Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Pickwick Theatre

Discover Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge, Illinois: A towering Art Deco movie palace made to look like a Mayan temple.

Gainsborough Old Hall

Discover Gainsborough Old Hall in Gainsborough, England: A medieval relic whose great hall once hosted Mayflower pilgrims, one of Henry VIII’s ill-fated wives, and plenty of royal intrigue.

Tatami-ishi (Tatami Rocks)

Discover Tatami-ishi (Tatami Rocks) in Kumejima-chō, Japan: Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

San Thome Basilica

Discover San Thome Basilica in Chennai, India: This Gothic-style church is reputedly built atop the remains of one of Jesus's apostles.

Secret Entrance to the White House

Discover Secret Entrance to the White House in Washington, D.C.: The winding route passes through an enclosed alleyway, two tunnels, and leads to the White House basement.

Durham Obelisk

Discover Durham Obelisk in Durham, England: An abandoned tower once used to study the cosmos hides within a thicket of greenery.

Five Elm Arches

Discover Five Elm Arches in Woodstock, Vermont: An artist sees trees as a medium for sculpture.

‘Ladies of the Evening’ Marker

Discover 'Ladies of the Evening' Marker in Nevada City, California: Hidden in a hotel parking lot is a strange historical plaque erected by an obscure fraternal society.

The Pink Castle

Castle d'Oultremont was dyed pink as part of a now-abandoned children's theme park.

Ruins of Loropéni

Discover Ruins of Loropéni in Poni, Burkina Faso: These mysterious 1,000-year-old walls have revealed little about their past.

Oswald’s Bear Ranch

Discover Oswald's Bear Ranch in Newberry, Michigan: Two dozen rescued bears roam (mostly) free at the largest bear ranch in the U.S.

Statue of Rover

Discover Statue of Rover in Hartford, Connecticut: A tribute to the truly loyal dog who waited outside a hospital for his owner to come back.

The First of Abraham Lincoln’s Many Tombs

Discover Abraham Lincoln's Receiving Vault in Springfield, Illinois: The original vault that held the president's remains still stands, empty, not far from where he was finally buried.

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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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