Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Delamar Ghost Town

Discover Delamar Ghost Town in Caliente, Nevada: The eerie ruins of an isolated abandoned town nicknamed "the Widowmaker" for its deadly gold mine.

Whiston Manorial Barn

Discover Whiston Manorial Barn in Whiston, England: In England, a barn-turned-wedding venue dates back to the 13th century.

McCurdy Smokehouse

Discover McCurdy Smokehouse in Lubec, Maine: This waterfront museum in Maine is dedicated to the history of the smoked-herring trade.

Beer Quarry Caves

Discover Beer Quarry Caves in Beer, England: This Roman quarry once held secret masses and smuggler's contraband and is now home to rare species of bats.

Castles of Ida Grove

Discover Castles of Ida Grove in Ida Grove, Iowa: An eclectic assortment of medieval architecture in a small Iowa town.

Los Rincones de Mérida

The Spanish colonists who settled the Yucatán city of Mérida laid it out as a numbered grid, but many early residents found meeting at “36/61” an overly confusing way of navigating the city. To simplify things, almost every corner in the historic …

Einstein Fountain

Discover Einstein Fountain in Ulm, Germany: Albert Einstein's head sticks out of a snail shell stacked on a rocket in this truly bizarre monument to the scientist.

Redwood Forest Tree Art

Discover Redwood Forest Tree Art in East Warburton, Australia: Woven tree art gives this towering Australian woodland a touch of mystical whimsy.

Scuola Grande di San Marco

Discover Scuola Grande di San Marco in Venice, Italy: The marble facade hides a little-known medical museum with early surgical instruments and rare copies of canonical texts.

The Annual Burning of Benedict Arnold

Discover Annual Burning of Benedict Arnold in New London, Connecticut: New London, Connecticut still holds a grudge against its hometown son who turned traitor and burned the city.

A Carousel for Missoula

Discover A Carousel for Missoula in Missoula, Montana: A classic carnival ride that was carved to be untouchable.

James Baldwin’s House in France

Discover James Baldwin's House in France in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France: The writer took refuge in this home in Southern France for the last 17 years of his life.

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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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