Explore 3899 History Collections - Atlas Obscura
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company town

Podcast: Arthurdale

Hear the saga of an ambitious, government-backed homestead project that never quite lived up to its hype.
The Podcast Team August 24, 2023
A massive seated Buddha is carved into a rock face.
Tianshui, China

Bingling Temple

A hidden Buddhist gem accessible only by boat.
Delft, Netherlands

Vermeer's Grave

The grave of the famous painter is marked by a simple stone in the ground.
Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Grave of Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt

A German shoemaker-turned-folk-hero whose impersonation of a Prussian military officer earned international notoriety.
Otaru, Japan

Former Temiya Line Railroad

This abandoned railroad got a new life as a scenic promenade cutting through the city of Otaru.
Potsdam, Germany

Michelson Interferometer

The site of the original experiment that would be used to disprove the theory of luminiferous ether.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Apollo Moonprints in Cement

The imprints of astronaut Charles Duke’s moon boots live on at Myrtle Beach’s official South Carolina Hall of Fame.
Atlantic Beach, South Carolina

Atlantic Beach Historical Marker

This town at the north edge of Myrtle Beach holds a wealth of Black history.
Printed in a communist youth magazine in the 1930s, Towards Soviet America visits all of capitalist America’s social injustices on the way to “Soviet America” in the center.
objects of intrigue

The Anti-Monopoly Board Game That Promoted a 'Soviet America'

In 1934, American Communists translated a Stalinist book about revolution into a children’s game. Curiously, it didn't catch on.
Frank Jacobs August 18, 2023
East Hampton, New York

South End Burying Ground

This cemetery holds the remains of an accused witch and the man that ensured her freedom.
The Car Barn has a collection of street cars from over 120 years, including Margaret, Rosie, Betty, and Matilda.
transportation

Fixing the World’s Oldest Trolleys Is Like Solving a Century-Old Jigsaw Puzzle

As mechanics at the Car Barn in Dallas know, you can’t just order a part from 1909.
Greg Christensen August 17, 2023
churches

Podcast: Demon Wall

The devil's in the details of this disturbing Norwegian church mural.
The Podcast Team August 17, 2023
Anchorage, Alaska

Earthquake Park

The now-serene site of the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America.
Anchorage, Alaska

Nike Site Summit

Tour a Cold War-era U.S. military missile launch site in Anchorage.
Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Native Heritage Center

See a full-scale whale skeleton and experience the captivating culture of Alaska’s Native people at this heritage center in east Anchorage.
Did landscape architect Jens Jensen design this winding road in Wisconsin's Door County?
architecture

Wisconsin's Long and Winding Road Has a Secret Past

For decades, locals believed landscape architect Jens Jensen designed this twisty stretch of Highway 42—the real history is even more serpentine.
Tea Krulos August 15, 2023
Detail of a plate illustration of medicinal plants published in the 1930s in a botanical reference book by Éditions Larousse.
botanical gardens

Addressing the Colonial Legacy of the World's Scientific Botanical Collections

Some 70 percent of specimens are located in developed countries with colonial histories. A new project seeks to make them more accessible.
Daniel Park August 14, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura
gates to hell

Puzzle Monday: Aw, Hell! Crossword

AO Puzzles August 14, 2023