Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Round Building

Discover The Round Building in Hope Valley, England: This petite cutlery factory sits on the foundations of a defunct gasworks.

Heritage USA

Discover Heritage USA in Fort Mill, South Carolina: A Christian-themed amusement park and complex rocked by scandals.

Philbert the Pig

Discover Philbert the Pig in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: This beloved marketplace mascot poops money and grants good luck.

Grange Lido

Discover Grange Lido in Grange-over-Sands, England: Abandoned for over 20 years, this art deco seaside swimming pool is a magnificent waste.

Bhamala Stupa

Discover Bhamala Stupa in Pambala, Pakistan: A 2nd-century stupa home to one of the world's oldest statues of the Buddha.

African Elephants Diorama

Discover African Elephants Diorama in New York, New York: This magnificent herd of stampeding elephants has been frozen in time for over a century.

Cerro Gordo

Discover Cerro Gordo in Keeler, California: A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate.

Train Robbers’ Bridge

Discover Bridego Bridge in Ledburn, England: The site of the notorious Great Train Robbery of £2.6 million, one of the biggest heists in English history.

The Hempcrete House

Discover The Hempcrete House in Tarpon Springs, Florida: Florida’s first home built with eco-friendly hempcrete.

Paltzerian

Discover Paltzerian in Öjebyn, Sweden: A tiny village is home to the world's only diner completely devoted to the many varieties of traditional Swedish dumplings.

2nd Street Coffee House

Discover 2nd Street Coffee House in Tillamook, Oregon: Stepping inside this coffee shop is a journey through time.

Atlanta’s Trap Music Museum

Discover Trap Music Museum in Atlanta, Georgia: A provocative museum dedicated to the genre and the harsh realities that inspired its origins.

Fleet Air Arm Memorial

Discover Fleet Air Arm Memorial in London, England: A haunting monument dedicated to the Royal Naval Air Service and the Fleet Air Arm.

Dvořák Room

Discover Dvořák Room in New York, New York: A small piece of the composer's New York home lives on in the center of Czech culture in Manhattan.

Akureyri Heart-Shaped Traffic Lights

Discover Akureyri Heart-Shaped Traffic Lights in Akureyri, Iceland: Instead of solid circles, the stoplights in this northern Icelandic town have glowing red hearts.

11-Year-Old Mozart Statue

Discover 11-Year-Old Mozart Statue in Brno, Czechia: This strange statue depicts a young boy's body with an adult Mozart's head and a single wing.

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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

PP ToS