Michelle Cassidy's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Washburn Park Water Tower

Eight "Guardians of Health" protect this art deco water tower from pollutants and bacteria.
San Francisco, California

Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze

A psychedelic labyrinth on the San Francisco bay.
Iceland

Leiðarendi Lava Tube

A winding, blood-red tunnel of hardened lava navigable by foot.
Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.
Chicago, Illinois

Thorne Miniature Rooms

Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot.
Washington, D.C.

Riggs Bank

The bank that helped fund the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaska met its downfall after helping Augusto Pinochet launder money.
Chicago, Illinois

Stained Glass at Navy Pier

A display of magnificent stained glass windows is the first exhibit of its kind.
Madrid, Spain

Javier Puerta Museum of Anatomy

One of the world's oldest universities houses an incredible collection of anatomical models, mummified body parts, and human bones.
Clophill, England

St. Mary The Virgin

A reportedly haunted 14th-century church is curiously facing the “wrong direction.”
Raymond, Washington

Willie Keil's Grave

The founder of a utopian religious community based on the Golden Rule laid his son to rest on this grassy hill.
Somers, New York

Memorial to America’s First Circus Elephant

This high-perched pachyderm marks the memory of not one, but two elephants gunned down in small New England towns.
Independence, Missouri

Independence Temple

This otherworldly church spire reaches up toward the heavens.
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.
Pahrump, Nevada

Coffin It Up

Bringing back the art of handmade custom coffins.
Tokyo, Japan

Gotokuji Temple

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.
Ashland, Oregon

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory

A forensic lab dedicated to fighting crimes against wildlife.
Lalibela, Ethiopia

Ben Abeba

An otherworldly restaurant perched on the edge of a jagged cliff next to a medieval holy city.
Yokohama, Japan

Tin Toy Museum Kitahara Collection

More tin toys than you can shake a clapping monkey at.
Wellesley, Ontario

Bean Puzzle Tombstone

It took over 100 years to decode this enigmatic epitaph for two buried brides.
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ruby Falls

The mysterious wonder of an underground waterfall is illuminated by multicolored lights.
Wahpeton, North Dakota

Tent Pole Monument to Circus Dead

On the windswept Dakota plains there is a memorial to circus workers who were struck down by lightning.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Ferrari World

This enormous sports car themed amusement park is home to the world’s fastest roller coaster.
Las Vegas, Nevada

Atomic Liquors

Back in 1952, you could get a mushroom cloud chaser with your atomic cocktail.
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Steps

Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."