amaranthine's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Iceland

Haukadalur Geothermal Field

This valley of hot springs and boiling mud pots is home to the record-holding "Geysir," which originated the English word.
Iceland

Geysir Glíma Restaurant

A restaurant devoted to "trouser grip" wrestling, an ancient form of Viking wrestling that is Iceland's national sport.
Thingvellir, Iceland

Þingvellir

The picturesque birthplace of Icelandic democracy is drenched in the blood of its brutal past.
Iceland

Gullfoss (Golden Falls)

If a glacial river suddenly diving into a sheer chasm via a dramatic, multi-stage waterfall isn't peak Iceland, it's certainly close.
Reykjavik, Iceland

Icelandic Phallological Museum

An encyclopedic collection of mammal penises.
Reykjavik, Iceland

Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat

Iceland's tribute to its thankless civil servants.
Reykjavik, Iceland

Hallgrimskirkja

One of the tallest buildings in Iceland, and perhaps, the most visually impressive.
Grindavík, Iceland

Blue Lagoon

Medicinal spa created with the discharge from a geothermal energy plant.
New Orleans, Louisiana

Lafayette Cemetery

This historic "City of the Dead" lies prominently in the center of New Orleans' famous Garden District.
New Orleans, Louisiana

National World War II Museum

Formerly known as National D-Day Museum, this collection commemorates the battles of Normandy and WWII.
New Orleans, Louisiana

LaLaurie Mansion

This symbolic piece of New Orleans architecture is also home to a few ghastly stories.
New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum

A snapshot of the city's fascinating voodoo culture.
New Orleans, Louisiana

Museum of Death

A collection of oddities including Dr. Kevorkian's suicide device, the Thanatron.
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tomb of the Unknown Slave

Made of giant chains and hung with shackles, this iron cross honors those unknowns who perished under American slavery.
New Orleans, Louisiana

M.S. Rau Antiques

A treasure trove of rare and exquisitely detailed antiques
New Orleans, Louisiana

'Birthplace of Dixie' Plaque

The South's nickname was supposedly born at a former bank in New Orleans' French Quarter.
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia's Seven Society

The story behind the mysterious symbol painted in front of the historic university's famous Rotunda.
Charlottesville, Virginia

The Raven Room

Edgar Allan Poe's old dorm is now a shrine to the author's legacy.
Mexico City, Mexico

Ocelotl Cuauhxicalli

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.
Mexico City, Mexico

Serpents of the Great Temple

These spectacular, symbolic serpents lie within the shadow of the Great Temple.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Foucault Pendulum at the Franklin Institute

A daily replay of the experiment that proved the rotation of the Earth.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Maillardet's Automaton

The origin of this mechanical boy was a mystery until he revealed his maker by writing it in perfect cursive.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Elfreth's Alley

This charming colonial alleyway is one of the oldest continuously used residential streets in the U.S.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mütter Museum

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