Travel Podcasts, Discovered
Your guide to the world's strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Kelly McEvers and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters transport you to a new wonder every day. Along the way, you'll meet fascinating people and hear their stories.
100 most recent episodes displayed below
Visit website →Today we visit a baklava shop in Istanbul at the intersection of autocracy, violence and urban renewal. Kelly speaks with journalist Suzy Hansen, author of the book “ From Life Itself: Turkey and Istanbul in the Age of Erdogan” about a 2019 attack on
We visit the Louisiana town where the infamous – but often misunderstood – couple’s story came to an end.
Step back in time with us at the Wagner Free Institute of Science and explore how this museum defies modernity, preserving its original mission of education and inclusivity since the 19th century.
Besides the sky, blue is a color you don’t often see in nature. It often signals poison, something artificial. True blue is astonishingly rare. But today, producers Amanda McGowan and Glydel Go take you to two places on opposite ends of the earth, wi
A hospital and rehab center for birds in Manhattan started with a woman who just wanted to do all she could to help an injured goose. Decades later, it has become an institution.
On the eve of the Second World War, there was one place that was the source for all good stories — the Hotel Imperial in Vienna. It exuded luxury and power, and also was the converging spot for foreign correspondents in the 1920’s and ‘30s who were w
Her image is just about everywhere in New York City. But her name and story is rarely known. This is the story of America’s first supermodel Audrey Munson
Plus, if you find yourself in New York City, we would love to hear from you about your encount
In Hastings, Nebraska, the Kool-Aid man is a bit of a local legend. Not the anthropomorphic glass pitcher with a face who yells “Oh yeah” (though he’s part of the story too) but the original Kool-Aid man, Edwin Perkins, who invented the drink almost
Visitors to the Truck Yard beer garden in The Colony, Texas (outside Dallas) are treated to a very unusual art collection: a sweeping array of around 1400 hand-painted toilet seats, many of which are also collaged with objects ranging from tortoise s
We want to hear from you! Have you visited all 50 states? Or maybe you’re really close? Tell us about your 50 state journey – whether you’re a quester type, or more of an accidental type, like me. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. Y
This tiny island off the coast of Peru is an UNESCO World Heritage site for having the finest textile art. It’s also the place where a knitted hat represents and symbolizes a man’s code of honor, marital status, and love for life.
Dean Karnazes has visited all 50 states in the U.S. But he did it in an incredible way: In 2006, he ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.
Plus: Have you visited all 50 states? Or are you trying to? We want to hear your story. Give us a call at 3
We head south of Miami to hear the story of a family that took a gamble on a humble roadside stand that blossomed into a fruit emporium and community staple.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each epis
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Amanda answer a fun hypothetical, and a classic would-you-rather question.
If you have a question for our next mailbag episode, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also record a
Monterrey, Mexico is known for its mountains, its industry, and its close connection to the US. But Monterrey was also home to one of the first private radio stations, run by a man who would become known as the father of Mexican radio: Constantino de
The story of how a former nuclear missile silo in Wamego, Kansas became the site of the largest LSD bust in US history (allegedly). Fore more information, check out author Dennis McDougal’s website and Rolling Stone’s interview with Leonard Pickard.
Beverly Gage is a Pulitzer Prize award winner and a professor of history at Yale University. Her new book This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S History is a travelogue that takes us on the road into America's past as she travels to visit 13
In this episode, we explore Smither Park, an artistic oasis in Houston where self-taught artists transform a humble park into a mesmerizing gallery.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we t
Pea Island is a wildlife refuge, and one of the most untouched parts of the Outer Banks. But a century ago, this small piece of land was the site of one of the most remarkable water rescues to date. And it was thanks to a man who, just 30 years after
Reporter Elah Feder ventures into one of her hometown’s biggest tourist attractions: A 98-room castle in the middle of Toronto that bankrupted a 19th century electricity multimillionaire.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer wo
We visit the tower of Baa-Goat, which is inhabited by a flock of goats who speak Swiss French. Along the way we hear about 19th century architectural follies, why goats like to climb, and how sometimes household projects can take on a life of their o
This museum in John Day, Oregon, was once a Chinese general store and medicine shop that dates back to the 1800s. But these days it’s a perfectly preserved time capsule, down to the fruit – down to the orange its former owner left on the counter in t
We follow one man’s journey down an internet rabbit hole that becomes a search for a one-of-a-kind forest and its mysterious creator.
