Author: Ms. R.

Octopus-shaped slides are very common in children’s playgrounds across Japan, popular for their whimsical, maze-like designs. Installed by the Maeda Company in the 1960s, the tako-no-yama or “octopus mountain” spawned a brood of hundreds of similar slides around Tokyo and beyond in the next decades, and there is even one of those in Copenhagen today. But debates arise when it comes to which park was the trailblazer of this trend. According to the most popular theory, the first octopus slide……

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A centerpiece of historical Bristol, England, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, more commonly known as St. Mary Redcliffe, is a breathtaking Gothic structure with intricate stone carvings and stained glass. The church has been standing for eight centuries and was even called “The fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England” by Queen Elizabeth I. But beyond its architectural marvels, the church holds a secret: a 15th-century whalebone. Tucked away in the church’s St. John’s Chapel, the……

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According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), more than 2.9 million people traveled by air in the United States on the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2023—more than on any day in the history of the airplane. That number broke a record set less than five months earlier, on the Friday before the Fourth of July, and the new record may not last long: Industry analysts predict the Friday before Christmas 2003 will be another blockbuster. So we took a trip……

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Located on a side street of the central square in the town of Eger, Hungary this five-room museum showcases the works of a legendary confectioner. Lajos Kopcsik holds the title of “Most culinary art awards won at the same competition” in the Guinness Book of World Records for his 10 Clover Leaf medals at the IKA/Culinary Olympics in Berlin. Here, the maestro displays his prowess with more than 150 fantastical creations all wrought in marzipan. There are famous paintings, sculptures,……

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Every distinguishing feature of a language—its sounds, cadences, and grammatical patterns—was shaped over time as each language developed. Volume is no exception. In new research, scientists analyzed around 346,000 words from about 5,000 languages and dialects and calculated each language’s average “sonority.” Sonority is a measure that can partially be understood as loudness, though it also includes how resonant a word is. For example, a word with lots of vowels like “mouth” has a bigger and rounder sound that……

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Tucked away on a dirt road roughly a half-hour drive from San Juan, Frutos del Guacabo is a farm-to-fork experience that celebrates Puerto Rico’s biodiversity. Opened in 2010, allows visitors to visit the different growing areas of the island farm, from greenhouse to animal pastures, and experience native fruits, herbs and vegetables in a bucolic setting with various options for tastings. Visitors can opt for a one- or two-hour tour through the grounds, during which you’ll feed goats and……

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For tens of thousands of years, humans have seen dogs as guardians, hunters, and companions. Coast Salish peoples—Salish-speaking Indigenous groups in Washington state and British Columbia—bred packs of fluffy white dogs with curly tails and pointed ears as part of the family, but with another purpose in mind. “Woolly dogs” looked a bit like modern spitz breeds such as Samoyeds, American Eskimo dogs, or Shiba Inus, with long, mountain goat–like hair. They were bred and kept for grooming or……

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Right around the corner from the shopping hub of South Street is Anastacia’s Antiques, filled with ornate and sometimes macabre curiosities, such as Victorian oddities and vintage medical memorabilia.  In addition to antique furniture, lamps, and eerily chiming cuckoo clocks, the store has a plethora of ephemera from the Victorian age, ranging from postcards (some blank, some filled with memories of times gone by), repair receipts from a railyard, and other vintage pamphlets. Fans of unusual photography will love……

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Though it is considered one of the most beautiful streets in Spain, Pasaje de Lodares is not exactly a street. Located in the heart of Albacete between Tinte and Mayor streets, Pasaje de Lodares is a narrow passageway filled with businesses and apartments. Constructed between 1925 and 1929, this emblematic passage represents a blend of modernist and eclectic architectural styles, designed by architects Justo Millán and Pedro Cerdán. The façade of Pasaje de Lodares is adorned with floral motifs, sculptures,……

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Contrary to some beliefs, Native history and culture cannot be reduced to a reaction to first contact. Nations would intermingle, migrate, share cultural practices, and fight with each other and with the European settlers. At the ruins of El Cuartelejo, the northeasternmost pueblo in what is now the United States, is an important touchstone that linked southwest and plains cultures. In the 1600s, the area of Kansas near what is now Scott City was home to a band of……

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Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst (“Nuremberg grilled sausage”). This is a specific type of German sausage that can only be made within the city of Nuremberg. The recipe is said to date back more than 700 years. They’re smaller than the average German sausage, typically about as thick as a finger, and made from pork spiced with mace, pepper, and marjoram. This cute little museum is filled with stories. While you cannot buy the……

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Right about now, the countdown towards Christmas—and the gift-giving frenzy—starts to get serious. But here at Atlas Obscura, we don’t want to bequeath just any generic or personality-lacking present. Because you want to show thoughtful consideration for every unique person in your life, here are some gifts that range from quizzical to downright bizarre. Including ancient Viking games, chunks of the universe, and an edible ostrich egg, these ideas are carefully curated by our exploration-addicted staff. And if you’re……

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