In the last part of the 1800s, a farmer came up with a unique embalming technique and requested some bodies from the nearby insane asylum. Graham Hamrick had spent years practicing his new... »

Memento Mori, Mummies | Edited by A Facebook user and Nicholas Jackson

Even during Thurmond's most prosperous days as a coal depot in the early 20th century, the town's only connection to the outside world was a single rail line. No roads led in or out of the town... »

Intriguing Environs, Ghost Towns | Edited by LeahC and Nicholas Jackson

New Vrindaban is a Hare Krishna community nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, known in equal parts for its bizarre splendor and its seedy history. Founded in 1968 by Kirtanananda Swami, a... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Rites and Rituals, Commercial Curiosities, Odd Accommodations, Architectural Oddities, Curious Places of Worship, Follies and Grottoes | Edited by littlebrumble and Nicholas Jackson

Established in 1866, the West Virginia State Penitentiary continued housing inmates until 1995. At the time of its closing, 653 inmates were housed and guarded by a staff of 32 employees. The... »

Memento Mori, Intriguing Environs, Architectural Oddities | Edited by Nicholas Jackson

Known as Project X, Project Casper and eventually as Project Greek Island, and designed with relative luxury, this congressional fallout shelter remained a state secret until 1992. In the mid... »

Odd Accommodations, Long Now Locations, Subterranean Sites | Edited by LeahC, Dylan and others

Dedicated in 2000, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the most technically advanced single-dish radio telescope in the world. Its 110-meter by 100-meter dish boasts more than two... »

Instruments of Science | Edited by

For a brief period in late 1966 and early 1967 the West Virginia Ordnance Works, better known to locals as the TNT Area, was home to one of America's most famous mythical creatures - the Mothman.... »

Disaster Areas | Edited by Dave and Dylan