Josh

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I'm the co-creator of the Atlas Obscura, along with Dylan Thuras. By day, I write about wondrous, curious, and esoteric subjects like lightning strike survivors, amnesiacs, brain-computer interfaces, micrographic writing, naive chimpanzees, and the Bosnian "pyramids" hoax. I'm also the secretary of the Athanasius Kircher Society, which has been on a bit of an extended hiatus recently. I'm the author of Moonwalking with Einstein, a forthcoming book from Penguin Press about how I became the United States Memory Champion. It'll be published next year. I hope you enjoy the Atlas, and share lots of wondrous and curious places with us!

Stats	30 days	All time
New places added	0	35
Edits to places	2	114
Comments	0	7

Places I have been to

I have been to The Cardiff Giant, Deyrolle Taxidermy, Musee Dupuytren, Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Museé Fragonard, Dennis Severs' House, Sir John Soane's Museum, Old Operating Theatre, Mütter Museum, El Árbol del Tule (The Tule Tree), Bozhou Medicinal Herb Market, Park Slope Plane Crash, Medizinhistorisches Museum, Moulagenmuseum, National Museum of Health and Medicine, Mary King's Close, Butantã Snake Institute, Buenos Aires Recoleta Cemetery, Atlantic Avenue Tunnel, Minerva in the Green-Wood Cemetery, Obscura Antiques and Oddities, Exploratorium, The Pirate Shop at 826 Valencia, Paxton Gate, Watts Towers , The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum , The American Visionary Art Museum, Quigley's Castle, Stari Most, Bijbels Museum, Warren Anatomical Museum, Mapparium, Glass Flowers at Harvard Museum of Natural History, Paper House, Shadow Pilgrim, Shanghai Circus World, Maxilla & Mandible, Paris Sewer Museum, Prague Astronomical Clock , The Morbid Anatomy Library, Mount Thor, New Vrindaban Palace of Gold, Graceland Too, Oyotunji African Village , The dome illusion, Santa Maria della Concezione, Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, Pneumatic System of the New York Public Library, Immovable Ladder on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Visočia, the Bosnian Pyramid of Visoko, Bascarsija, Medjugorje, Pizarro's Tomb, Wyckoff House, Lake Natron, Big Island Lava Flow, Mauna Kea, Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists), Torre dell'Orologio and Hammond Castle Museum

Places I like

I like 3N Cave - The World's Largest Salt Cave, The Gates of Hell, The Prison Cell of Ludger Sylbaris, The Skeleton Lake of Roopkund, India , jAdis, Warren Anatomical Museum, Devil's Kettle, Jeremy Bentham's Auto-Icon, The Sonorous Stones of Ringing Rocks Park, Oklo Reactor, Tree Cathedral, The Duplicative Forest, The Morbid Anatomy Library, New Vrindaban Palace of Gold and Graceland Too

Recent Activity

May 16, 2012 Josh updated the The Great Serpent Mound

The Great Serpent Mound

The largest earthwork effigy in the world

The "mound builders" of early North America lived throughout what are now the Ohio Valley and the Mississippi regions. The earliest group was probably the Adena people, who flourished from 1000... »

Rites and Rituals, Long Now Locations, Curious Places of Worship, Incredible Ruins | Edited by Dylan, M Rebekah Otto and 2 others
January 30, 2012 Josh has been to Hammond Castle Museum

Massachusetts, US

Hammond Castle Museum

An eccentric inventor's castle home with its own indoor weather system

John Hayes Hammond Jr. was resourceful man. As a little boy he visited Edison's laboratory with his wealthy father, and South African mining magnate, John Hays Hammond Sr. The young Hammond Jr.... »

Inspired Inventions, Architectural Oddities, Eccentric Homes | Edited by Taoist, Annetta and 2 others
January 30, 2012 Josh has been to Torre dell'Orologio

Torre dell'Orologio

Go inside to really appreciate the 500-year-old technological masterpiece

Commissioned by Doge Agostino Barbarigo in 1493, the glorious Torre dell'Orologio, also known as St. Mark's Clock Tower, or "the Moor's Clocktower," facing into Piazza San Marco is a marvel of... »

Inspired Inventions, Astounding Timepieces, Amazing Automata, Architectural Oddities, Eccentric Homes | Edited by Annetta and Nicholas Jackson
January 30, 2012 Josh has been to Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists)

Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists)

