Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft & Magic

Discover Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft & Magic in Cornwall, England: Hidden amid the picturesque landscape of Cornwall, this museum explores the history of British magical practices.

Bremer Ratskeller

Discover Bremer Ratskeller in Bremen, Germany: One of the oldest wine cellars in Germany is now a restaurant beneath Bremen's town hall.

Dog’s Roasted Sweet Potato Stand

Discover Dog's Roasted Sweet Potato Stand in Sapporo, Japan: The only thing sweeter than the potatoes is the canine proprietor of this roadside stall.

‘The Allegory of California’

Discover 'The Allegory of California' in San Francisco, California: The first fresco Diego Rivera painted in the United States can be found in the former San Francisco Stock Exchange.

St. George’s Church

Discover St. George's Church in Topola, Serbia: The interior of this Serbian royal family's mausoleum is covered with exquisite mosaics.

White Mana Diner

Discover White Mana Diner in Jersey City, New Jersey: This unassuming retro burger joint was billed as “diner of the future” at the 1939 World's Fair.

The ‘House of Tears’

Discover Casa Figueroa in Taxco, Mexico: This "cursed house" features secret rooms, hidden vaults, and dark escape tunnels.

San Xavier Co-op Farm

Discover San Xavier Co-op Farm in Tucson, Arizona: Run by members of the Tohono O'odham Nation, this community farm nurtures traditional desert cultivars.

Moreton Bay Fig Tree

Discover Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Santa Barbara, California: The beautiful behemoth is one of the largest trees of its kind in the United States.

The Franklin Auto Museum

Discover The Franklin Auto Museum in Tucson, Arizona: One of the largest private collections of cars manufactured by the short-lived Franklin Automobile Company.

Muchelney Abbey

Discover Muchelney Abbey in Somerset, England: The ruined abbey includes a rare surviving example of a monastic latrine.

Barrio Bread

Discover Barrio Bread in Tucson, Arizona: From working out of his garage to the James Beard semifinals, one Tucson baker has kept his fan base—and his grains—local.

The Queen Tombstone

Discover The Queen Tombstone in Charleston, Missouri: This curious headstone is labeled simply as "The Queen.".

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Discover Bhaktapur Durbar Square in Bhaktapur, Nepal: The former stronghold of the Malla Dynasty has remained virtually unchanged since the 17th-century.

The Crammer

Discover The Crammer in Devizes, England: Legend says the people of Wiltshire got their "Moonraker" nickname from this small pond.

Statue of Cecilia Valdes

Discover Statue of Cecilia Valdes in Havana, Cuba: Standing in this historic plaza is a statue representing one of Cuba's most iconic literary characters.

Verde Valley Ancestral Garden

Discover Verde Valley Ancestral Garden in Camp Verde, Arizona: Inside this garden, visitors are offered a glimpse into how inhabitants of the region survived centuries ago.

Puscifer the Store

Discover Puscifer the Store in Jerome, Arizona: Inside this store, a mysterious statue draws visitors from the world over.

Oliver’s Fort and the Bloody Ditch

Discover Oliver's Fort and the Bloody Ditch in Wiltshire, England: This ancient fort overlooks the site of a disastrous retreat from the English Civil War.

American Museum of Cutlery

Discover American Museum of Cutlery in Cattaraugus, New York: This edgy museum will whet your appetite for the industrial history of Western New York.

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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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