171 Items Tagged

Sounds

Much of the soundtrack from the 1973 classic horror film, <em>The Exorcist</em>, has become canon for fans of Halloween music.

The Best Halloween Songs To Usher in the Spooky Season

From The Exorcist's "Tubular Bells" to a murder ballad by Tom Waits.

Sarah Durn October 17, 2023

There’s something ill-sounding about the Philadelphia prison’s corridors.

Bump in the Night: The Rackety Reason People Think This Prison Is Haunted

Sound and electricity play all kinds of tricks at Eastern State Penitentiary.

Fayge Horesh October 4, 2023

A white suspension bridge across a large river

Poughkeepsie, New York

Bridge Music

This sound-art installation features songs composed using only the Mid-Hudson Bridge as an instrument.

People playing instruments at the Gunnar Schonbeck Exhibit

The Museum of Playable Trash Bin Instruments

You too can play a coconut ukulele or 10-foot airplane fuel tank drums—no experience required.

The Podcast Team October 1, 2025

This seems like a perfectly reasonable way to decorate a home in a fancy neighborhood. Maybe?

Wonder Is Everywhere: A Fight Over Optimus Prime, the Richmond Rat Boy, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.

April White June 9, 2023

All Roads Lead to Texas: Sounds of the Lonestar State

Sponsored By Travel Texas

Buddy Holly still plays in Lubbock, TX.

7 Ways to Explore Music (and History) in Texas

Open your ears and hit the road for a sound-themed Texas road trip.

Sponsored By Travel Texas

The Boiling River, or <em>Shanay-timpishka</em>, in Peru was long thought to be a myth.

10 of Our Absolute Favorite Atlas Obscura Podcast Episodes

Wait'll you hear these wonders of audio storytelling.

April White April 12, 2023

The Gocta Waterfalls in northwestern Peru are the subject of one of our favorite recent Atlas Obscura Podcast episodes.

7 Recent Atlas Obscura Podcast Episodes You Just Have to Hear

For our two-year pod-iversary we're headed back to some of the coolest places we've taken you recently.

April White March 22, 2023

An unused platform at the Porte des Lilas Metro station in Paris stars in countless films.

8 Unexpected Stories That Go Behind the Scenes in Hollywood

Frozen lettuce, a ghost subway station, and an unplaceable accent all have starring roles.

April White March 8, 2023

Podcast: Times Square Hum

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team October 20, 2022

Wilsons Promontory, Australia

Squeaky Beach

The spherical grains of white quartz sand give every step on this Australian beach a distinctive sound.

Is the Silence of the Great Plains to Blame for 'Prairie Madness'?

A new study suggests the soundscape could have affected the mental health of 19th-century settlers.

James Gaines July 22, 2022

Podcast: A Sound Garden

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team May 30, 2022

During his lifetime, Thomas Edison received more than one thousand patents. But when asked which of his many inventions was his favorite, Edison said, "I like the phonograph best. Doubtless this is because I love music."

objects of intrigue

Saving the Sounds of the Early 20th Century

Some recordings in the New York Public Library’s wax cylinder collection haven’t been heard in generations—until now.

Sarah Durn April 14, 2022

Bambu wall

Mexico City, Mexico

Audiorama Parque España

This tiny garden was built specifically to provide a place of peace and serenity away from the busy city streets.

Podcast: Bell Ringing of Old North Church

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team January 31, 2022

You have to hear the Great Stalacpipe Organ to believe it.

On the Atlas Obscura Podcast, Deserts Boom, Names Are Sung, and Silence Rules

We're celebrating the first year of our daily podcast with some episodes that really just sound amazing.

The Podcast Team December 20, 2021