Stories - Atlas Obscura

The Biggest Crabs In the World May Have Eaten Amelia Earhart

The colorful giants of the tropics are thieves, and they're not picky.

5 Wild Tales of Riding the Waves

Surf’s up from Hawaii to the Great Lakes to the troposphere.

Before ‘Fans,’ There Were ‘Kranks,’ ‘Longhairs,’ and ‘Lions’

How do fandoms gain their names?

This Arachnid in Illinois Had Armored Spikes on Its 8 Legs

The new species is too strange to be assigned a category.

The Enduring Enigma of Alien Big Cats

What sightings of lions in Illinois and pumas in Australia tell us about our relationship with the natural world.

the secret world of games

How Crossword Creators Make our Favorite Word Games

We sat down with Atlas Obscura’s crossword editors to talk Viking words, pizza rat, and the joy of wordplay.

Podcast: Looking Toward the Sky with Summer Ash

Fall in love with black holes.

good news from planet earth

Plate Tectonics Has a Surprise Silver Lining

Without this restless geologic process, which triggers destructive earthquakes, Earth would not be habitable.

Meet The Black Cowboys Who Shaped Colorado History

The gunslingers, innovators, and explorers who carved their destinies from the sprawling promise of the West.

Podcast: The Giant Orange Sphere

How a strange landmark becomes a nostalgic icon.

northern lights

Solar Storms Create Wondrous Auroras—But Dangerous Power Surges

The next potential space voltage could be on the horizon very soon.

Podcast: The Feral Horses of Sable Island

One of the last unmanaged group of horses contend with their non-native home.

Catch the Summer Camp Vibe With Some of Our Favorite Podcast Episodes

Celebrate the season of adventure and savor all summer has to offer.

citizen science

This Iowa Summer Camp Is Abuzz With Mosquitoes

But not in the way you're thinking.

School Lunch Around the World

Not every country has the same recipe for brain food.

children's literature

Podcast: The Real Life Winnie-The-Pooh

Meet the actual boy who rode the back of a real bear.

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: A Summer Place

Were Egyptians Really the First to Domesticate Cats? Try Cave Men

A map shows the spread of felines by Egyptians, Romans, Vikings—and prehistoric ancestors.