haunted
Haunted Halloween Harvest
Atlas Obscura Scares Up the Best of the Season
October is our favorite month to celebrate the macabre, the mysterious, and the monstrous. Join us on a wild ride through a landscape of unsolved hauntings, terrifying legends, and hidden places almost too creepy to be real. It’s going to be ghoulish good fun.
Tales of Terror: Ominous animals, a dinner to die for, exploring an ancient netherworld, and more.
astronomy
In October, Our Night Sky is Full of Scary Stories
Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere can find the demon star Algol, a murdered monster, and victims of vengeful gods.
military history
How Gremlins Went From Fairy Stories to Warplanes to Hollywood Legend
Meet these slippery, mischievous reflections of our anxieties about technology.
An Extra-Creepy Atlas: Create your own Road Trip of the Damned with these unsettling Places you can visit IRL (in this life or the next).
Gardner, Massachusetts
S.K. Pierce Mansion
This historic Victorian mansion is allegedly so haunted that a signed waiver is required to enter.
New Delhi, India
Feroz Shah Kotla
The ruins of a medieval citadel believed to be haunted by a ministry of wish-granting djinns.
Paris, France
Catacombes de Paris
The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.
You Are Fearless. You Have Scrolled Deep Into the Atlas Obscura Crypt.
Venture even deeper into the shadows for more spine-tingling Stories, positively paranormal Places, and other spooky surprises.
Scroll down at your own risk
witchcraft
Podcast: Witch Cakes
A baked good thought to ward off evil might have kicked off one of America's most notorious witch hunts.
haunted
Why a Popstar Wanted to Go Ghost Hunting
Haunted places have a lot to tell us about ourselves.
plague
Venice Is Almost One Big Plague Graveyard
A city built on water was always going to struggle with burials—especially when a deadly pandemic came to town.
forests
Podcast: Spooky Places
Our Places Team shares spooky legends from both Transylvania and Appalachia.
haunted
Why Horror Is So Damned Fun
We go inside Denmark’s Recreational Fear Lab to learn why our brains crave a good scare.
cryptozoology
Beware the Thunderbird, Badass Cryptid of the Skies
The source of storms and an (occasional) kidnapper, the massive ancient beast has inspired muscle cars and jet fighters.
Still hungry for more mischief and mayhem?
Satisfy your appetite for all things Halloween, from tasty treats to unsolved mysteries, with these classics from years past.
Explore now