Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Mohawk Chapel

Discover Mohawk Chapel in Brantford, Ontario: The 18th-century church's stained-glass windows tell the story of the Haudenosaunee people.

The Baked Potato Jazz Club

Discover The Baked Potato Jazz Club in Los Angeles, California: From sax to spuds, get 'em all at this landmark music establishment.

Water Dragons of Kew Gardens

Discover Water Dragons of Kew Gardens in London, England: These docile dragons are ideal inhabitants for the conservatory greenhouses.

The First Heinz Pickle Charm

Discover The First Heinz Pickle Charm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The souvenir got the company’s founder out of a pretty pickle at the World’s Fair.

Monte Scherbelino (Rubble Hill)

Discover Monte Scherbelino (Rubble Hill) in Stuttgart, Germany: This natural hill rose another 130 feet from the debris and rubble added after World War II.

Quilt Walk Memorial Park

Discover Quilt Walk Memorial Park in Panguitch, Utah: If it wasn’t for an innovative use of quilts during a crisis, the city of Panguitch might not exist today.

Geodetic Center of North America

Discover Geodetic Center of North America in Osborne, Kansas: This lesser-known geographic marker was the reference point for all surveys of the continent for 75 years.

Libassa Ecolodge

Discover Libassa Ecolodge in Marshall, Liberia: This Liberian resort offers comfort, ecofriendly hospitality, and a mission of sustainability.

Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial

Discover Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in Royalton, Vermont: An obelisk marks the farmhouse where the founder of Mormonism was born.

London Tower Bridge Replica

Discover London Tower Bridge Replica in Suzhou, China: The Chinese have long been excellent at the art of copying, but this epic replica takes the biscuit.

Camp Verde to Payson Mail Route Memorial

Discover Camp Verde to Payson Mail Route Memorial in Payson, Arizona: The handsome statue is a tribute to the post riders who traversed 52 miles of tough Arizona terrain.

Filoli

Discover Filoli in Woodside, California: This old-world mansion with lush gardens is a gem in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Museo José Guadalupe Posada

Discover Museo José Guadalupe Posada in Aguascalientes, Mexico: A museum dedicated to the famous Mexican illustrator's iconic calaveras.

Rusk County Youth Expo Center

Discover Rusk County Youth Expo Center in Henderson, Texas: Your one-stop-shop for antique tractor shows and emotional paintings of children championing livestock.

The Walking Students of Ibi

Discover The Walking Students of Ibi in Ibi, Spain: Oversized versions of a beloved toy dot a children's playground in a Spanish toymaking town.

Archibald Dickson Memorial

Discover Archibald Dickson Memorial in Alicante, Spain: A monument at Alicante Marina honors a little-known hero of the Spanish Civil War.

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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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