As the biggest tournament in the world brings fans across North America, Atlas Obscura and Hilton invite listeners to go beyond the matches and into the stories, flavors, neighborhoods, and hidden wonders that make each host city so unforgettable. Our series explores the culture surrounding the world’s biggest sporting event — from unexpected local traditions to offbeat road trips between cities — helping visitors turn the tournament into the trip of a lifetime.

San Francisco’s Sutro Baths

Today, there are only remains of what were once these massive baths constructed by self made millionaire Adolph Sutro in San Francisco.

In Philadelphia, Ben Franklin’s Musical Invention

Host Dylan Thuras tries his hand at playing a “glass armonica,” a musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. Its high-pitched, eerie sounds were rumored to cure all kinds of illnesses – or even, sometimes, cause them.

The Mapparium Globe in Boston

At the Mapparium® globe in Boston, visitors can step inside a giant, three-story stained glass globe…and get a glimpse of the bigger picture.

Vancouver’s Dude Chilling Park

A renegade art project in Vancouver galvanized a small community, pitted residents against city government, and ultimately resulted in a new name for a chill park.

Guadalajara’s Telmex Building

We visit an office building in Guadalajara, and learn how one man moved it–workers and all–exactly 40 feet.

LA’s Kuruvungna Springs

Eight thousand years ago, this land’s first inhabitants built a village around a sacred spring. Today, their descendants still work to protect it.

This Atlanta Monument Is a Tombstone for…Gravity?

A stone marker at Emory University commemorates one millionaire’s personal vendetta against gravity.

Mexico City’s Footwear Museum

This unassuming museum showcases everything from booties worn by a rescue dog to slippers owned by Queen Elizabeth I.