Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Raven Café

Discover The Raven Café in Port Huron, Michigan: Located in a Civil War era building, this café is engrained with the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe.

Snow White Cafe

Discover Snow White Cafe in Los Angeles, California: This Hollywood dive houses a mural painted by the artists who animated its namesake film.

Strutt’s North Mill

Discover Strutt's North Mill in Belper, England: This industrial gem was one of the earliest examples of a metal-framed building.

Isla Mujeres Sea-View Cemetery

Discover Isla Mujeres Sea-View Cemetery in Isla Mujeres, Mexico: An island graveyard with spectacular views of the Caribbean.

Larry Berg Flight Path Park

Discover Larry Berg Flight Path Park in Richmond, British Columbia: An ideal location for plane spotting in British Columbia.

Rodolfo Morales Municipal Palace Mural

Discover Rodolfo Morales Municipal Palace Mural in Ocotlán de Morelos, Mexico: A little-known hall almost completely covered in art by the beloved local painter.

‘Eleven ‘O’ One’

Discover 'Eleven 'O' One' in Seaham, England: Locals affectionately dubbed this World War I memorial "Tommy.".

Pine State Creamery Butter Churn

Discover Pine State Creamery Butter Churn in Raleigh, North Carolina: A giant cement churn carries the legacy of American resilience, unity, and greed.

The Spruces

Discover The Spruces in Williamstown, Massachusetts: This abandoned neighborhood is now a park filled with beautiful trees, wildflowers, and hints of its past.

Waterloopbos

Discover Waterloopbos in Marknesse, Netherlands: This former hydraulic laboratory is now a woodland dotted with old engineering models.

Sumbiling Eco Village

Discover Sumbiling Eco Village in Batang Duri, Brunei: A remote lodge nestled among some of the world's best-preserved rainforests.

El Clan Destino

Discover El Clan Destino in Paris, France: The storefront of a ramshackle Parisian puppet theater.

Mary A. Whalen Oil Tanker

Discover Mary A. Whalen Oil Tanker in Brooklyn, New York: A retired oil tanker now offering amazing views of New York City.

Brady C Jefcoat Museum

Discover Brady C Jefcoat Museum in Murfreesboro, North Carolina: A vast collection of everyday items amassed by one man.

American Writers Museum

Discover American Writers Museum in Chicago, Illinois: Small and slightly hidden, the American Writers Museum is preserving the legacy of America's finest authors.

St. Patrick’s Basilica

Discover St. Patrick's Basilica in Montreal, Québec: Its columns were all carved from the same white oak tree.

Duboce Bikeway Mural

Discover Duboce Bikeway Mural in San Francisco, California: This painted marvel is San Francisco's 400-foot ode to urban biking.

The Bears of Gobelins

Discover The Bears of Gobelins in Paris, France: During the summer months, giant teddy bears take over Paris near Les Gobelins metro station.

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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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