Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Javier Puerta Museum of Anatomy

Discover Javier Puerta Museum of Anatomy in Madrid, Spain: One of the world's oldest universities houses an incredible collection of anatomical models, mummified body parts, and human bones.

O’Brien Submarine Museum

Discover O'Brien Submarine Museum in Valdivia, Chile: A 300-foot-long Cold War submarine floats in a Chilean River as a maritime museum.

German Colonial Museum

Discover German Colonial Museum in Frutillar, Chile: A sliver of 19th-century Germany sits on the shore of a Chilean lake.

Parable With Skull

Discover Podobenství s Lebkou (Parable With Skull) in Prague, Czechia: An existential riddle in the world's largest ancient castle.

Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park

Discover Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park in University Park, Illinois: A sprawling museum filled with larger-than-life works of art.

Underwater Boston Tea Party

Discover Underwater Boston Tea Party in Somerville, Massachusetts: A little Lego easter egg is hidden underwater in the Boston Tea Party tableau at Miniland.

Maine State Prison Showroom

Discover Maine State Prison Showroom in Thomaston, Maine: Trinkets and toys lovingly handmade by maximum security prisoners.

The White Spring of Glastonbury

Discover The White Spring in Glastonbury, England: A dark Victorian well house now plays host to mystical waters and pagan shrines.

Mystic Falls Park

Discover Mystic Falls Park in Las Vegas, Nevada: This vintage animatronics show is the Vegas version of a walk through the woods.

Museum of Energy

Discover Museum of Energy in Istanbul, Turkey: This shuttered power plant is now Turkey's first industrial archaeology museum.

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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