The Alresford Spy Toilet
We head to a public bathroom in Alresford, England to hear how a toilet played a key role in flushing out an infamous Cold War espionage ring.
Apr 16, 2025•14 min
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.
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Episodes
Why Is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper Sitting Empty?
The unusual-looking Price Tower, a 1-of-1 from starchitect Frank Lloyd Wright, has been the pride of Bartlesville, Oklahoma for more than 60 years. But the challenge of maintaining the skyscraper as a historic piece of art has made it difficult for the building’s owners to keep it open.
Apr 15, 2025•12 min
Animal Takeover (Places Edition)
Producer Johanna Mayer and Places editor Diana Hubbell tell us about two parts of the world where animals have invaded – and taken over. Plus: Tell us about a place that has a bad reputation – but still, you love it. Call us at 315-992-7902 and leave a message with your name and your story. Or you can record a voice memo of any length and email it to us at [email protected] .
Apr 14, 2025•18 min
Lake Natron (Classic)
Lake Natron in Tanzania can leave welts and burns on human skin but is a bit of a paradise for another animal. Read more in the Atlas.
Apr 11, 2025•12 min
What Makes a Pest?
Animal-human conflict expert Bethany Brookshire explains why we put cats before rats – and a lot of it has to do with where we’re encountering them. Read an interview with Bethany in our new column, AO Wants to Know . And check out her book Pests: How Humans Create Animal
Apr 10, 2025•23 min
On the Hunt for Murder Hornets
We go on a hunt for what you might call an entomologist’s most wanted insect.
Apr 09, 2025•15 min
The Black American West Museum
Paul Stewart’s childhood fascination with cowboys and the Wild West turned into a museum dedicated to preserving the stories of the American West’s early Black settlers.
Apr 08, 2025•9 min
Listener Stories of Leaving Home
Listeners share stories of leaving home for the first time – from a first apartment in San Francisco, to running away with a member of a famous band, to searching for a piece of Australia in the United States. Plus: Have you ever visited a place with a bad reputation, and found that you actually really loved it? We want to hear about it! Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story about a place that defies its bad rap. Or you can record a voice memo and emai...
Apr 07, 2025•12 min
We Want to Know: What’s a Place You Love That Has Defied Its Bad Reputation?
We want to hear about a place you love that has defied its bad reputation. Maybe there’s a drab local mall that’s full of chain stores and overpriced frozen yogurt that strangely gives you a sense of comfort. Maybe you love eating at chain restaurants while traveling. Maybe all your high school friends dunk on your hometown, but it’s the place you want to live forever. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after two minute...
Apr 05, 2025•2 min
Pyramid of Djoser
Travel to the world’s oldest intact pyramid in Egypt - and learn about the genius who also influenced the fields of architecture, astronomy, medicine. Read more in the Atlas here.
Apr 04, 2025•14 min
A Glass Palace in the Arizona Desert
In September 1991, eight people moved into Biosphere 2, a nearly airtight glass and steel complex in the Arizona desert. The half-acre farm at its centre would supply all their food. Plants, algae and photosynthesizing microorganisms would supply all their oxygen. If things went according to plan, they would have everything they needed to survive inside for two years – but a lot of people were betting against them. Mark Nelson wrote a book about his time in Biosphere 2 called Pushing Our Limits ...
Apr 03, 2025•25 min
The Last Home Napoleon Would Know
In the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, on the tiny island of Saint Helena, sits the Longwood House. It was the final home of Napoleon Bonaparte. And while there – amidst the serenity Saint Helena has to offer – the former emperor of France became a more reflective person.
Apr 02, 2025•14 min
The Cave Below Minneapolis
An urban explorer ventured deep below downtown Minneapolis in search of Schieks Cave. He discovered more than he bargained for. Read more about Schieks Cave and Greg Brick.
Apr 01, 2025•13 min
The 6-Day Race
For a brief window in the late 1800s, America’s favorite sport was walking in circles over and over and over. The biggest sporting events in the country were “6 Day Races” – days-long tests of endurance where competitive walkers competed to see who could log the most miles. Check out our guest Matthew Algeo ’s book “Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America’s Favorite Sport.” And if you’re so inclined here is a selection of 6 Day Races that you can still compete in today: The Old Six ...
Mar 31, 2025•15 min
Times Square Hum (Classic)
Producer Johanna Mayer travels to Times Square in NYC, in search of particular sound that may sometimes go overlooked. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS : https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-times-square-hum-new-york-new-york
Mar 29, 2025•12 min
President Heads (Classic)
What to do when you have 20-foot-tall busts of nearly every U.S. President and nowhere to put them? This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Williamsburg .
