Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Socialist Hall

Discover Socialist Hall in Butte, Montana: One of the last socialist halls still standing in the United States.

Neidhart Frescoes

Discover Neidhart Frescoes in Vienna, Austria: A glimpse into the festive and private lives of medieval Europe.

St Seiroil’s Well

Discover St Seiroil's Well in Beaumaris, Wales: A holy well believed to have healing powers.

California School for the Blind

Discover California School for the Blind in Fremont, California: Sporting Brutalist architecture, this school is hidden amid a quiet suburban neighborhood.

Vermont Toy Museum

Discover Vermont Toy Museum in Hartford, Vermont: Inside this community-run museum, visitors are treated to the history of toys and games.

Brady Bunch Home

Discover Brady Bunch Home in Los Angeles, California: The exterior of this home was used for the hit television show, The Brady Bunch.

Foxton Locks

Discover Foxton Locks in Foxton, England: The longest and steepest staircase locks in the United Kingdom.

Andong Hahoe Folk Village

Discover Andong Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, South Korea: A traditional village rooted in the Joseon Dynasty.

Show Your Stripes

Discover Show Your Stripes in San Jose, California: Anyone can control this glittery light installation with just a phone call.

Secret Weapon Bunker

Discover Secret Weapon Bunker in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Nearly three tons of weapons from the Vietnam War still remain in this small, hidden museum.

Pinnacle Knob Fire Tower

Discover Pinnacle Knob Fire Tower in Keyser, West Virginia: This former fire tower found new life as a communications hub complete with a scenic overlook.

Enchanted Forest

Discover Enchanted Forest in Whitethorn, California: A grove of "candelabra redwoods" deep in California's Lost Coast.

Church of Agia Kyriaki

Discover Church of Agia Kyriaki in Athens, Greece: A tiny Greek Orthodox church from the Ottoman era hides on a busy city street.

‘The Colleen Bawn’ Bust

Discover 'The Colleen Bawn' Bust in Tiervarna, Ireland: A monument to a 19th-century Irish woman whose murder inspired several literary works.

‘The Babies’

Discover 'The Babies' in Palm Springs, California: Instead of faces, these sculptures have barcodes—statements on societal dehumanization.

Moqui Cave

Discover Moqui Cave in Kanab, Utah: This ancient cave is home to a museum, bar, and is filled with fluorescent minerals.

Prospect Hill Tower

Discover Prospect Hill Tower in Somerville, Massachusetts: This tower commemorates the spot where George Washington hoisted the Grand Union flag.

Castell Aberlleiniog

Discover Castell Aberlleiniog in Llangoed, Wales: A little-known castle set in a nature reserve.

Skulptur i Pilane

Discover Skulptur i Pilane in Pilane, Sweden: This Swedish sculpture park is a unique combination of ancient ruins and modern art.

Hermitage of San Giovanni all’Orfento

Discover Hermitage of San Giovanni all'Orfento in Caramanico Terme, Italy: You can only access this hermitage by crawling under a ledge suspended above an overhang.

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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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