Podcast Episodes

Edward Bellemy's Real-World Utopia

Dystopian fiction is all the rage these days. But back in the 1800s one of the bestselling books in the United States was a work of utopian fiction, about a guy who falls asleep in 1887 and accidenta…

Published on 7 months, 1 week ago

In Guyana, a Rebellion Thwarted by a Letter

In Guyana’s Square of the Revolution, a statue honors Cuffy, an Akan man from West Africa who became a legendary figure. Captured and enslaved by the Dutch in the colony of Berbice (present-day Guyan…

Published on 7 months, 1 week ago

The Places YOU Gained After the Pandemic

Earlier this month, the Atlas Obscura staff shared the places we gained during the pandemic. Now, we hear your stories – from a university that is an unlikely home for a certain critter, to a private…

Published on 7 months, 1 week ago

Chicago Bridge Houses (Classic)

Drawbridge operators in Chicago used to live at these specific homes nestled at the base of their bridges.

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

The Man Who Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge

At the height of the Incan empire, a series of 200 woven suspension bridges crisscrossed the valleys of the Andes. Today, only one remains. It’s called the Q'eswachaka, and it’s rewoven every year by…

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Finding The Great Gatsby in Louisville

You might think of The Great Gatsby as a classic New York City novel –  but the events that set off the action of the story actually take place somewhere else. In Louisville, Kentucky. It’s where Dai…

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Saving the World’s Rarest Pasta

For 300 years, only a handful of women in Sardinia knew how to make the “threads of God,” an exceptionally intricate pasta. But then, one woman decided to share the recipe with the outside world.    …

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Dylan’s Mailbag: Waiting in Lines, Traveling with Mixed Budgets, and Unexpected Layovers

Dylan and producers Johanna and Amanda take your questions. If you 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 a…

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Medical Clowning Program (Classic)

The history of medical clowning extends back to Ancient Greece and the time of Hippocrates and is taught in workshops throughout the world.  

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/place…

Published on 7 months, 3 weeks ago

That Time Locusts Ate The Entire Midwest

In the 1870s the Midwest experienced a devastating natural disaster in the form of… an enormous cloud of extremely hungry locusts. Dylan and producer Amanda discuss what happens when a cloud of locus…

Published on 7 months, 3 weeks ago