Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Martinique Liftable Dance Floor

Discover Martinique Liftable Dance Floor in Freudenstadt, Germany: Inside this German disco, visitors can take a literal ride on the dance floor.

Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos

Discover Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos in Brooklyn, New York: A B.Y.O.B. Mexican cantina lives inside one of the last tortilla factories in Brooklyn.

Zaachila Ruins

Discover Zaachila Ruins in Villa de Zaachila, Mexico: You can explore the halls of tombs in the abandoned former capital of the Zapotecs.

Surosowan Palace

Discover Surosowan Palace in Serang, Indonesia: A palace-fortress ruin in Indonesia complete with legends of two magical tigers, eight bathing angels, and a wish-granting cannon.

Hannibal Locks and Dam

Discover Hannibal Locks and Dam in Hannibal, Ohio: This outdoor exhibit features a historic wooden dam once used to help boats navigate the Ohio River.

Bullocks Wilshire

Discover Bullocks Wilshire in Los Angeles, California: The building that housed the high-end department store is now only open to the public once a year.

Sumas Substation

Discover Sumas Substation in Abbotsford, British Columbia: A former electric substation that was converted into a magnificent mansion.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial

Discover Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: America's smallest national park site is the former residence of exiled Polish national hero Thaddeus Kosciuszko.

Epic Seconds

Discover Epic Seconds in Eugene, Oregon: Journey through a bit of nostalgia inside this classic record and video store.

Delaware Delicacies Smokehouse

Discover Delaware Delicacies Smokehouse in Hancock, New York: At this small shop off a dirt road in the forest, the specialty is eel the owner caught and smoked himself.

Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon

Discover Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon in Dubois, Idaho: This giant tower beacon was a key navigation tool for pilots delivering mail amid the night skies.

Curia Arcanum

Discover Curia Arcanum in Austin, Texas: This eclectic Austin curiosity shop is home to all things strange and unusual.

Rock of the Matterhorn

Discover Rock of the Matterhorn in Toronto, Ontario: This half-ton piece of the Alps sits at the base of the CN Tower.

Siamese Twins Exhibit

Discover Siamese Twins Exhibit in Mount Airy, North Carolina: This small exhibit explores the lives of Chang and Eng, the first known conjoined twins.

Wellington Monument

Discover Wellington Monument in London, England: This once-controversial and slightly confusing statue of Achilles was built out of captured cannons.

‘Dreaming Spires’

Discover 'Dreaming Spires' in Edinburgh, Scotland: Poetic, metallic giraffes adorn a square off an Edinburgh thoroughfare.

System Source Computer Museum

Discover System Source Computer Museum in Cockeysville, Maryland: Its diverse collection of computers and technology spans the ages.

Aquis Querquennis

Discover Aquis Querquennis in Bande, Spain: In Spain, the ruins of a Roman military camp sit along a flooded section of a river.

Carpinteria Valley Museum

Discover Carpinteria Valley Museum in Carpinteria, California: Its vast collection details the history of this Santa Barbara beach town.

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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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