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
vampires
Five Vampire Stories You Haven’t Heard Yet
From Dracula’s Indian inspiration to just how long it would take these mythical bloodsuckers to annihilate humanity.
mythology
Beware the Skinwalkers, Werewolf Witches of the American Southwest
These canine-humanoid shapeshifters travel between worlds using magical doors.
Frensham, England
The Frensham Cauldron
This cauldron was said to be hidden inside a church after it was borrowed from a local witch.
biblical
Monsters Are Everywhere in the Bible—And Some Are Even Human
Scholars are learning what bestial and depraved characters can reveal about ancient authors and cultural attitudes.
cemeteries
What's Really Behind the Ghost Lights of Colorado's Silver Cliff Cemetery?
Tucked between rugged mountains, this lonely graveyard is home—allegedly—to ethereal, glowing orbs that dance among the headstones.
Sutton, West Virginia
Flatwoods Monster Museum
In 1952, a strange encounter in the woods of West Virginia led to the legend of a 10-foot-tall monster with glowing eyes and a distinctive style.
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