maps
Mapping the Ghostly Traces of Abandoned Railroads
An interactive, crowdsourced atlas plots vanished transit routes.
All Stories
animation
Podcast: Glaum Egg Ranch
Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
forgery
The Curious Case of Norway’s Disturbing Demon Wall
A respected conservator restoring a centuries-old church mural saw the devil in the details—and created a wholly imagined, diabolical scene.
stinky but scrumptious
Podcast: Disgusting Food Museum
Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
drinks
Behind the Scenes of the New Gastro Obscura Book
It's out today!
mental health
Haunted Houses Have Nothing on Lighthouses
From drowning to murders to the mental toll of isolation, these stoic towers carry a full share of tragedy.
creepy from above
Is This an Australian Salt Lake or a 'Beating Heart Laid Bare'?
Iron-rich springs generate intense color in a stark landscape that, from above, might be mistaken for a crime scene.
microbes
Podcast: Sourdough Library
Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
bacteria
These Butterflies Full of Wasps Full of Microwasps Are a Science Nightmare
Accidentally released on a Finnish island 30 years ago, the parasites are spreading.
victorian
Clearing Up Some Myths About Victorian 'Postmortem' Photographs
Stories abound of dead people being propped up on stands to seem alive. The reality was different.
cookies
Podcast: The Spritz Cookie Gravestone
Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
jobs
Is This the End of Switzerland’s Chimney Sweep 'Mafia'?
The long history and new face of a sooty industry.
food
New to Gastro Obscura? Start Here!
Feed your curiosity.
halloween
Explore a Century of Halloween in L.A. Through Vintage Photographs
An eerie/fun glimpse into the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection.
mechanical instruments
Inside the Year-Long Effort to Restore the Waldorf Astoria's Famed Clock
If they could turn back time.
donuts
Resurrecting the Spudnut, America's Forgotten Treat
Bake the recipe remnant of a potato doughnut empire that once stretched from the United States to Japan.
surveyors
The Long History of the Quest to Find a Peak Taller Than Everest
Ain't no mountain high enough.
coral reefs
Podcast: Seashell Shrines and Bones With the Places Team
Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
