Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Garneau Theatre

Discover Garneau Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta: This is one of the last remaining theatres in Canada to feature an Art Moderne architectural style.

Heartbreak Hotel

Discover Heartbreak Hotel in Kenansville, Florida: It's believed Elvis Presley was inspired to write his breakthrough track after staying here.

The Big Worm

Discover The Big Worm in Brasília, Brazil: This kilometer-long university building is an unexpected architectural delight.

Barrio de Guadalupe Street Art

Discover Barrio de Guadalupe Street Art in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: Colonial architecture meets urban art in this sprawling open-air gallery.

Boule aux Rats

Discover Boule aux Rats in Carpentras, France: This mysterious sculpture was thought to symbolize a world ravaged by misery.

Luckenbooths

Discover Luckenbooths in Edinburgh, Scotland: Brass bricks outline the locations of Edinburgh's lost, lively market stalls.

Big Kids Sculptures

Discover Big Kids Sculptures in Memphis, Tennessee: Alongside this Memphis trail are several sculptures that show trail-goers how to relax.

Giantess Cave

Discover Giantess Cave in Keflavík, Iceland: A popular Icelandic children's story comes to life inside this cave.

Wharton Iron Furnace

Discover Wharton Iron Furnace in Farmington, Pennsylvania: This historic furnace was once used to produce cannonballs during the Civil War.

Stone Waterfall

Discover Stone Waterfall in Salgótarján, Slovakia: Inside the Šomoška National Nature Reserve exists a unique rock formation rarely seen in the world.

Hand of Druon Antigoon

Discover Hand of Druon Antigoon in Antwerp, Belgium: The legendary giant's severed hand sits on Antwerp's popular shopping street.

Torrance High School

Discover Torrance High School in Torrance, California: One of California's oldest continually used high schools has an interesting history, both on and off screen.

KokoMantis

Discover KokoMantis in Kokomo, Indiana: Along this stretch of Indiana roadway resides a giant insect composed entirely of scrap metal.

Johnsonville Village

Discover Johnsonville Village in East Haddam, Connecticut: This picturesque Victorian ghost town was once a thriving mill community.

The Outsiders House Museum

Discover The Outsiders House Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma: Once in disrepair, the house where the 1983 film was shot has been restored and turned into a museum.

Brooksbrae Brick Factory

Discover Brooksbrae Brick Factory in Manchester Township, New Jersey: Hidden deep within New Jersey Pine Barrens is a massive graffiti wonderland.

I-4 Dead Zone

Discover I-4 Dead Zone in Sanford, Florida: This stretch of highway is said to be haunted by ghosts of settlers whose graves were paved over.

Museum of Package Culture

Discover Museum of Package Culture in Tokyo, Japan: Discover the past, present, and future of packaging in this unique Japanese 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