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Tom Varner

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2019

I’m a freelance writer who lives in the Midwest. Although I am local to the greater St. Louis area and tend to focus on travel, history, literature, theatre, and film, my interests are vast. I enjoy traveling through the U.S. and the world. I particularly enjoy visiting the weird and unusual; the places and things sometimes overlooked.
tomvarner.com

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Follow travelers to discover remarkable places through their journeys.

My Travel Badges

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    Route 66 Exploration Challenge

    Ford's Route 66 Exploration Challenge

    You explored one of America's most iconic highways by marking at least three remarkable places along historic Route 66.

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    25 States Visited

    You've visited 25 U.S. states and are halfway to exploring all 50. Every state has its own hidden wonders, and you're well on your way to discovering them.

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145

Places I've been

Places this traveler has marked as been there.

Nightmare fuel.

Montrose, South Dakota

Porter Sculpture Park

A roadside collection of over-sized iron creations that are a bit more macabre than most.

Crazy Horse Memorial

Custer, South Dakota

Crazy Horse Memorial

The world's largest mountain carving could fit all of Mount Rushmore inside it many times over.

Street view.

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Golden Spike Monument

This massive railroad spike celebrates the 1939 premiere of the movie “Union Pacific.”

Home plate at the "Field of Dreams" movie site.

Dyersville, Iowa

Field of Dreams Movie Site

A pop-culture attraction outside of Dyersville, Iowa, hits a home run.

Laugh-O-Gram Studio
Permanently Closed

Kansas City, Missouri

Laugh-O-Gram Studio

This Kansas City studio was home to Walt Disney's first animation business.

Rathskeller Cafe

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Rathskeller Cafe

A 115-year-old restored German dining hall awaits those who venture beneath the Minnesota State Capitol.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and Pageant

Walnut Grove, Minnesota

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and Pageant

Elaborate drama imparts an appreciation for 19th century hardships.

The tomb was built in the 1850s.

Chicago, Illinois

Couch Tomb

No one knows how many bodies are in this vault in a Chicago public park.

The Walt Disney Hometown Museum, 2008.

Marceline, Missouri

Walt Disney Hometown Museum

A celebration of the animation wizard's childhood home and antique railroad memorabilia collection.

A piece of the Berlin Wall was installed next to the museum.

Fulton, Missouri

National Churchill Museum

A gem in the small Missouri town where Winston Churchill coined the term "Iron Curtain" and effectively began the Cold War.

The shrine.

Eureka, Missouri

Black Madonna Shrine

This wooded grove of beautiful hand-built stone grottos is a hidden gem within a shuttered Franciscan monastery.

World Chess Hall of Fame

St. Louis, Missouri

World Chess Hall of Fame

A chessmaster's dream destination.

Former World's Largest Rocking Chair

Cuba, Missouri

Former World's Largest Rocking Chair

The world's second largest rocking chair is found on Route 66 in Cuba... Missouri.

The pin point impression wall gives spectators of all ages the chance to create 3D works of art.

St. Louis, Missouri

The Magic House

The Magic House provides a beautiful and creative environment for curious youngsters to get their knowledge on.

Weldon Spring Disposal Site

St. Charles, Missouri

Weldon Spring Disposal Site

Entombed in this strange, white stone hill are the deadly remains of radioactive weapons production.

Meramec Caverns

Sullivan, Missouri

Meramec Caverns

400 million-year old limestone caverns nestled in the Ozarks served as shelter and a hideout for cultures throughout North American history.

The mural.

Benton, Illinois

George Harrison Commemorative Mural

The famous Beatle secretly visited this Illinois town several times to visit his sister.

The Hippie Memorial

Arcola, Illinois

Hippie Memorial

This folk art wall claims to be the world's one and only memorial to the bygone age of hippies.

The World's Largest Amoco Sign

St. Louis, Missouri

World's Largest Amoco Sign

This titanic oil company sign is a reminder of the Americana boom of the 1970s and also its commoditization.

St. Louis' Old Courthouse was the scene of the Dred Scott Decision, which served as a catalyst in the eradication of slavery in the United States.

St. Louis, Missouri

Old St. Louis County Courthouse

The Old Courthouse takes visitors on a captivating trip through St. Louis' timeline.

Bellefontaine Cemetery.

St. Louis, Missouri

Bellefontaine Cemetery

The first rural cemetery west of the Mississippi is home to the elaborate tombs of St. Louis' local beer barons.

Eros Bendato.

St. Louis, Missouri

Eros Bendato

A creepy sculpture of a decapitated head invites viewers to see St. Louis through its empty eyes.

Salvador Dali's "Easter Angel"
Permanently Closed

Kansas City, Missouri

Dalí Collection at Hallmark Visitors Center

The famous greeting card maker owns a collection of paintings by the famed surrealist.

The Glorious Diorama

Boulder City, Nevada

Hoover Dam Old Exhibit Building

Experience a charming 1930s version of "infotainment."

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