Author: Ms. R.

On October 26, 1804, the Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led their Corps of Discovery Expedition to its winter destination in what would become North Dakota, after completing an arduous 1,500-mile journey upstream on the Missouri River. To mark this passage, the city of Bismarck has forever memorialized their galley, called a keelboat, through a 55-foot-long replica built at this sculptural waterfront park. The full-scale replica of the keelboat was made possible through the close documentation of its construction process…….

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During the rebuilding of the Goldfield Ghost Town, an unmarked grave was uncovered. The remains were referred to as “the unknown prospector” and the bones dated back to the late 1800s. It was discovered this was not a lone grave but part of a larger cemetery whose markers had rotted away. In 2003, a monument was erected at the gravesite. It takes the shape of a classic arched tombstone, and is dedicated to the memory of the people who explored……

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Fukuoka Prefecture is renowned by noodle aficionados around the world as birthplace of Hakata ramen. Another local favorite, not as well known, is Nagahama ramen, a specialty of central Fukuoka. It takes its name after the neighborhood in Chūō Ward, where it was first introduced by a small stall named Nagahama-ya—along with the concept of kaedama, a second helping of noodles. Originally founded in 1952, Nagahama-ya catered to fishery workers who typically had time only for a quick meal…….

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An establishment serving drinks has resided on these premises since 1430, though it has changed hands many times and has been reconfigured on several occasions. Novelist Charles Dickens, who happened to live close by, placed a couple of his stories here. The character David Copperfield is said to have stopped in, order a sample of the strong elixir while inquiring for a lost acquaintance. In the story of “Barnaby Rudge” the rioters were said to have hid in the……

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Each week in October, University of Manchester Egyptologist Nicky Nielsen will share an intriguing aspect of ancient Egyptian beliefs and traditions surrounding death and the afterlife. Today, the heart of Cairo is Tahrir Square. It is a bustling, vibrant space in one of the busiest cities on the planet. But there is tranquillity too. In the center of the square stands the Egyptian Museum, an early-20th-century neoclassical building filled with hundreds of thousands of artifacts recounting the history and……

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Though it is merely a sleepy town off the center of Chiba City today, Inage was once known as a major resort on the seaside, favored by a host of luminaries of pre-war Japan. Among them was Aisin-Gioro Pujie, the young brother of Puyi—the last emperor of China. In 1937, Pujie married Hiro Saga, the daughter of the Marquis Saneto Saga and a distant relative of Emperor Shōwa. They moved to their honeymoon house in Inage, a historic monumental……

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This monument on Trebjesa hill in Nikšić commemorates Yugoslav Partisan fighters who died fighting the occupying Axis Powers during World War II. It also honors 32 soldiers and anti-fascist fighters who were executed in the area. Constructed after Tito’s death, it was designed by local sculptor Ljubo Vojvodić and officially opened in 1987. Standing 65 feet (20 meters) tall, the monument is a significant WWII memorial in Montenegro and remains regularly visited, especially on important historical dates. One notable……

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The number of European heads of state who still live in actual castles is vanishingly small—much like the principality of Liechtenstein itself. This tiny country, about 62 square miles, the same size as Washington D.C., is ruled over by the Prince of Liechtenstein, whose family has lived in Vaduz Castle off and on—currently on—for roughly 400 years. The schloss (German for “castle”) sits on an alpine hillside above the town of Vaduz, the country’s capital and largest city, and……

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The Grassroots Art Capital of Lucas, Kansas needed a proper way to greet tourists, and so the World’s Largest Souvenir Travel Plate was born. Located on Highway 18, this plate greets visitors to Lucas and provides a painted history of this quirky rural community. The travel plate was the brainchild of Erika Nelson, a local artist and the proprietor of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things. She believed that Lucas needed a……

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With pumpkins dotting porch stoops and trees turning brilliant reds and yellows, autumn has officially arrived, which means Halloween, Atlas Obscura’s favorite holiday, is just around the corner. But choosing what to listen to during this ghoulish season can be tricky. Sure, there are some obvious answers, such as “Monster Mash” and “Thriller,” but then what? While Christmas overflows with seasonal tunes about Santa Claus and reindeer, Halloween music is more limited. Where are the songs about demons, ghosts,……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we meet the robot saints—sculptures made of wood and wire, of cams and pulleys, made during medieval times—that might just help us understand this new age of AI. You can learn more about the inventions by reading this 2015 paper from Christopher Swift, a specialist in medieval theater at the New York City College of Technology! Our podcast……

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