Here at Atlas Obscura, we believe in asking curious questions to learn about the world’s most unique places and foods. Join our global community of explorers, who have shown us everything from miniature cities and megaphones in Estonian woods to a sourdough library in Belgium. Come and discover the world’s strange and wondrous side with us.
From Atlas Obscura. In Uganda, there’s one magical sport that has cast a spell on adults and children alike—Quidditch, the sport popularized in the popular Harry Potter book series. But here, the sport is more than just a game pulled from the pages of a book. It’s a sport that embraces inclusivity, welcoming all to…
From Atlas Obscura. Step into the world of Jeremy Frey, a distinguished master of Wabanaki Basketry and a proud guardian of his Passamaquoddy heritage in the captivating state of Maine. With a lineage that traces back seven generations and beyond, he continues a timeless tradition deeply rooted in the local landscape. We take an intimate…
From Atlas Obscura. Join Dylan Thuras on a thrilling journey through the freshwater wonders of Texas in "All Roads Lead To Texas: Freshwater." Dive into cliff jumping at Hell’s Gate, explore the breathtaking Gorman Falls, and experience the exhilaration of kiteboarding in the wild winds of Texas. Discover a whole new side of the Lone…
From Atlas Obscura. Originally built by eccentric film producer and aviator Howard Hughes, the Texas Theatre has a history that’s equally as riveting as the films it screens, as this is where Lee Harvey Oswald was captured after his assassination of President Kennedy. Despite undergoing a major facelift, it was remodeled again to its original…
From Atlas Obscura. This unique home in Seguin, Texas features inventive architecture and a somewhat complicated history. Built from limecrete—a mixture of lime, water, and gravel—the Sebastopol House helped coin the nickname “City of Concrete” for Seguin, but it was built by enslaved people. Today, the house honors the region’s Black heritage by featuring the…
From Atlas Obscura. A spring-fed lake in south-central Texas is teeming with wonder, both real and imagined. San Marcos, one of the oldest continually inhabited sites in North America, is home to the second-largest group of freshwater springs in Texas. The springs also serve as a sanctuary for endangered flora and fauna like the Texas…
From Atlas Obscura. The Cavanaugh Flight Museum is a one-of-a-kind experience, almost as rare as the planes it houses. Located in Addison, Texas this museum boasts the largest collection of rare and historic warbirds in the Southwest, many of which are still fully operational today. This video was sponsored by Visit Addison. Curious to discover…
From Atlas Obscura. On the peaceful prairie of Mesquite, Texas, a local legend surrounds this 150-year-old home. The Opal Lawrence House is said to have hosted outlaw Jesse James on occasion, who would have used it as a lookout across the prairie. The house also boasts a unique painted ceiling, which has been an ongoing…
From Atlas Obscura. Established 300 years ago, Mission San Jose is known as the Queen of Missions, and for good reason: its architecture, flying buttresses, and castle-like facade is an automatic visual draw. It’s also the largest of five missions in the San Antonio area, which are classified as the First World Heritage Sites in…
From Atlas Obscura. This life-sized doll house in Granbury, Texas contains over 6,000 individual dolls, but perhaps it also contains something a little more ghostly. Tales have circulated of strange noises and figurines mysteriously rearranging themselves while the lights flicker on and off. Maybe these dolls are just a little more (after)lifelike than usual. This…
From Atlas Obscura. At 1,100 square feet, the Victorian-style home is considered the most ornate small cottage in Texas. Built by John Slover, the cottage was a result of his first home being destroyed by The Great Hurricane of 1900. Slover, however, did not simply pack up and leave—instead, he spent the next eight years…
From Atlas Obscura. Ghosts of the past come alive at Fort Bend Museum. Just beyond the banks of the Brazos, the Fort Bend Museum features exhibits leading visitors through history from the Texas Revolution to the Civil Rights movement as well as two historic homes representing very different Texan backgrounds. Keep your eyes peeled as…
From Atlas Obscura. Sprawling across 4 acres, the Heritage Farmstead Museum features 13 original structures and over 10,000 historical objects. Visitors can escape the scorching heat of Texas summer by stepping inside historically authentic farmhouses, following in the footsteps of settler families as they feed chickens, goats, and a donkey named Poncho. This video was…
From Atlas Obscura. The Museum of the Gulf Coast is 39,000 square feet of fascinating history crammed into one place. From the largest mural in the Southwest to a gallery personally designed by the famed modern artist Robert Rauschenberg, the museum is a trip through Texas’s history. But perhaps none of these galleries is as…
From Atlas Obscura. The Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie, Texas is one of the best examples of the Romanesque Revival architecture styles in the American Southwest. It also contains a mysterious secret. Marvel at the semi-circular arches, turrets, of curved glass, and working clocktower, but don’t forget to gaze at the faces carved into the…