Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Barberville Yard Art Emporium

Discover Barberville Yard Art Emporium in Pierson, Florida: This kitschy curio wonderland is full of fake animals, teak tables, and a cacophony of random bric-a-brac.

Casa Goofy International

Discover Casa Goofy International in Tucson, Arizona: This scrap yard doubles as a naive art gallery full of found art and farm animals.

Troll Haven

Discover Troll Haven in Sequim, Washington: A magical sanctuary of mythological statuary.

‘Independent Republic’ of Hualqui

Discover 'Independent Republic' of Hualqui in Hualqui, Chile: Despite being of the most short-lived republics in history, this small Chilean town won’t forget its two days of independence.

Grand Midway Hotel

Discover Grand Midway Hotel in Windber, Pennsylvania: An occult-y, historic hotel with the World's Largest Ouija board on the roof.

Washington Park Wall

Discover Washington Park Wall in Brooklyn, New York: The unassuming structure was part of a Major League Baseball stadium.

Washington Memorial Chapel

Discover Washington Memorial Chapel in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania: An eccentric priest's tribute to George Washington, this chapel tells the story of the American Revolution.

Ruins of Holyrood Church

Discover Ruins of Holyrood Church in Southampton, England: Now a memorial to merchant sailors and Titanic victims, this medieval church was destroyed by bombing raids in 1940.

Rifle Sight Notch

Discover Rifle Sight Notch in Winter Park, Colorado: This old train trestle and collapsed tunnel once allowed the railroad to negotiate the steep slopes of the Colorado Rockies.

St. Kilda Pier Penguin Colony

Discover St. Kilda Pier Penguin Colony in St Kilda, Australia: You'll find the little birds tucked within the rocks of this Australian beach.

Tiny Town

Discover Tiny Town in Hot Springs, Arkansas: Everything in this miniature world was handmade from matches, paperclips, wires, tin cans, and other everyday objects.

Maynard Street Parking Garage Signs

Discover Maynard Street Parking Garage Signs in Ann Arbor, Michigan: Its floors are marked by colorful cues depicting Michigan's native fauna.

Ancient Merv

Discover Ancient Merv in Merv, Turkmenistan: This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.

Memphis Mansion

Discover Memphis Mansion in Randers, Denmark: An Elvis superfan built Denmark's own version of Graceland.

Dunkle’s Gulf Service

Discover Dunkle's Gulf Service in Bedford, Pennsylvania: This Art Deco service station has been providing tune-ups and turning heads for close to a century.

Statue of Guy the Gorilla

Discover Statue of Guy the Gorilla in London, England: A sculpture of a famous ape who was once a beloved household name in London.

Luna de Xelajú

Discover Luna de Xelajú in Queens, New York: Deliciousness abounds at a Guatemalan restaurant masquerading as a pizzeria.

Libyan Desert Diorama

Discover Libyan Desert Diorama in New York, New York: This poignant display is now a memorial to these regionally extinct species.

Heart of the Rocks Loop

Discover Heart of the Rocks Loop in Willcox, Arizona: Hike the unusual hoodoos and rock formations that form this little-known natural wonder.

Mount Tabor

Discover Mount Tabor in Shibli, Israel: This dome-shaped mountain boasts amazing views and has a rich religious history.

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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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