The Atlas Obscura Podcast

The Mothman!

Today we venture (with flashlights on) into the TNT area, a vast abandoned munitions factory in Point Pleasant, West Virginia – where, in the 1960s, people started report

White Squirrels of Olney

Olney, Illinois is your quintessential Midwestern small town. It’s in the middle of farm country - a place you might drive right past. But people do stop, and they come f

Thompson’s Ice House (Classic)

Thompson’s Ice House in Bristol, Maine is one of the only places in the United States where people gather every winter to take part in the age-old process of harvesting i

Pack Your Bag(pipes) with Ross Jennings (Classic)

Ross Jennings, aka the First Piper, has been on a world-spanning quest to play the bagpipes in every country of the world.  LEARN MORE: https://www.thefirstpiper.com/

The Cats of Brooklyn

Producer Manolo Morales is not a fan of cats. But he may just change his mind after taking a walking tour in Brooklyn Heights dedicated to cat history called Cats About T

Where Animals Gather for A Meal

Producer Jerome Campbell shares two stories about how far animals will go for their meal.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informat

The House of Albert Namatjira

Deep in the Australian Outback, on the bank of the Finke river, stands a modest two-room house. Albert Namatjira built it for his family as his fame grew, but their time

Back to School: Reed College Reactor

School is back in session for many. So all week, we're bringing you stories from our archive about schools with a little something extra -- unusual traditions, ceremonies

Back to School: The Sul Ross Desk

School is back in session for many. So all week, we're bringing you stories from our archive about schools with a little something extra -- unusual traditions, ceremonies

Back to School: Tina Turner Museum

School is back in session for many. So all week, we're bringing you stories from our archive about schools with a little something extra -- unusual traditions, ceremonies

Back to School: Gunnar Schonbeck Exhibit

School is back in session for many. So all week, we're bringing you stories from our archive about schools with a little something extra -- unusual traditions, ceremonies

Back to School: Rites of Passage

School is back in session for many. So all week, we're bringing you stories from our archive about schools with a little something extra -- unusual traditions, ceremonies

Unpacking an Incredible Journey with Thor Pedersen

Thor Pedersen is the first person to visit every country in the world without flying. That is 203 countries by land and sea. He sits down with Kelly to unpack his epic qu

Captain Becky’s Wind-Powered Boat (Classic)

We meet Becky Sigwright, who captains a wind-powered boat that’s been sailing around Maine since before the invention of the telephone. This episode was produced in partn

Your Intergenerational Travel Stories

We asked you to send us your stories inspired by Brad Ryan’s quest to travel to all 63 U.S National Parks with his grandmother. And some of you had some really interestin

Studying the World’s Largest Parrot Colony with Juan Masello (Classic)

We head to the cliffs of Balneario El Condor in Argentina to visit a parrot city… and the parrot suburbs. And we meet the biologist who risks his life to study them.  Le

These Bats Hang in the Suburbs

For thousands of years, a massive bat colony has lived in a cave about 30 minutes from San Antonio, Texas. Ryan Huling, author of the Book "The Hidden Nations of Animals,

Skinny Houses (Classic)

Producer Talon Stradley takes us on a tour of three skinny houses – each with a big story inside. Do these skinny houses have you curious about spite houses?  Check out

The Dolly Parton Song We Can All Look Forward To

We will always love Dolly Parton, who installed a “dreambox” time capsule at her amusement park. In it, there’s a secret song that no one will hear until the legendary ar

Did This Cursed Ring Inspire J.R.R. Tolkien?

In the 1700s, a farmer plowing his fields near the English town of Silchester uncovered a very large gold ring dating back to Roman times, inscribed with the name “Seneci