Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Grotte de Glace
Sinquerim Beach Bastion
Port Tobacco Schoolhouse
Barracks / munitions storage.
Vloethemveld
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Green-Wood Cemetery, overlooking New York Harbor.
Where Our Team Looked for Joy During Pandemic Lockdowns
about 20 hours ago
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
1 day ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
1 day ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Colorado Rangely The TANK Center For Sonic Arts
AO Edited

The TANK Center For Sonic Arts

Metal water storage tank turned ethereal concert hall.

Rangely, Colorado

Added By
derukanjiru
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Tank at Dawn   Courtesy James Paul of The Tank
Tank at Dawn   Courtesy James Paul of The Tank
A performance in the Tank   Courtesy James Paul of The Tank
Top of the Tank   Courtesy James Paul of The Tank
Exterior of the Tank   Courtesy James Paul of The Tank
In the recording studio   Courtesy James Paul of The Tank
Inside the tank   Courtesy James Paul of The Tank
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the small, remote town of Rangely, Colorado, there is a large, rusty, metal water storage tank.

Never used for its intended purpose, it has found a new purpose as a concert hall. Friends of the Tank, a group of musicians and music lovers who are entranced by the ethereal, haunting music and effects the Tank creates, like to say it's one of the greatest concert halls in existence. Incredible effects, soaring vocals, and raucous cacophony result when anyone crawls through the eighteen-inch-wide porthole and starts experimenting with any kind of sound, as even the smallest noise will bounce around for half a minute or more.

Any noise made in the Tank reverberates repeatedly, making even mediocre singing heavenly (and presumably, rude noises even more hilarious and vuvuzelas even more annoying). You have to hear it to believe it. 

Bruce Odland, also responsible for The Harmonic Bridge, was introduced to the Tank in 1976 during a tour with 60 other artists. He was invited (or maybe kidnapped) by some unknown folks in a large truck, told to get in, and taken to the Tank. Since then, he's been introducing others to the Tank, many of whom have had experiences in the Tank ranging from extraordinary, to sublime, to surreal.

A recent Kickstarter campaign by Odland has reached its goal, which will allow Friends of the Tank to preserve and maintain the tank so others can enjoy it for years to come. Who knows...maybe they'll even put in a door so you don't have to find a way to crawl through the porthole without losing your dignity.

If you wish to see the Tank, please remember it is on private property and be respectful.

The Atlas Obscura Podcast is a short, daily celebration of all the world's strange and wondrous places. Check out this episode about the TANK Center For Sonic Arts.

Related Tags

Water Sounds Music

Know Before You Go

Driving east towards Rangely, turn left onto county road 46. The road does not appear to be marked, so look for a flag with some lawn deer on the right and turn left directly afterward. You will see The Tank in the distance. It's hard to miss; it's one of the largest water towers in Rangely, if not THE largest.

Community Contributors

Added By

derukanjiru

Published

April 16, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The TANK Center For Sonic Arts
233 Co Rd 46
Rangely, Colorado, 81648
United States
40.098333, -108.817731
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Josie Morris Cabin

Jensen, Utah

miles away

Fantasy Canyon

Vernal, Utah

miles away

Quarry Exhibit Hall

Jensen, Utah

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Colorado

Colorado

United States

Places 311
Stories 31

Nearby Places

Josie Morris Cabin

Jensen, Utah

miles away

Fantasy Canyon

Vernal, Utah

miles away

Quarry Exhibit Hall

Jensen, Utah

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Colorado

Colorado

United States

Places 311
Stories 31

Related Stories and Lists

The Tank

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

Related Places

  • Zadar, Croatia

    Sea Organ

    A musical instrument played by the sea.

  • A white suspension bridge across a large river

    Poughkeepsie, New York

    Bridge Music

    This sound-art installation features songs composed using only the Mid-Hudson Bridge as an instrument.

  • The gong chamber set up for one of Nancy’s soothing Sound Journeys.

    Memphis, Tennessee

    Memphis Gong Chamber

    Ethereal alien hums and haunting whale songs emitting from...a giant sheet of vibrating metal?

  • Fonoteca Nacional.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Fonoteca Nacional

    Mexico's National Sound Library houses music, recordings, and voices from the nation's rich past.

  • Chalice/grigson #2

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Museum of Sound

    An unusual collection of self-made musical instruments and unique noises.

  • Pink rocks cover the beach.

    Minnesota

    Iona's Beach

    When waves crash onto this section of beach, the rocks sing a song.

  • The Estey Organ Museum contains dozens of playable organs, of all shapes and sizes.

    Brattleboro, Vermont

    Estey Organ Museum

    Play everything you see at a museum dedicated to a town's historic organ industry.

  • The exhibit.

    North Adams, Massachusetts

    Gunnar Schonbeck Exhibit

    More than 200 unconventional musical instruments that anyone can play.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.