From the very beginning, more than 10 years ago, Atlas Obscura has been driven by our community. One of the early user-created entries in our database of wondrous places—published just a few months after we launched in 2009, by username “bertieinindia”—was The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji, a series of centuries-old bridges grown from the tangled roots of Ficus elastica trees.

There was so little published about the bridges at the time that it took work to even confirm they were real and that, as bertieinindia told us, they were under threat of being replaced by modern bridges. Today, that article on the root bridges has been seen by thousands and updated nearly a dozen times—and, most importantly, the bridges are being visited, cared for, and studied by scientists. This is Atlas Obscura at work—connecting people with amazing places, surprising ideas, unusual experiences, and each other.

But to keep doing all of this, we need your help. That’s why we’ve started a membership program.

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Our mission has always been to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share. As the world has been forced to close its doors, all of us at Atlas Obscura have worked harder than ever to continue bringing you that sense of wonder, including through our “Wonder From Home” series, which features livestreams and online experiences, in addition to our places, videos, and stories.

Your membership supports the work of finding wonder in these challenging times. But membership means more than supporting what we were already doing; it’s a chance to build something new together. Members will get perks, such as member-exclusive events and $100 off your next Atlas Obscura trip, and we’re planning to roll out new offerings all the time, including early access to new travel tools, an improved site experience, additional members-only experiences, and more. And we want to hear from you, too, about what tools and content you most want.

You can join Atlas Obscura knowing that every other member shares your same sense of joy and curiosity about our strange and incredible world. Please help us to continue bringing all of you wonder, wherever you are.