How did a farm in Missouri wind up with 60,000 collectible pigs? The story involves a radio DJ with a dartboard, an unsuspecting fitness-instructor-turned-farmer, and a fateful phone call.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer w
Kelly McEvers has visited all 50 states. But not on purpose.
Plus: we want to hear from you. Have you visited all 50 states? Or maybe you’re really close? Tell us about your 50 state journey – whether you’re a quester type, or more of an accidental
Today, we step onto the four acres of Seattle’s Beacon Food Forest. And we learn how what started as a neighborhood project evolved into an open-source grocery store.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In
James Baldwin’s former home in the South of France is a site that many visit hoping to feel the essence of the great African-American writer. But should it be?
Natchez, Mississippi is home to one of the largest concentrations of antebellum homes, and tourists come from far and wide to see them. But Natchez was also a center of the cotton trade, and had one of the biggest slave markets in the country. Filmma
Today, there are only remains of what were once these massive baths constructed by self made millionaire Adolph Sutro in San Francisco.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyon
This experimental automotive replica of Stonehenge has become a symbol of the town of Alliance, Nebraska. But residents haven’t always been fans.
Dylan tries his hand at playing a “glass armonica,” a musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. Its high-pitched, eerie sounds were rumored to cure all kinds of illnesses – or even, sometimes, cause them.
This episode is part of our ongoing
A tidy little story from Pocatello, Idaho, home to the Museum of Clean
Lionel Messi left Argentina and became a soccer superstar playing in Spain. But when he came back home to play for the Argentina National Team, he had a tough time. NPR reporter and The Last Cup podcast host Jasmine Garsd talks about Messi’s return t
At the Mapparium® globe in Boston, visitors can step inside a giant, three-story stained glass globe…and get a glimpse of the bigger picture.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you
A massive California wildfire prompted author Ryan Huling to get curious about the boundaries between human civilization and a vacant wilderness. It led him on a travel quest into the world of animals, which he documented in a new book, The Hidden Na
A renegade art project in Vancouver galvanized a small community, pitted residents against city government, and ultimately resulted in a new name for a chill park.
This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In eac
A pay phone in Washington, D.C tells you jokes and affirmations.
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
Professional rainmaker Charles Hatfield was either a scientist or a con man who had a particular influence on San Diego, CA.
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Amanda answer questions about books where the setting is transportive, travel in the Middle East right now, and how to handle sharing an Airbnb with five friends but only one bathroom.
If you have a qu
We visit an office building in Guadalajara, and learn how one man moved it – workers and all – exactly 40 feet.
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
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.
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 w
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.
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
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 per
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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 e
This sculpture in Spokane, WA was created by a"welding nun" decades ago.
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 O
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.
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
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.
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, gi
Scientists in Denver, Colorado store and conduct tests on miles of ice core samples dating back hundreds of thousands of years.
In 1891, a knot of men murdered a 1,300-year-old tree to prove it wasn’t a "tall tale." We visit the Mark Twain Stump, a 16-foot-wide wooden stage that serves as a monument to early American hubris, the cost of disbelief, and the bittersweet birth of
We go to Wilmington, Delaware, to a 4-acre garden with characters and exhibits created using castoff materials and greenery that invites kids to drop screens and rules – and instead give in to a state of play.
This amusement park in Singapore holds the Ten Courts of Hell, a series of dioramas that depict the kind of horrible fates awaiting people who behaved badly on Earth.
Producers Jerome and Johanna join co-host Kelly McEvers to answer questions about souvenir-buying stress, multigenerational travel, and what to listen to on a road trip when you don’t have the same taste as your driving buddy.
Our next mailbag episo
Allen Woodall’s first lunchbox was a brown paper bag. Since then, he’s amassed a collection of over 5,000 lunchboxes, all housed in a museum in Columbus, Georgia.
The Lunchbox Museum is part of the Columbus Collective Museums. Learn more: https://ww
Producers India Rice and Morgan Johnson take you beyond this planet as they share two stories tied to the franchise Star Wars.
In Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, there was once a revolutionary community for African Americans willing to do whatever it took to maintain their own freedom – and help others achieve theirs.
Historians have known about the strange passageway in the Merchant’s House Museum for decades, but they never knew what it was for… until now. And now that we know, it changes everything we thought we knew about why the Merchant’s House really matter
The townspeople of Manitou Springs, Colorado do something very interesting to celebrate the legacy.of a young woman who loved, lived and died there 130 years ago.
