Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Mount Eden

Discover Maungawhau (Mount Eden) in Auckland, New Zealand: The platform atop this verdant volcano was built with the help of a royal elephant.

University of Minnesota Shoe Tree

Discover University of Minnesota Shoe Tree in Minneapolis, Minnesota: No one's quite sure where this quirky university tradition originated.

Santa’s Workshop

Discover Santa's Workshop in Wilmington, New York: A hamlet full of permanent Christmas spirit holds one of the earliest theme parks in the United States.

American Gothic Barn

Discover American Gothic Barn in Mount Vernon, Iowa: A hidden barn-sized rendition of Grant Wood's most famous, and most parodied, painting.

Tumbleweed Snowman

Discover Tumbleweed Snowman in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Albuquerque found the perfect use for tumbleweeds at Christmastime.

Byurakan Observatory

Discover Byurakan Observatory in Byurakan, Armenia: Armenia's premier center of astrophysical research was established during the Soviet era.

Towers of Bologna

Discover Towers of Bologna in Bologna, Italy: Over 100 towers were built in Bologna during the Middle Ages, but only 22 survive.

Gelert’s Grave

Discover Gelert's Grave in Gwynedd, Wales: A tiny village in Wales claims the name of a noble medieval hound slain for a crime he didn't commit.

The City of Windcatchers

Discover Dolat Abad Windcatcher in Yazd, Iran: Long before air conditioning, Persian architects found an ingenious way to cool off.

B-36 Bomber Crash Site

Discover B-36 Bomber Crash Site in El Paso, Texas: The wreckage of a crash that killed nine people still litters the Franklin Mountains.

Museum of the Flat Earth

Discover Museum of the Flat Earth in Seldom, Newfoundland and Labrador: This quirky museum will make you question everything, including the shape of the planet.

Edward Mooney House

Discover Edward Mooney House in New York, New York: Built just after the American Revolution, the oldest row house in New York City still stands in Chinatown.

The USS Orleck

Discover The USS Orleck in Lake Charles, Louisiana: After serving in Vietnam, Korea, and even a stint in the Turkish navy, the unique ship is now open as a museum.

Menu

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