Author: Ms. R.

Just south of the Adams Morgan neighborhood in Washington, D.C., is a museum that tackles one of the most troubling human rights issues of our time. Láodòng Gǎizào, or Laogai, which means “reform through labor,” is the criminal justice system that involves forced labor and prison farms. In China, the Laogai is an extensive network of factories and farms where prisoners are forced to produce consumer goods and products. Many of the prisoners who end up in this system are……

Read More

It took over 100 cases of dynamite (about 2.5 tons) to hollow out the mountain and open the doors of Hollow Mountain on Memorial Day weekend of 1984.  Hollow Mountain looks like something out of a film or a story that everyone’s read. After long miles of vast and gorgeous desert wasteland, an oasis of fuel and convenience in a hollowed-out hill. A reprieve from the relentless central Utah sun (particularly as most will find themselves along this route around summertime)……

Read More

When most city planners are designing the layout for how visitors will be greeted, one would think they would want their guests to feel welcomed. That was far from the case in this medieval northeasterly English city. Visitors to the town were welcomed by the bodies of convicted criminals swinging from the gallows and large crowds of unruly spectators. This was named “The Tyburn,” because of its connection to an area infamously known for similar purposes in London. For……

Read More

Radium Springs Garden, originally known as Blue Spring, was used by Creek Indians, English settlers and explorers as a spot for swimming and fishing. The springs discharge 70,000 gallons of clear water every minute from an underwater cave, and the area was the home to numerous species of fish and wild animals.   Bathing in mineral water was a popular health trend of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with many believing that the waters had the power to cure……

Read More

Look, the long and the short of it is, this was a year of highs and lows for all of us. But despite all the up and downs, we were able to find a little delight everywhere we looked. We met fans of supersized roadside attractions and visited tiny, ancient ecosystems hidden amid Midwestern hills. We shared a harrowing view with people restoring one of the world’s most iconic colossal statues, and got out the magnifying glass to appreciate……

Read More

Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this first installment of a classic two-part episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we venture toward frozen graves tied to an infamous Arctic expedition. We follow two groups of adventurers, separated by more than 170 years, and play witness to the disasters that befell them all. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take……

Read More

At 3:08 a.m. on December 16, 1954, the east side of Fairview Peak, about 35 miles east-southeast of Fallon, Nevada, was rocked by a huge earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale. Four minutes and 20 seconds later, a second large earthquake (magnitude 6.9), triggered by the first, shook Dixie Valley to the north. Because of the remoteness of the area, the damage was minor and no injuries were reported. But the pair of quakes left……

Read More

Many are familiar with Jeremy Irons from such films as The Mission, Kafka, The Lion King, Die Hard with a Vengeance, or Justice League. But what many do not know is that the thespian, one of the very few actors to receive the Triple Crown of Acting—having won an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony—owns a medieval castle in Ireland that has been restored to its whilom glory. Built around 1450 by the clan of Dermod MacCarthy, the fortress is composed of two adjoining towers……

Read More

“Here I am, a youth, a young tree whose roots were plucked from the hills of Lebanon, yet I am deeply rooted here, and I would be fruitful.” This excerpt, taken from To Young Americans of Syrian Origin, is chiseled underneath a bust of famed poet Khalil Gibran on a monument that greets visitors at the Lebanese embassy in Washington, D.C. The monument was installed in October 2014. It was designed to pay tribute to the favorite son of……

Read More

Every December, Google releases its “Year In Search.” Over soaring music (currently the instrumentals of “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo), the video shows photos and clips from major news events and cultural moments, all prompted by popular or notable Google searches (“how long will lockdowns last”; “when can I get the vaccine”). I will not pretend that Gastro Obscura’s most popular articles of the year—and our annual roundups—are as insightful as the world’s largest search engine. But looking at……

Read More

There’s a lot more to museums than display cases. Behind the scenes, there are countless curators, bean cleaners, and scuba divers making the impossible possible. From protecting radioactive artifacts to preserving a deep-sea footballfish, there’s a whole world of activity happening in the corridors, offices, and labs that visitors rarely get to see—that is, unless you read Atlas Obscura. As 2021 comes to a close, Atlas Obscura has scoured our own proverbial back hallways for our favorite Secret Lives……

Read More

As you leave the busy street or the Stampede grounds you will be surprised to find a quiet oasis hidden from sight.  A large stand of conifers, planted as a windbreak, hides the beauty within. Follow the winding pathway upwards stepping on rocks gathered from across Canada. The once-barren hillside is crammed with uncommon flowers and huge trees. A trickling brook winds down the hill adding a  soundtrack to the visual display.  You might even glimpse one of the……

Read More