100 year tradition of fist fights, marked by marble footsteps

For generations of Venetians epic fist fights atop neighborhood bridges were a celebrated tradition. Beginning in about 1600, from September to Christmas each year rival clans would gather en... »

Architectural Oddities | Edited by Annetta
January 22, 2012 Josh has been to Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea

Earth's tallest volcano is home to a dozen world-class observatories

Contrary to popular belief, the tallest mountain in the world is not Mount Everest but rather Hawaii's Mauna Kea. That is, if you measure from Mauna Kea's peak to its base on the Pacific Ocean... »

Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities, Instruments of Science | Edited by Trevor, Annetta and others
January 22, 2012 Josh has been to Big Island Lava Flow

Big Island Lava Flow

Watch the newest land on the planet form before your eyes

Usually, when speaking of geological phenomena, one speaks of time in "aeons” or references events as "prehistoric." But on the Big Island of Hawai'i, the vocabulary's a little different. Lava... »

Natural Wonders, Fiery Wonders | Edited by EmilyYaMei and atimian
January 2, 2012 Josh has been to Lake Natron

Peninji, Tanzania

Lake Natron

A salty red hell on the border of Kenya and Tanzania breeds endangered flamingos

Don't let the ring of salty marshes along the edge of Lake Natron fool you. This body of water is one of the most inhospitable areas on earth. Colored a deep red from salt-loving organisms and... »

Natural Wonders, Martian Landscapes, Wonders of Salt | Edited by serflac, atimian and others
June 21, 2011 Josh has been to Wyckoff House

Wyckoff House

Oldest surviving example of a Dutch sailbox frame house in America

The Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House, located in the Milton Fidler Park in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, is the oldest surviving example of a Dutch sailbox frame house in America and was one of the... »

Museums and Collections, Unique Collections, Architectural Oddities | Edited by Nicholas Jackson
June 21, 2011 Josh has been to Pizarro's Tomb

Pizarro's Tomb

Now containing the bones of the actual conquistador, instead of someone else

For almost a century, the mummified remains of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro were on display in a glass casket in the Cathedral of Lima, Peru. The remains were visited by Catholic and Spanish... »

Relics and Reliquaries, Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries, Curious Places of Worship, Dead Explorers | Edited by Annetta, wythe and others
June 21, 2011 Josh has been to Medjugorje

Medjugorje

An apparition of Virgin Mary in Herzegovina

The Virgin Mary is said to have first appeared to six Catholic Croat children on June 24, 1981. In the days that followed, apparitions continued to appear to those who flocked to see the site. The... »

Rites and Rituals, Commercial Curiosities | Edited by stanestane, Dylan and others
June 21, 2011 Josh has been to Bascarsija

Bascarsija

Oriental bazaar in the heart of Sarajevo

Baščaršija is the main tourist attraction of Sarajevo. Located in the very heart of the city, this bazaar is one of Sarajevo's oldest wards as well as a well-preserved example of oriental... »

Inspired Inventions, Architectural Oddities | Edited by stanestane, Dylan and 2 others
June 15, 2011 Josh has been to Immovable Ladder on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Jerusalem, Israel

Immovable Ladder on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

A "miracle" that seems to produce more holy fistfights then holy revelations

The immovable ladder of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a religious symbol of a sort, a kind of miracle possible only through human folly. It is also one of the most powerful and iconic... »

Incredible Ruins | Edited by stanestane
June 15, 2011 Josh has been to Pneumatic System of the New York Public Library

Pneumatic System of the New York Public Library

One of the few places in Manhattan which still employs a pneumatic system

When a young man in Manhattan writes a letter to his girl in Brooklyn, the love letter gets blown to her through a pneumatic tube—pfft—just like that. — E.B. White, “Here Is New York” The... »

Inspired Inventions, Retro-Tech, Repositories of Knowledge | Edited by michelle
June 15, 2011 Josh has been to Grande Galerie de l'Évolution

Paris, France

Grande Galerie de l'Évolution

Natural history museum celebrating biodiversity with a parade of taxidermy animals

A procession of taxidermy animals strides down the center of the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, while thousands of other specimens fill the four floors of the natural history museum. Birds and... »

Museums and Collections, Natural History, Unique Collections, Hunting and Taxidermy | Edited by allison
June 12, 2011 Josh has been to Santa Maria della Concezione

Santa Maria della Concezione

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises"

