Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Chankonabe Shinzan

Discover Chankonabe Shinzan in Tokyo, Japan: Sidle into a side alley for a taste of sumo wrestlers' traditional hot-pot soup, in a tiny restaurant founded by a former competitor.

Plimoth Plantation

Discover Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts: Since 1947, this living history museum has been providing an immersive look at life in Plymouth Colony.

Museo del Calzado (Footwear Museum)

Discover Museo del Calzado (Footwear Museum) in Mexico City, Mexico: This covert museum showcases booties worn by a rescue dog and slippers owned by Queen Elizabeth II.

Barney Ford Museum

Discover Barney Ford Museum in Breckenridge, Colorado: The home of a formerly enslaved man who went on to become a prospector, entrepreneur, and activist for Black rights.

The Churchill Arms

Discover The Churchill Arms in London, England: This pub was 238 years old when it decided to revamp its image: It started serving Thai food.

Abandoned Textile Factory

Discover Abandoned Textile Factory in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria: The social hall of this former factory is a Communist-era time capsule.

Vaile Mansion

Discover Vaile Mansion in Independence, Missouri: A remarkably opulent mansion with a tragic history.

Tulip Stairs

Discover Tulip Stairs in London, England: The first geometric self-supporting spiral stairs in Britain are a truly beautiful sight.

The Bingham-Waggoner Estate

Discover The Bingham-Waggoner Estate in Independence, Missouri: This mansion was made famous by its colorful cast of owners and location along the Sante Fe Trail.

The Manningtree Ox

Discover The Manningtree Ox in Essex, England: This sculpture pays homage to Shakespeare and his reference to a Manningtree tradition.

Caldwell Historic Jail & Museum

Discover Caldwell Historic Jail & Museum in Caldwell, Ohio: Constructed in 1882, this jail once housed local inmates and the sheriff's family all under one roof.

Seiberling Mansion

Discover Seiberling Mansion in Kokomo, Indiana: An opulent testament to the boom-and-bust history of industry in north central Indiana.

Road Island Diner

Discover Road Island Diner in Oakley, Utah: What's a diner from the 1939 World's Fair doing in a remote Utah mountain town?

Kinema in the Woods

Discover Kinema in the Woods in Lincolnshire, England: This century-old cinema is complete with musical interludes and boasts a rare projection system.

West End Architectural Salvage

Discover West End Architectural Salvage in Des Moines, Iowa: Piled high inside this warehouse and coffee shop are salvaged goods that span every corner of the globe.

The Egg

Discover The Egg in Beirut, Lebanon: This modernist cinema has survived war and reconstruction to become a symbol of Lebanon’s revolutionary spirit.

Peter Scott’s Shoes

Discover Peter Scott's Shoes in Woodhall Spa, England: This tiny shoe shop claims to be the smallest store of its kind in Britain.

Dragsholm Castle

Discover Dragsholm Castle in Hørve, Denmark: Considered one of the most haunted places in Europe, this 800-year-old castle was home to noble prisoners.

Sampson-Clark Toll House

Discover Sampson-Clark Toll House in Export, Pennsylvania: This restored log building was one of the first toll booths for travelers along the Northern Turnpike.

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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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