The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Epizode

• The Kindred Spirit Mailbox 02.06.2026 14min

  Nestled on North Carolina’s southern shoreline, the Kindred Mailbox keeps countless secrets and confessions left in the sand. This episode tells the story of mailbox and its dedicated keepers.
• Beyond the Game: LA's Kuruvungna Sacred Springs 01.06.2026 16min

  Eight thousand years ago, this land’s first inhabitants built a village around a sacred spring. And today, in what is now Los Angeles, CA, their descendants still work to protect the site. This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beaten track.
• Weekend Road Trip: National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum 30.05.2026 13min

  Today we visit the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is home to 10,000 bobbleheads inspired by sports, pop culture, politics, and even some niche viral Internet moments. Some even date back hundreds of years. This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wondrous places right here in the United States, that you can see from the road. This series was produced in partnership with T-Mobile. Check out the museum online and note that they do accept suggestions for new bobbleheads!
• The Atomic Clock (Classic) 29.05.2026 10min

  How do we determine the time? Believe it or not, there is an official clock. It’s located in Boulder, Colorado at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and we go there to visit. LEARN MORE: The institute doesn’t give public tours. But if you want to watch the seconds go by as precisely as humanly possible, dial (303) 499-7111.
• French Horns on Ice 28.05.2026 25min

  Professional French horn player Kyra Sims tells us about a once-in-a-lifetime trip she took to Antarctica with a program called Polar STEAM, which pairs artists with scientists. She tells us about living on a research vessel, getting up close and personal with zooplankton, and where she found inspiration on the ice.
• Beyond the Game: This Atlanta Monument is a Tombstone For…Gravity? 27.05.2026 16min

  This stone at Emory University is a marker of one millionaire's personal vendetta against gravity. This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beaten track.
• The Last Wild Apple Groves (Classic) 26.05.2026 12min

  The variety of apples we enjoy today have a common ancestor that lies in the forests of Kazakhstan, where scientists are studying the wildest version of the fruit.
• Beyond the Game: Mexico City's Footwear Museum 25.05.2026 12min

  One of Mexico’s oldest shoe stores holds a collection of more than 2,000 thousand shoes in a museum called el Museo Del Calzado. From booties worn by a rescue dog to slippers owned by Queen Elizabeth II, each pair tells a story. This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the beaten track.
• Weekend Road Trip: Tinkertown 23.05.2026 19min

  It took Ross Ward more than 40 years to build Tinkertown, an indescribable array of carvings, figurines, and folk art. The project became both a source of inspiration for young artists, and an unexpected refuge for Ross himself. This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wondrous places right here in the United States, that you can see from the road. This series was produced in partnership with T-Mobile.
• Fairy Circles (Classic) 22.05.2026 11min

  We head to the Namib Desert in Africa, where the landscape is dotted with mysterious, pimple-like indents known as fairy circles. Where do these things come from? Scientist Walter Tschinkel has spent the last several years studying and experiencing a natural occurrence so enchanting, locals describe it as “The footprints of the gods.”
• 100 Years of the LA Central Library with Susan Orlean 21.05.2026 27min

  The LA Central Library has always been unique. It doesn’t look like a typical big city library, many people didn’t want it to be built in the first place, and, in 1986, a fire affected more than one million of its books. But the library endured, and is now celebrating its 100th anniversary. Susan Orlean joins Kelly to talk about this storied institution.
• True Treats Historic Candy 20.05.2026 13min

  Candy scholar Susan Benjamin brings us to her research-based historic candy shop, and introduces us to some surprising sweets that have shaped American history … from abolitionist sugars to WWI's chocolate energy bars. Today's episode is brought to you in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Tourism.
• The Real Town Behind War of the Worlds 19.05.2026 12min

  War of the Worlds by Orson Welles is perhaps the most famous radio play on Earth. But what’s left out of the story is where the play was set — a real, little town in New Jersey. It took decades, but the people who live in Grover’s Mill have come to embrace their part in one of the biggest media hoaxes of all time. In fact, they’ve turned it into something to be proud of.
• Garbage Goat (Classic) 18.05.2026 13min

  This sculpture in Spokane, WA was created by a"welding nun" decades ago.
• Weekend Road Trip: The Bob Baker Marionette Theater 16.05.2026 17min

  The Bob Baker Marionette Theater is a beloved place in Los Angeles, California. The theater almost closed down when its founder, Bob Baker, died in 2014. But it has managed to survive. Randel Metz is the director of the Storybook Puppet Theater in Oakland, California, and the author of Enchanted Strings: Bob Baker Marionette Theater. This episode is part of our Weekend Road Trip Series, where we bring you stories of the strange, incredible, and wondrous places right here in the United States, that you can see from the road. This series was produced in partnership with T-Mobile.
• Temple of Pythons (Classic) 15.05.2026 12min

  We visit southern Benin to hear the story of the Temple of Pythons and clear up some misconceptions about one of the world's most misunderstood spiritual systems.
• Walking the Johnny Appleseed Trail with Isaac Fitzgerald 14.05.2026 29min

  Isaac Fitzgerald grew up taking long walks with his father in rural Massachusetts. And on those walks, his father told him stories about legendary figures like Johnny Appleseed. As an adult, Isaac decided to retrace his path, and learn the true story behind this mythical character he’d grown up with. Isaac is the author of American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed.
• A Syrian Seed Library, Under Siege 13.05.2026 18min

  When armed fighters captured his workplace during Syria’s civil war, Ali Shehadeh decided to pay them a visit. He was determined to save his life’s work: a massive collection of seeds.
• The Paris Sewer Museum 12.05.2026 17min

  We dive into the dirty history of the famed Paris sewer system, from its unorthodox cleaning methods, to a pneumatic postal service that ran via the sewer, to… a poop tax. We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or a story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com.
• National Ice Core Lab (Classic) 11.05.2026 11min

  Scientists in Denver, Colorado store and conduct tests on miles of ice core samples dating back hundreds of thousands of years.