Author: Ms. R.

While it might resemble something closer to a medieval castle, this tower on the Hebridean island of North Uist actually dates to the end of the United Kingdom’s Georgian period in 1836. This folly was the idea of Dr. Alexander MacLeod, owner of the estate where Scolpaig dun was located. Duns are Iron Age stone fortifications common to some places in the British Isles, which were often built on artificial islands in the middle of bodies of water such……

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We published our book, Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide, on October 12th. Since then, we’ve hosted launch parties in Manhattan, in Chicago, and, as of next weekend, in Portland. The star of these celebrations is not a person, but a vending machine. Our customized friendly robot dispenses everything from canned bread to taste-changing berries to color-changing flower powder. At each stop, I’ve been delighted to see a ravenous turnout. In Union Square, New Yorkers ran us out of……

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In the busy city of Birmingham, Alabama, there are quite a few hidden obscurities. One such object is The Storyteller fountain at Five Points South. This work of art was commissioned by a mother in memory of her murdered son, who was an art dealer. Construction began in 1983 and the fountain was unveiled in 1992 by Frank Fleming. Fleming wanted the piece to convey a “peaceful kingdom” by portraying a ram reading to other animals. The ram in……

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The Spring Street Museum began life as Tally’s Bank in 1866. Construction on the building began in 1861, but wasn’t completed until 1865 due to the American Civil War. It has remained one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city of Shreveport. The building officially become the Spring Street Museum in 1977. The small two-story museum is dedicated to telling the history of Shreveport. The Spring Street Museum was officially placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The……

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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 travel to Denver, Colorado, and meet Steve Berke, who helped found the first International Church of Cannabis in 2015. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Join……

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In 1745, Götheborg, one of the largest ships in the Swedish East India Company’s fleet, was making its way home from China, laden with green tea, spices, silks, and tons of glistening porcelain. Having rounded the treacherous Cape of Good Hope and braved the open Atlantic, the ship was finally reaching the end of a grueling, 30-month journey. Then, right outside the harbor of Gothenburg, just miles from its destination, disaster. The ship struck a submerged rock in the……

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The Poblenou Cemetery, also known as Cementiri de l’Est (East Cemetery), was the first to be built outside the walls in medieval Barcelona after the parish graves were dismantled. Today, designed in 1819 by the Italian architect Antonio Ginesi after the Napoleonic troops destroyed the old cemetery, falls inside the city borders. The most popular guest in the cemetery is not precisely among the lavish mausoleums but among the modest niches. Alongside the typical guardian angels and other funerary sculptures……

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For Michael Twitty, revering the land and revering food runs in the family. His grandfather, Gonze Lee Twitty, was one of the founding members of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, a co-op that provided poor black farmers with monetary relief and mutual aid. Gonze Lee Twitty passed away in 2018. That same year, Michael Twitty won the James Beard Award for Best Food Writing and Book of the Year for The Cooking Gene, a personal memoir tracing the history……

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Founded in 1982 by a group of players looking to build community, the Capital Pool Checkers Club expanded from a nearby barbershop into the space it called home near the corner of 9th and S streets in Northwest Washington D.C. Initially, club members played anyone they wished in a casual format. However, over time the club evolved and players were separated into divisions based on their skill level. Competition was friendly, yet fierce. The club now boasts some of……

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Fort is a business district in Mumbai, it is also a place full of historical gems. On every street there is a story to tell, from plaques to historical sites, one can wander around the streets and never get bored.  As visitors walk south along Perin Nariman Street, the clock tower comes into view. It was erected in 1882 in memory of Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia, a Parsi philanthropist who contributed to education in the city. The architecture of the……

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The coquí frog’s insistent calls echo off the walls of the cave. University of Florida biologist Samantha Shablin clambers over the rocky floor in hot pursuit. She can’t see the frog yet, but she’s getting closer. The frog calls again; the high-pitched, whistling notes might be mistaken for that of a bird. Finally, Shablin spots the animal. Switching her headlamp light to red to avoid spooking her quarry, she deftly scoops it into a plastic bag. Despite the impressive……

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