jonathancarey's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Palo Alto, California

Gates of Hell Sculpture

Rodin's famous depiction of Dante's 'Inferno', amidst a sculpture garden of many of his other works.
Hellam, Pennsylvania

Hellam Township

Hellam Township is reputed to feature seven remote gates, which when passed through in the right order, open an entrance to hell.
Kabul, Afghanistan

Darul Aman Palace

What was once supposed to be the symbol of a shining Afghan future is now a bombed-out ruin.
Rome, Italy

Domus Aurea

The engineering wonder and pleasure dome of a much-maligned emperor still holds undiscovered secrets.
Columbia, Pennsylvania

National Watch and Clock Museum

North America’s largest collection of horological devices and home to a colossal clock with a dizzying array of features.
Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Mothman Statue

This red-eyed chrome beast pays homage to the popular modern myth of West Virginia's insectoid monster.
Cape Canaveral, Florida

Launch Complex 34

This abandoned NASA launch site is now a memorial to a trio of astronauts who were killed there.
Hillah, Iraq

Babylon

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.
Lyon, France

Testut-Latarjet Museum

Nicknamed the "Museum of Horrors," this French anatomical collection has been fascinating visitors for over a century.
Hammond Island, Australia

'Savior of a Friend'

On Keriri/Hammond Island, a marker shares the story of an imprisoned woman and the island she saved and that eventually saved her—in the fictional world of Kcymaerxthaere.
Melbourne, Australia

Phar Lap

Taxidermy of the racing horse with a huge heart, who inspired hope in the Depression.
Kaunas, Lithuania

Kaunas Museum for the Blind

Museum deep in the catacombs of St. Michael the Archangel Church is explored by touch, sound, and smell.
Litchfield, California

Secret - Abandoned Brothel

Secret Manor, a house full of legends, the least of which is the haunting of long-deceased ladies of pleasure.
Washington, D.C.

Sergeant Stubby

The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Tokyo, Japan

Nakagin Capsule Tower

The original "capsule building" is a masterpiece of Metabolist architecture.
Mackinac County, Michigan

The Mackinac Bridge

The fifth-longest suspension bridge the world, connecting one Michigan peninsula to another.
Agion Oros, Greece

Hermitages of Karoulia

The hermits of Karoulia protect their asocial lifestyles by living on the vertical face of a treacherous precipice.
Las Vegas, Nevada

Pinball Hall of Fame

This incredible collection of vintage pinball machines can be played at 25 cents a pop.
New York, New York

Trinity Churchyard

This cemetery has graves dating back to the 17th century, including the city's oldest carved tombstone and an ominous cryptogram.
Belize

The Crystal Maiden of the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave

Sparkling, calcite-covered skeletons of children who may have been sacrificed to appease an angry god.
King William's Town, South Africa

Huberta the Hippo

Taxidermy of a famous hippo who spent three years walking over a thousand miles across South Africa.
Namche, Nepal

Namche Bazaar

Last stop before the top of the highest peak in the world.
Wiltshire, England

Longleat Hedge Maze

The longest hedge maze in the world.
Haines Falls, New York

Kaaterskill Falls and the Bayard of Dogs

A stunning, two-tiered waterfall made famous by poets, artists and the legend of a ghost dog.