idc's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place
Loading map...
San Francisco, California

Research Departments, California Academy of Sciences

A century and a half of research in the sciences and natural history, still going strong.
San Francisco, California

Site of the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition

San Francisco's first World's Fair, dedicated to the wonders of California.
Annetta Black Added by Annetta Black
San Francisco, California

Palace of Fine Arts

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.
Annetta Black Added by Annetta Black
San Francisco, California

Alcatraz Island

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.
AllisonEng Added by AllisonEng
San Francisco, California

Fort Point

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.
Scott Mansfield Added by Scott Mansfield
Calistoga, California

Castello di Amorosa

California's own medieval Italian castle, authentic down to the 300-year-old iron maiden in the dungeon.
Dustin Stonecipher Added by Dustin Stonecipher
George Town, Cayman Islands

George Town

The capital of the Cayman Islands is a center of offshore banking, but gets battered by blistering hurricanes.
Added by Mordy
Sarasota, Florida

Circus Ring of Fame

The hall of fame for circus performers.
Added by bachrach44
Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke Star

Forget Hollywood, one of the biggest stars in the world can be found in Roanoke, Virginia.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Brevard, North Carolina

Brevard White Squirrels

This Transylvania County city is home to a rare white squirrel population that is descended from an escaped carnival animal.
Added by 318jmitch
Gaffney, South Carolina

Gaffney Peachoid

The record holder for the world’s largest peach.
lewblank Added by lewblank
Washington, D.C.

Boy Scout Memorial

The innocent intentions of this monument are somewhat lost in the sculpture's muscled imagery.
Added by Mpluna
Washington, D.C.

First FDR Memorial

One of the most influential presidents in U.S. history wanted only this plain, elegant monument as his lasting memorial.
R Stemple Added by R Stemple
Washington, D.C.

D.C. War Memorial

An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.
satxwdavis Added by satxwdavis
Washington, D.C.

National Cathedral Bell Tower

There’s a special club house at the top for the bell ringers.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Marble Stripe

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia Center Point

A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

National Archives Vault

An atomic bomb-proof strongbox protects the U.S. Constitution from terrorists and thieves.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Inside the Capitol Dome

The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Sonoma, California

Location of the Microsoft Windows XP Default Wallpaper

The unedited photograph called "Bliss" has graced the screens of over a billion computers.
Michael Inscoe Added by Michael Inscoe
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

Congressional Fallout Shelter at the Greenbrier Resort

America's post-nuclear-attack chambers of Congress.
LeahC Added by LeahC
Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore McDonald's

Classy up your Big Mac with bow-tied servers and chandeliers at the world's fanciest McDonald's.
lukefater Added by lukefater
Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore Estate's Secret Passages

The enormous 250-room Vanderbilt mansion conceals hidden doors and secret passageways.
Meg Added by Meg
Orleans, Massachusetts

Nauset Beach

Centuries-old hoofprints and wagon tracks reveal themselves after a good winter storm.
chrisseufert Added by chrisseufert