The Best of Atlas Obscura
10+ most popular Atlas Obscura articles, as voted by our community.
Atlas Obscura on Astrology
The Long, Extremely Witchy History of Telling the Future With Eggs
From ancient Greece to the Salem Witch Trials.
Atlas Obscura on Chess
How Did the Chess Pieces Get Their Names?
One player’s pawn is another’s farmer. And at one time, the queen was the virgin, and rather powerless.
Atlas Obscura on Food
How Chinese Food Won Over the World
Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Cheuk Kwan tells a story of innovation and survival.
Atlas Obscura on History
The Earthshaking History of San Francisco's Quake Shacks
You can still spot these tiny reminders of the 1906 earthquake in the city today.
Is There Sunken Treasure Beneath the Treacherous Currents of Hell Gate?
In the heart of New York City, a centuries-long hunt for Revolutionary War–Era gold.
Atlas Obscura on India
Meet the 'Devil Chefs' of Kashmir
Families use skills passed down over generations to prepare a special feast.
Atlas Obscura on Mythology
Atlas Obscura on Nature
Herds of Mysterious ‘Glacier Mice’ Baffle Scientists
These moss balls move in unison, and researchers are okay with not knowing why.
During an Annular Eclipse, Look to the Shadows
While some people in the Western Hemisphere will witness a "ring of fire" during the eclipse, many more will experience the phenomenon of crescent sunlight.
Atlas Obscura on Tea
Japan’s First Tea Tree
In the oldest zen temple stands a descendant of the very tree that introduced tea to Japanese culture.
Atlas Obscura on Travel
Most Canadians Live South of Seattle and Other Map Surprises
We're wrong about directions and locations of many countries.
Podcast: My Life in Three Places with Rick Steves
We ask the legendary travel writer and presenter about the three places that have changed his life.
Atlas Obscura on Women
7 Trailblazing Women from Every Continent
In 2022, we traveled the globe to share the stories of powerful warriors, fearless activists, and more.
Popular
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How a Self-Trained Italian Blacksmith Built Himself an Amusement Park
Bruno Ferrin made a wonder in the woods by hand and by chance.
Inside America's Premier Black Rodeo, A Celebration of Cowboy Culture
A photographer captures perseverance and pride over a decade of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.
Letters from the Loneliest Post Office in the World
A story of Antarctic adventure seekers, stamp collectors, politics, and penguins.
Grapefruit Is One of the Weirdest Fruits on the Planet
From its name, to its hazy origins, to its drug interactions, there's a lot going on beneath that thick rind.
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