Atlas Obscura
Trash cans are generally not the first thing one notices about a restaurant, but after trekking to more than 50 countries on six continents to visit McDonald's franchises, something stood out to Gary He. All of the garbage receptacles say “Thank you,” but not necessarily in English. The font and branding are identical, but in Finland they say Kiitos...
Have you ever had a close up and personal visit with dinosaur poop? (Surprise: some of it will look very familiar!) If you're driving through Williams, Arizona along Highway 40, possibly on your way to the Grand Canyon, here's your chance. The Poozeum (get it?) is weird and scientific, doesn't smell bad, and will thrill any dinosaur-loving kid...
According to historical accounts, Babingley is believed to be the very place where St. Felix, who became Apostle to East Anglia, landed in the year 615. The Wuffingas, who were the East Anglian royal family, had invited Felix to evangelize to their kingdom. Aiming, naturally, for the East Anglian capital of Rendlesham, Felix is said to have instead...
In Ciechocinek, Poland, there is a monumental structure that exerts a strange power. It continues to draw visitors to its healing power in the two centuries since its construction in 1824. This salt graduation tower pulls saltwater from the ground underneath to feed it to the spa resort in the center of town. As it pulls water out of the ground,...
While most visitors head to Wat Chayamangkalaram to pay respects to the reclining Buddha, located near George Town’s historic downtown, fewer visitors head opposite to the temple hiding in plain sight. The Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist temple is one of the few Burmese temples outside of Myanmar, and is the only one of its kind in Malaysia. It is a...
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, or Elagabalus, is one of the most infamous Roman emperors in history. Reigning from 218 to 222, he has been variously described as a teenage tyrant, a mad libertine, and even a genderqueer icon. Born in Syria, his posthumous nickname Elagabalus (alternatively Heliogabalus) refers to the Arab-Roman sun god Elagabal, of whom...