In 1775, the Marquis de Sade wrote of it, “I have never seen anything more striking.” Granted, the crypt was to his tastes. Mark Twain wrote about it in his 1869 book Innocents Abroad. When... »

Memento Mori, Relics and Reliquaries, Ossuaries, Mummies, Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by michelle, Dylan and 2 others
June 12, 2011 Josh has been to The dome illusion

The dome illusion

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling

The Jesuit church of Saint Ignazio was supposed to have a glorious dome, but when the money ran out in 1642, the plans were scrapped. Instead of foregoing the dome entirely, painter and Jesuit... »

Optical Oddities, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by Annetta, Sanglorian and others
February 18, 2011 Josh has been to Oyotunji African Village

Oyotunji African Village

North America's oldest authentic African Village

In the swamp lands of Sheldon, South Carolina, stands an authentic Yoruba village founded in the 1970s by Oba Oseijeman Adefunmi I. His followers came from New York, Chicago, and Indiana to... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Wondrous Performances, Lost Tribes | Edited by AllisonEng and Nicholas Jackson
January 19, 2011 Josh has been to Graceland Too

Mississippi, US

Graceland Too

Pink, packed sanctuary and home of the world's fullest-time Elvis fanatic

Graceland Too, located in Holly Springs, MS, some 46 miles from Elvis Presley's Memphis estate, is both a compelling tribute to the King of Rock-n-Roll and a worthwhile site of exploration into... »

Unique Collections, Curious Places of Worship, Eccentric Homes, Outsider Architecture, Repositories of Knowledge | Edited by rand001, Dylan and others
January 19, 2011 Josh updated the Visočia, the Bosnian Pyramid of Visoko

Visočia, the Bosnian Pyramid of Visoko

Controversial site of what could be Europe's first pyramid

The "Bosnian pyramid" debate began on October 26, 2005, with an article in the Bosnian daily newspaper Dnevni Avaz, which was later translated to the BBC website. According to this article, there... »

Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities, Architectural Oddities, Incredible Ruins, Outsider Architecture | Edited by AllisonEng, Nicholas Jackson and others
January 7, 2011 Josh updated the Thermal Baths of Villavicencio

Thermal Baths of Villavicencio

Mineral springs believed to hold therapeutic properties draw in visitors from all over

Aside from the small interpretive center with the pet llama and the bottled water that it is famous around the country for, Villavicencio in Argentina has little more to offer visitors than the... »

Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Cultures and Civilizations , Commercial Curiosities | Edited by Nicholas Jackson and Josh
January 7, 2011 Josh updated the Ischigualasto

Ischigualasto

Massive rock sculptures formed during the time of the dinosaurs still stand undisturbed

Argentina's Valley of the Moon is a strange geological formation protected in a national park in the San Juan province in the northwestern region of the country, near the border that it shared... »

Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities | Edited by Nicholas Jackson, Josh and others
January 7, 2011 Josh updated the El Avion Restaurant and Bar

El Avion Restaurant and Bar

Sister plane of the C-123 shot down during the Iran-Contra Affair has found a new purpose in retirement

When the C-123 Provider was shot down over Nicaragua in 1986, it left behind a sister. You might remember that the sole survivor of the C-123, Eugene Hasenfus, was captured by the Sandinista Army... »

Commercial Curiosities, Bizarre Restaurants and Bars | Edited by Nicholas Jackson and Josh
December 29, 2010 Josh has been to New Vrindaban Palace of Gold

New Vrindaban Palace of Gold

Despite its lavish ornamentation, Krishna might be quite disappointed with this mountain commune's moral composition.

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
December 21, 2010 Josh has been to Mount Thor

Mount Thor

Earth's greatest purely vertical drop at 4,101 ft

Sweeping glaciers and polar sea ice meet at the jagged granite of Mount Thor. A mountain with an elevation of 1,675 m (5,495 ft) located in Auyuittuq National Park, northeast of Pangnirtung Mount... »

Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities | Edited by canuck and Nicholas Jackson
October 7, 2010 Josh has been to The Morbid Anatomy Library

The Morbid Anatomy Library

A macabre oasis in the sprawl of New York City: The Morbid Anatomy private collection and research library.

The Morbid Anatomy Library is a research library and private collection available to the interested public. The library makes available a collection of books, photographs, ephemera, and artifacts... »

Museums and Collections, Wonder Cabinets, Medical Museums, Unique Collections, Repositories of Knowledge | Edited by Morbid Anatomy, Dylan and 2 others