Author: Ms. R.

I had to be careful not to jostle the large bird too much—its enormous tail feathers splayed like a fan and wobbled with every move—as I hoisted it into my van. It took fifteen minutes and a designated pulley cart, but my husband and I finally managed to navigate the feathered turkey across a busy street, past throngs of people watching with bemused delight, and into the vehicle. Though this turkey is pre-stuffed, we had no intention of putting……

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This sprawling cemetery, which dates back to 1855, is the final resting place of more than 78,000. But it’s best known for a series of spine-tingling rumors and allegations of occult activity.  In the middle of this cemetery is a large grave site only accessible by foot that some call the Witch’s Circle. You must walk through a path surrounded by a savannah until you stumble across the grave marked A.S. Cole. The family was once one of the……

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The Zama car factory, once Nissan’s most advanced assembly plant, now houses mostly assembly technology development operations and a collection of 400 Nissan vehicles. Visits are arranged around timed tours which occur several times per day. The tour begins with a video detailing the history of the factory complex. (Narration is in Japanese with English subtitles.) After the video, a metal door is rolled up to reveal a huge hall filled with hundreds of cars. Visitors can choose to……

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When in Rome, you should do as the Romans do. But when you’re in Tacoma, you can also do as the Romans do, as you walk up a historic staircase in order to ascend the Old City Hall district. Tacoma’s Spanish Steps are modeled after the more famous set in Rome. Rome’s Spanish Steps, or Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, were completed in 1725, with construction overseen by the Pope and influenced by the Bourbon dynasty of France, connecting……

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Atlas Obscura’s Wondersky columnist Rebecca Boyle is an award-winning science journalist and author of the upcoming Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are (January 2024, Random House). She regularly shares the stories and secrets of our wondrous night sky. The night sky is something we all share, for free, forever. You really don’t need any tools to behold the beauty of the stars and other planets. Equipped with your……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. A few weeks ago, our staff here at Atlas Obscura put out an episode about our traveling expectations—places that blew us away … or were a major letdown. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we get to hear your stories. We’re working on a new slate of episodes like this one that will feature listener stories, and want to hear from you. Tell us……

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In the sleepy town of Garderen, in the middle of the Veluwe is a weird and wondrous place exhibiting a changing selection of sculptures, made of wood, stone, and sand. They are all composed by various artists from across the globe. …

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Since 2014, residents of County Donegal, Ireland, have mounted a remarkable annual gathering: the Tír Chonaill Stone Festival. Founders imagined it as a way of celebrating and continuing traditional stone skills such as dry stone walling and stone carving. Festival attendees leave behind a legacy of stonemasonry, created on site as part of the weekend’s activities, usually taking the form of newly constructed or repaired stone walls and public art pieces. The festival has been held in a variety of……

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When it comes to visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), most people picture the Joint Security Area, the blue buildings where South Korean and North Korean soldiers stare each other down with a border between them. That’s not the only place that tourists can visit though. A place that might be even more interesting is the former American military base known as Camp Greaves, which is now an arts and culture complex. From Imjingak in Paju, show your passport,……

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When we’re little, the world is full of unexplained wonders. From exploding volcanoes to prehistoric dinosaurs, so much of what we encounter as children seems wild and awesome. To keep those curiosities flowing, we at Atlas Obscura handpicked this treasure trove of gifts for explorers young and old. From a wildly popular Viking game to an escape room that fits in the palm of your hand, each of these experience-based kids’ gifts is an invitation into the extraordinary. Cluebox……

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Dreams of a getaway to the islands of the Caribbean do not usually involve the likes of Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Yoda, and Ewoks. But the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit museum, run by Creature Effects Designer Nick Maley and his wife Gloria, offers visitors a rare opportunity to learn from a master how these beloved characters are brought to life. The museum features a mind-blowing collection of props, costumes, and artwork from the more than 50 movies that Maley was……

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