rainablackcat's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Washington, D.C.

General Sheridan's Horse Rienzi Winchester

This taxidermy horse was a Civil War hero.
Washington, D.C.

Mummified Bison

The 28,000-year-old specimen is remarkably intact.
Washington, D.C.

Cher Ami

A heroic pigeon that, through a barrage of gunfire, delivered a message that saved over 100 lives in World War I.
Washington, D.C.

Owney the Postal Dog

A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.
Washington, D.C.

Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon

The remains of Martha, the last known passenger pigeon, serve as a tool to educate about conservation.
Washington, D.C.

Holodomor Memorial

An easily overlooked memorial to a Ukrainian famine-genocide that killed over 4 million people.
Washington, D.C.

Sergeant Stubby

The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.

National Bonsai Museum

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.
Washington, D.C.

Catacombs of Washington, D.C.

Franciscan monks created a facsimile of the Holy Land for North Americans who couldn’t afford the trip overseas.
Washington, D.C.

The Exorcist Stairs

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
Mexico City, Mexico

Tlachtemalácatl (Mesoamerican Ballgame Stone Ring)

This ancient gaming tool was unearthed during the construction of this former town's central square.
Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico City National Cemetery

Though the name might suggest otherwise, this is an American cemetery.
Mexico City, Mexico

Franz Mayer Museum Courtyard

These museum grounds are a Dalai Lama-declared peace oasis.
Mexico City, Mexico

Xochipilli

The most complete statue of this Aztec god sits a top a throne carved with images of hallucinogenic plants.
Mexico City, Mexico

Biblioteca de México

This "City of Books" holds a museum, library, and the complete personal book collections of five of Mexico's greatest thinkers.
Mexico City, Mexico

Temple of Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl

Underneath the historic center of Mexico City, the remains of a temple dedicated to the Aztec god of the wind.
Mexico City, Mexico

Death Mask of Pakal the Great

The striking jade death mask of an ancient Maya king is displayed in a replica tomb in Mexico City.
Mexico City, Mexico

Baths of Moctezuma

The ruins of the bathhouse used by the ill-fated last Aztec emperor still lie in Chapultepec Park.
Mexico City, Mexico

Disk of Death

This strange sculpture of a menacing skull surrounded by sun rays was discovered at the foot of the Pyramid of the Sun.
Mexico City, Mexico

Santuario Nacional del Angel de la Santa Muerte

A church dedicated to the Mexican skeleton saint.
Mexico City, Mexico

Skull Rack of the Great Temple

A disquieting Aztec sculpture displays hundreds of stone skulls representing the victims of human sacrifice.
Mexico City, Mexico

Biblioteca Vasconcelos

A jaw-dropping "megalibrary" that turns book-browsing into a geometric adventure.
Dzitnup, Mexico

Cenote Xkeken

These azure waters were thought to lead to the Mayan Underworld.
Anamosa, Iowa

Hula Hoop Tree

Two hula hoops appeared on the tree after a storm, and the collection kept growing.