The Atlas Obscura Podcast
The Atlas Obscura Podcast
SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura
An audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Co-founder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters explore a new wonder every day, Monday through Thursday. In under 15 minutes, they’ll take you to an incredible place, and along the way, you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Our theme and end credit music is composed by Sam Tyndall.
Ganvie Lake Village (Classic)
A producer sits down with Dylan and recounts his trip to a place referred to as “The Venice of Africa.”
Apr 3
15 min
Tasting the World’s Most Unique Honeys with Marina Marchese
Marina Marchese is a beekeeper and trained honey sommelier. She explains how honey tastes like the place where it’s made… and guides co-host Kelly McEvers through a taste test of some of the world’s most unique and unusual honeys.
Apr 2
24 min
Was It All A Hoax?
Today, we are celebrating the spirit of April Fools’ Day with two stories about hoaxes. One is about a mythical creature in Fouke, Arkansas and the other about a giant sea serpent in a small town of New York.
Apr 1
13 min
Deadly Beard
For one sixteenth century Austrian mayor, a long, luscious beard was both his claim to fame – and the cause of his downfall.
Mar 31
14 min
The Farewell Spit
Daren Grover was on vacation near the top of New Zealand’s South Island when he got a call: some whales needed help. Hundreds of them had stranded on a spot so notorious for whale strandings, it’s cause for celebration when a year goes by without a stranding: the Farewell Spit.
Mar 30
14 min
Exotic Feline Rescue Center (Classic)
Long before Joe Exotic got the country talking about big cats, there was Joe Taft – regular guy – who began raising and rescuing these types of felines in Indiana.
Mar 27
12 min
Alone on the Alaskan Frontier
What drives a person to live in isolation? Meet Sue Aikens, who thrives in the icy expanse of the Arctic. She shares stories of survival, self-discovery, and the wild encounters that continue to shape her life. Her memoir, "North of Ordinary," was just published.
Mar 26
28 min
Meet the Man Visiting 800 Museums in LA
Todd Lerew has spent a decade visiting every single museum in Los Angeles. He chronicled his journey in his book "Also on View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles." Check out Todd’s map of the museums at Everymuseum.la. Plus, listen to our recent episode with Jane August who is undertaking a similar project in NYC.
Mar 25
18 min
Alice Austen House
In the 1950s, a journalist doing archival research at the Staten Island Historical Society came across a collection of images that stopped him in his tracks. These photos featured women from the 1890s smoking cigarettes, dressed in men’s clothing, showing their petticoats or legs or hair. These photos were taken by a woman named Alice Austen, and Jensen decided to track her down…a trail which led him to the Staten Island poor house. Today we learn Alice’s story, by visiting the house on Staten Island where she lived for most of her life – before she lost nearly everything – which is today a museum dedicated to her life and work. Check out the Alice Austen House online: https://aliceausten.org/
Mar 24
18 min
The Barbican
You may have heard the phrase 'third place' being used more often as the world started opening up post-pandemic. People were craving somewhere that was neither their home or work, but still a place to focus social connection. But the Barbican, in London, was WAY ahead of its time.
Mar 23
12 min
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