dynamic diasporas
The Burmese Restaurant at the Heart of 'Chindianapolis'
In Indiana, a restaurant and grocery store offers refugees a taste of home.
All Stories
show & tell
22 Places That Brought Atlas Obscura Readers to Tears
Does anyone have a tissue?
shoes
For Sale: A Boot That Almost Went to the Moon
If it hadn't been somehow considered unacceptable.
metal
The True Story Behind America's Most 'Metal' Cemetery
Metallic gravestones, as it turns out, don't age well.
technology
How Mumbai’s Dabbawalas Deliver 200,000 Homemade Meals a Day
The city's food delivery people run an impressive relay race, which relies heavily on the local railway network.
butterflies
The Tiny Florida Butterfly That Refuses to Become Extinct
Miami blues have returned from the dead. Twice.
flowers
The Art of Protecting Japan's 'Perfect Orchid'
Once a favorite of the ruling class, this flower is now endangered.
show & tell
Tell Us About the Best New Year's Traditions in Your Part of the World
How will you ring in 2019?
how to
How Do You See a Familiar Place in a New Way?
Tell us about how you find wonder in spots you encounter all the time.
stars
How to Find 2018’s Brightest Comet
Seeing it for yourself will take some planning and effort.
food festivals
The Swiss Festival That Starts When the Cows Come Home
Six courses, eight hours, and foods you won’t find anywhere else.
halloween
The British Bake Off That's Resurrecting a Forgotten Medieval Cake
Competitors are baking soul cakes, a bygone Halloween treat.
sea monsters
For Sale: A 16th-Century Map of Iceland, Roamed by Fantastic Beasts
Meet the menagerie.
panama
Urban Frogs Make More Attractive Mating Calls
Yo! The old tale of city-frog, country-frog now has a decisive winner.
dancing
Reviving—and Reinventing—the Magic of Khmer Classical Dance
Cambodia's first LGBTQ dance company has big dreams.
eat like a...
In Shakespeare, Food References Are a Window to the Soul
Decoding a character's anger over roast mutton.
video games
How Myst Taught a Generation of Gamers to Explore New Worlds
The creators revisit their hit game 25 years later.
show & tell
27 Fascinating Collections From Atlas Obscura Readers Around the World
A lot of this stuff is museum-worthy.