Mar 28, 2025•11 min
Dreamland Resort
Dylan visits a patch of Nevada desert known at times as Paradise Ranch, Dreamland Resort, or as most people know it, Area 51. His goal? To try and find out where The X-Files end, and the truth begins. And he falls deeper down the rabbit hole when he meets a man who is a German immigrant, a programmer, and possibly the premier Area 51 expert in the world: Joerg Arnu. Check out Joerg’s website, DreamlandResort.com . Special thanks to Ryan Broderick and the Panic World team. Panic World is a weekly...
Mar 27, 2025•23 min
Jeremy Bentham’s Auto-Icon
Jeremy Bentham began planning for his death at a young age. He wrote a will in 1769, at the age of 21. But how did this philosopher’s dead body wind up on display in a university student center?
Mar 26, 2025•16 min
Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: 7 a.m. in Kelso and 10:30 a.m. in Choteau
Two small stories about early morning, otherworldly encounters with animals. 7 a.m. in Kelso was written by Emma Jones, and 10:30 a.m. in Choteau, Montana was written by Annika Berry. Both essays were edited by Aube Rey Lescure and originally appeared in Off Assignment. Plus: Order the audiobook of Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders today!...
Mar 25, 2025•14 min
Dylan’s Mailbag: Illegal Edition
Dylan and producer Johanna take your questions about exploring abandoned ruins, where they want to carve their initials, and whether they should feel guilt for going on multiple trips to the same location. Have a question for Dylan? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected] , or simply send your question via email.
Mar 24, 2025•14 min
Tell Us About the First Time You Left Home
We want to hear your stories about the first time you left home to live somewhere else. Why did you make the move? How did you choose your new home… and how did you feel when you arrived? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call in if you get disconnected. Or you can record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected] ....
Mar 22, 2025•1 min
Gocta Waterfalls (Classic)
One of the world’s tallest waterfalls is nestled in Northwestern Peru, right where the Amazon rainforest crashes into the Andes Mountains. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gocta
Mar 21, 2025•13 min
The Real Office Space Behind Apple TV’s Severance
Apple TV’s Severance takes a dystopian view of the middle management office space, where the sprawling corridors, overhead fluorescent lights hide the mysterious purpose of Lumen Industries. But that terrifying imagined office space is based on the real headquarters of Bell Labs – huge, incredible incubator of ideas in the 1960s with the aim of creating a corporate utopia.
Mar 20, 2025•19 min
Chapel Creek Ranch (Classic)
This ranch in Sanger, Texas trains people in jousting and sword-fighting with the goal of making them knights of the highest order - for the Medieval Times dinner theater chain. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/behind-the-scenes-at-medieval-times-where-knights-battle-and-pepsi-is-plentiful
Mar 19, 2025•14 min
The Sunken Pirate City at Port Royal
Off the southern coast of Jamaica, there are the underwater ruins of pirate city from the 1600s – a city that could be considered the Las Vegas of its time. But its days would come to an end when it faced three disasters in a single day.
Mar 18, 2025•12 min
What’s the Deal with Leprechauns?
For this St. Patrick’s Day, author and friend of the show Colin Dickey joins Dylan to demystify leprechauns. Where do they come from? Is there a Leprechaunland? What’s with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? And why are they always wearing green? Are they just drunk mischievous creatures? Or is there something deeper there – perhaps leprechauns are even an immigrant story? If you want to learn more, check out Colin’s series called Monster of the Month ....
Mar 17, 2025•16 min
America’s “Quiet Zone" (Classic)
Green Bank, West Virginia is free of wifi and cell signals due to the massive telescope nearby that requires radio silence. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/town-for-wi-fi-refugees
Mar 14, 2025•16 min
Pulau Tiga, The Island That Made “Survivor”
What happens when a real place becomes a reality TV set? Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker staff writer and author of “Cue The Sun: The Invention of Reality TV,” tells us about the tumultuous first season of Survivor. The island where the first season was filmed, Pulau Tiga, presented serious challenges for cast and crew alike… and then the production team added some of their own.
Mar 13, 2025•22 min
The Circus Capital of the World
The first time John Ringling and his brothers saw a circus come to town, it changed their lives forever. They’d go on to form their own circus company – which put them on top of the world. Today we trace John Ringling’s rise and fall, from his early days crisscrossing the Midwest in a wagon (dressed as a clown in wooden shoes) to his work establishing Sarasota, Florida as the circus capital of the world. This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Sarasota. If you’re curious about Florid...
Mar 12, 2025•16 min
Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: To the Kitchen Staff at 초밥 사랑 (Chobap Sarang)
A Black American living in Korea writes a letter to a restaurant worker, reckoning with race and the meaning of home. This essay was edited by Aube Rey Lescure and originally appeared in Off Assignment . Kat Lewis' debut novel, GOOD PEOPLE, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster in 2026.
Mar 11, 2025•13 min
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