Podcast Episodes

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…

Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago

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…

Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago

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 o…

Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago

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 t…

Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago

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 Assignme…

Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago

The Brutalist (Places Edition)

Diana Hubbell and Roxanne Hoorn from the Places team take us to two locations on opposite sides of the world that both evoke deep reverence – and an appreciation for an architectural style not usuall…

Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago

A Gaga Tour of the Town (Classic)

Producer Manolo Morales – a verified Little Monster, gallivants around the Lower East Side, via an immersive, performance-art walking tour dedicated to an iconic pop star. 

Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago

McAtlas with Gary He

James Beard award winning photographer and writer Gary He tells us about traveling to more than 50 countries across six continents, all to document and photograph one of the most popular fast food ch…

Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago

This Dog Stole Madrid’s Heart

In the 1880s, Madrid’s most famous resident was a medium-sized black and white dog called Paco who frequented cafes, parades, and even bullfights. 

Check out some of our favorite episodes about charis…

Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Arizona’s Big, Big Souvenir

In the 1960s, London Bridge was falling down – specifically, it was sinking down under the weight of modern-day traffic. London decided to put the bridge up for sale, and it attracted all kinds of bu…

Published on 9 months, 4 weeks ago