North America

Places in this region

Bigfoot Discovery Museum

Roadside attraction and Bigfoot Museum

Michael Rugg and Paula Yarr are co-founders of the Bigfoot Discovery Project (BDP). The BDP accepts the subject of the Patterson/Gimlin Film as the type specimen for the Pacific Coast Bigfoot or... »

Unique Collections | Edited by GregRose

The Bunny Museum

World's largest bunny collection makes this museum the "hoppiest" place on Earth

For Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski, their love for bunnies is a constant reminder of their love for one another. So what innocently began as an occasional bunny-related gift exchange between... »

Unique Collections | Edited by anhie, Dylan and others

LIGO Livingston Observatory

World's largest precision optical instrument used to detect Einstein's elusive gravity waves

In 1916, Einstein's Theory of General Relativity was published. Included in the bizarre picture that the famed physicist painted of the universe were the notions that energy and mass were... »

Inspired Inventions, Instruments of Science | Edited by Trevor and Dylan

Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory

Tiny observatory made big contributions to the study of the Earth's motion

The Earth wobbles slightly in its orbit, like a spinning top that draws ever-larger circles with its handle before it topples over. However, for our planet this process is extremely slow: the... »

Instruments of Science, Retro-Tech | Edited by Trevor and Dylan

In Greenwood Cemetery in Spokane Washington, there is a staircase that has the reputation of being haunted. They say, if you walk up the stairs without any lights, when you reach the top... »

Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries | Edited by

pagan art

messages from extinct tribes

petroglyphs at Basse Terre, Guadeloupe »

Rites and Rituals | Edited by

Bubblegum Alley

An alley covered with 20 years of bubble gum

Located in San Luis Obispo, CA, Bubblegum Alley is a local tourist landmark. It's a 20-meter long alley covered in layers of gum. »

Unusual Monuments | Edited by lee

Comstock Cemeteries

Historic graveyard set against the barren Virginia City hills

Virginia City, home of Comstock Lode, the United States' first major discovery of a silver ore deposit in 1859, is also home to several captivating cemeteries. Located side by side over many... »

Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries | Edited by Kalia_K and Josh

The Mall of America

Equal parts record-breaking temple to consumerism and bizarre fun park, it's more then you think it is...

Don't be fooled by the 4.3 miles of indoor storefront: this is way more than a gigantic mall. Yes, walking a full circle around just one level of the mall is over a half-mile in length. And yes,... »

Intriguing Environs, Commercial Curiosities, Purveyors of Curiosities | Edited by littlebrumble, Dylan and others

309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group

The world's largest military aircraft cemetery

Airplane aficionados rejoice! Heaven has been found and it's on the grounds of the Davis-Montham Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona. The 2,600-acre area, officially called the 309th Aerospace... »

Incredible Ruins | Edited by littlebrumble and stanestane

Obscura Day is coming!

Join us March 20th, 2010 in celebrating wondrous and curious places all over the world. RSVP for expeditions and tours at obscuraday.com.

We are SXSW Web Awards Finalists

Atlas Obscura is a 2010 SXSW Web Awards finalist in the Amusement category. Help us win the People's Choice Award. Vote here.

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