Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Santa’s Mailbox

Discover Santa’s Mailbox in Nuuk, Greenland: Thousands of letters to Santa get delivered to this mailbox in Greenland.

The Carousel Capital of the World

Discover Carousel Capital of the World in Johnson City, New York: The Binghamton area is home to six of the last remaining hand-carved vintage carousels.

Battle of the Elms

Discover Battle of the Elms in Stockholm, Sweden: The scars of a remarkably organized public protest to save 13 elm trees are still visible in this Stockholm park.

The Sarnoff Collection

Discover The Sarnoff Collection in Ewing Township, New Jersey: A surprising museum of 20th-century technology.

Asheville’s Drum Circle

Discover Pritchard Park Drum Circle in Asheville, North Carolina: Every week, a festive public jam session breaks out in downtown Asheville.

Petrified Wood Gallery

Discover Petrified Wood Gallery in Ogallala, Nebraska: A fascinating collection of art made from petrified wood and fossils by two octogenarian twin brothers.

Cougar Annie’s Garden

Discover Cougar Annie's Garden in Boat Basin, British Columbia: Cougar Annie earned her nickname after shooting 60 cougars over the years as well as 80 black bears who threatened her garden.

Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Asheville

Discover Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina: This rare basilica nestled right in downtown Asheville is an architectural marvel, inside and out.

Biblioteca de México

Discover Biblioteca de México in Mexico City, Mexico: This "City of Books" holds a museum, library, and the complete personal book collections of five of Mexico's greatest thinkers.

Roman Wharf Timber

Discover Roman Wharf Timber in London, England: The 2,000-year-old beam is tucked within the pedestrian entrance to the old London Bridge.

Capital Transit Co. Streetcar Barn

Discover Capital Transit Co. Streetcar Barn in Washington, D.C.: Before Metro, Washington had a robust streetcar network—and you see the remains of this infrastructure if you know where to look.

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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