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
maps
In Ancient Egypt, the Duat Was a Netherworld of Gods and Monsters
A guide called the Amduat helped pharaohs navigate the complex afterlife.
witchcraft
In Early Modern Russia, Witches Were Men and Belief in Magic Was Universal
Terrifying love spells and protective "spells to power" offered the chance for control in a fiercely hierarchical society.
East Hampton, New York
South End Burying Ground
This cemetery holds the remains of an accused witch and the man that ensured her freedom.
Arlington, Texas
Caelum Mór
Fears of Satanic worshippers swirl around five Celtic-inspired megaliths.
Bruges, Belgium
Grave of Antoine Michel Wemaer
The spectacular and eerie moss-covered grave site of 19th-century Belgian merchant.
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