Co-host Kelly McEvers doesn’t usually return to places – she always wants to go somewhere new. But there’s one place that makes her break her own rule over and over again.
A listener shares a wonder from his backyard, this time in the small town of Aztec, New Mexico.
Plus, we want to hear from you. Tell us about the wonders in your backyard. Is there a strange, unusual or surprising place in your city or town? What ma
The José María Azael Franco Guerrero Cemetery in Tulcán, Ecuador is a topiary anomaly and a lush green paradise for the dead. This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with classic and new stories about unusual gardens around the world.
Jason deCaires Taylor takes intentional art to another level with his sculptures that can be visited by humans and fish. This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic stories about unusual gardens around the world.
Today we visit a hidden gem of Washington, D.C.: the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, an oasis of ponds filled with lotuses and waterlilies. This unusual National Park – the only aquatic gardens that are a National Park – were first dug in the 1800s by a
An orchard of metal poles sits on a hill overlooking Lake Washington. And when the wind blows, this musical sculpture "sings the world into existence" with its unique sound.
This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and classic sto
The Alnwick Poison Garden in England is a place where stopping and smelling the flowers could actually kill you. The garden is dedicated entirely to plants that are narcotic or deadly.
This week, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring with new and
In the Soviet Union, x-rays didn’t just give you a look inside the human body. They also gave you a glimpse of the outside world, thanks to music that was imprinted onto this unassuming medical tool.
Plus: We always want to hear from you! If you hav
As a young adult, Paul "Barbs" Barbato gave himself perhaps the world's biggest social studies assignment: make a profile of every single one of the 193 UN-recognized countries in the world. Ten years later, he finally finished.
Check out Paul’s pro
In a storefront in Kearney, Nebraska, Morris Press Cookbooks Store houses a massive "Google of family recipes," chronicling nearly a century of American home-style cuisine. To test the archive, producer Jerome Campbell attempts to “bake his way back
We asked you to send us stories about a time you accidentally broke the rules while traveling… and some you really went there.
Plus, we want to hear stories about a place you love returning to. Where in the world is this place? What fond memories do
As a foreign correspondent, Kelly McEvers has found herself detained by the KGB, held up at ISIS checkpoints, and on the front line in Syria. But it was a much more mundane experience that left her feeling in over her head years later.
This little house in New Haven, Kentucky is where Thomas Merton aka profit-poet aka the rebel monk tried to get away from the world. Plus: We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at at 315-992-7902 and
In 1971, five hippies made a trek through the Amazon looking for rare psychedelic drugs. One of them was Terence McKenna, who, along with his brother Dennis, would go on to change the way Americans thought about “magic mushrooms” forever. We talk to
Producer Manolo Morales shares a story with co-host Kelly McEvers, about a legendary place in the backyard of our Canadian northern neighbors.
Plus, we want to hear from you. Tell us about the wonders in your backyard. Is there a strange, unusual or
We visit Jerry’s Hat Museum, where a retiree has turned to an old chapel to house a collection of thousands of hats, pens, odds, ends and other artifacts from his Illinois hometown.
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Jerome answer questions about whether you should experience certain places with other people, the best movies to watch on an airplane, and the delicate etiquette of traveling to places where you know pe
A producer sits down with Dylan and recounts his trip to a place referred to as “The Venice of Africa.”
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.
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.
For one sixteenth century Austrian mayor, a long, luscious beard was both his claim to fame – and the cause of his downfall.
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 s
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.
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 ju
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
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, sh
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 Lon
We wanna hear your stories about the times you’ve accidentally broken the rules somewhere foreign to you.
Maybe you went into a temple with your shoes on, when you weren’t supposed to. Maybe you had a drink at a sacred place and were forbidden to en
A producer takes a detour for a glimpse of what some call New York’s worst kept secret – a train station that’s been shut down and sealed away for nearly a century.
Cultural historian Kassia St. Clair tells the stories of two highly prized colors that are linked to specific places in the world: an exquisite, extremely expensive blue that crossed the globe and upended the European art world… and a shade of purple
Catia Lattouf has dedicated her life to nursing hummingbirds back to health – from inside her apartment in Mexico City.
Plus: We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at at 315-992-7902 and leave a mess