Around the corner from the Panshanger Orangery is a large tree fenced off. This is the Panshanger Great Oak. The tree is estimated to be around 500 years old and may have been planted by Queen Elizabeth I. Winston Churchill also visited and planted one of the acorns from the tree in the surrounding park. The tree stands is 65 feet tall and has a...

The Dutch Windmill Museum and neighboring "House of Acadia" are a quirky pair of museums that honor early immigrants to the area. The museums are home to items donated by local families that represent the Netherlands's history. The museum also houses items from country music star, Tex Ritter.    

Since Ian Fleming created James Bond in 1953, the fictional British spy known as 007 has defined the spy thriller. Fast cars, casinos, beautiful women, gun fights, high-tech gadgets, and snappy quips have all become genre staples thanks to Bond.  Through the years, actors who have accepted the role of James Bond have become permanent fixtures of...

One might spot a small museum on the map while exploring the beautiful flora and fauna at Tresco Abbey Gardens, a 19th-century garden surrounding a medieval abbey. The Valhalla Museum houses around 30 ship figureheads and other carved decorations from vessels mounted on garden buildings. Most are from small merchant vessels rescued from shipwrecks...

Located in Tainan City's historic downtown, the Hayashi Department Store is the oldest operating department store in Taiwan, and the second ever opened. Since its reopening in 2014, Tainan City locals and tourists alike have flocked to peruse its local and limited edition goods, get a coffee and bite to eat in one of its two cafés, or ride its elevator,...

Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we empty out our change purse and visit Dan Zelinsky—the owner and head mechanic of the Musée Mécanique—one of the few remaining vintage arcades in the country. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s...