museum

Discover Harmon Museum in Lebanon, Ohio: This 30,000 square-foot museum is home to an extensive collection of art and artifacts that reflect the history of southwest Ohio.

Braddock Road Cannon

Discover Braddock Road Cannon in Alexandria, Virginia: This cannon dating to 1755 has stood guard at this suburban intersection since 1915.

Fred’s Flying Circus

Discover Fred's Flying Circus in Grand Island, Nebraska: Whimsical cartoon cars suspended on posts soar over an automotive shop.

Free Expression Tunnel

Discover Free Expression Tunnel in Raleigh, North Carolina: In a pedestrian tunnel on North Carolina State’s campus resides an expressive and artistic free-for-all.

Swansea Devil

Discover Swansea Devil in Swansea, Wales: A turn of the century prophecy comes true when a mischievous wooden Devil, watches the neighboring church burn to the ground.

Passy Cemetery

Discover Passy Cemetery in Paris, France: A short distance from the Eiffel Tower is the final resting place of several of the city’s more well-known and interesting characters.

Army Ant Guests Exhibit

Discover Army Ant Guests Exhibit in Mansfield, Connecticut: A giant ant model welcomes visitors to an exhibit about symbiotic organisms that live with army ant colonies.

Broulee Canoe Tree

Discover Broulee Canoe Tree in Broulee, Australia: This tree, with its large oval-shaped scar, is a rare piece of Aboriginal cultural history.

Arizona Sake

Discover Arizona Sake in Holbrook, Arizona: One man handcrafts "the best sake made outside of Japan" in a tiny desert town on Route 66.

Carnforth Coke Ovens

Discover Carnforth Coke Ovens in Carnforth, England: These early 19th-century kilns were used to make coke, a key Ingredient in steel production.

Bob Wills Museum

Discover Bob Wills Museum in Turkey, Texas: A small museum dedicated to the king of Western swing.

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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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