peterdebaecke's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston's First Street

Historic Hull Street was actually the first street with a proper name in the Boston area.
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston History Dioramas

Painstakingly built dioramas sit unnoticed in a Boston office building.
Boston, Massachusetts

Fort Independence (Castle Island)

On a former island, this old fortification once used to protect the Boston Area and started Edgar Allan Poe in his military career.
Boston, Massachusetts

Madonna, Queen of the Universe

This giant Boston statue of Mary is standing on a globe to show her power over the universe.
Boston, Massachusetts

Creek Square

This historic patch of real estate offers a glimpse of colonial Boston.
Boston, Massachusetts

All Saints Way

"Mock all and sundry things, but leave the saints alone."
Boston, Massachusetts

Union Oyster House

This nearly 200-year-old restaurant's history includes an exiled French prince, JFK, and a very hungry Daniel Webster.
Boston, Massachusetts

Steinert Hall

The former locus of Boston's high culture has been shuttered and buried for over 70 years.
Boston, Massachusetts

Edgar Allan Poe Square

The Boston square dedicated to the dark poet who was born nearby.
Boston, Massachusetts

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (The Gardner)

Two thousand artifacts from around the world collected by one woman who loved to travel.
Boston, Massachusetts

Mapparium Globe

An enormous, inside-out glass globe built in 1935.
Boston, Massachusetts

Forest Hills Cemetery

A beautiful Victorian-era cemetery, complete with a miniature village.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Toleration Statue

Contrary to popular belief, this secluded statue doesn't represent Pennsylvania's founder.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Boelson Cottage

This tiny cottage surrounded by railroads is the oldest surviving structure in Fairmount Park.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Frankford Avenue Bridge

Erected in 1697 this Philadelphia bridge is the oldest surviving roadway bridge and perhaps the oldest stone bridge in the United States.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Germantown White House

The oldest surviving presidential residence in the United States.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Barnes Foundation

Dr Barnes' $25 billion private collection of art and arboretum.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

America's Oldest Operating Theater

In the early 1800s, surgery was also a show.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Graffiti Pier (Pier 18)

The abandoned coal loading dock is a canvas for unsanctioned art.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mount Moriah Cemetery

An abandoned cemetery lies in ruins as the surrounding forest swallows it whole.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Laurel Hill Cemetery

This Philly cemetery is the eternal home of many famous area residents, including Rocky Balboa's wife.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mütter Museum

America's most famous museum of medical oddities is home to the remains of Albert Einstein's brain.