steam
Meet the Man at the Controls of the World’s Largest Steam Locomotive
After restoring the monster locomotive, Ed Dickens is hitting the rails.
All Stories
slavery
An Urban Amazon Community Sheds Light on Brazil's Forgotten Black History
Its residents, descendants of enslaved people, have been fighting to overcome invisibility.
carnivorous plants
The Triumphant Return of England's Insect-Eating, Bog-Loving, Rad-Looking Great Sundew Plant
A conservation group is hoping that as peat bogs spring back, so will carnivorous plants.
nostalgia
In San Francisco, an East German Restaurant Is a Portal to the Past
Familiar foods such as "cold dog" offer former Eastern Bloc residents a taste of their youth.
service
When American Waitresses Were Labeled 'Women of Ill Repute'
The 400-year history of the restaurant industry's #MeToo moment.
travel
14 Lesser-Known Ancient Sites Worth Building a Trip Around
Check out Atlas Obscura readers' favorite archaeological wonders.
crustaceans
Found: A Fantastically Two-Toned Lobster Off the Coast of Maine
A little speckled, a little orange, a little mysterious.
obscura academy
Why Kids Find the Darndest Prehistoric Things
It helps to be curious, low to the ground, and not afraid to look a little silly.
secret lives of museums
Why Museums Display Ancient Pastries and Beef Older Than Christ
People love food, even when it's behind a glass case.
garbage
Sometimes Trash Is Treasured in America's National Parks
Bottles, cans, and more can reveal a long history of industry, recreation, and shenanigans.
shipping
Gabon's Sacred Trees Are Becoming China's Upscale Furniture
Worshipped by indigenous groups, kevazingo are illegal to cut—but prized as a rosewood knockoff.
mammal
Paleontologists Are Trying to Understand Why the Fossil Record Is Mostly Males
One theory is that reckless young bison and mammoths got into more trouble.
activism
Is the End Coming for a Problematic California Grade School Tradition?
The mission model project has long glossed over the brutal treatment of Native Americans.
eat like a...
Eat Like an English Peasant With This Medieval Cookbook
It makes peasant food pleasant.
war fare
For Centuries, Massive Meals Amazed Visitors to Korea
Scholars, writers, and missionaries all exclaimed over how much food was available.
atlas obscura
Atlas Obscura's Trips and Local Experiences Are Expanding
We're teaming up with Airbnb to grow globally.
endangered animals
How a Tiny Plant Made a Big Comeback in West Virginia
The running buffalo clover may soon be removed from the endangered species list.
gangsters
John Dillinger Is Long Dead and Somehow Still a Troublemaker
Mysteries and theories still surround the outlaw's death and burial in Indiana, 85 years later.
