Podcast Episodes

Meet the Man Who Sets America’s Living Rooms on Fire

Today we visit the ATF Fire Research Laboratory where investigators recreate arson attacks and analyze burn patterns. 

Read more about John Allen and his work at the world's largest fire research labo…

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

Discovery Hut (Classic)

Atlas Obscura's Gemma Tarlach shares what it's like to step inside a relic from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and to find traces of a famous lost party of explorers.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:…

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

Hunting for Meteorites with Steve Arnold

Today we're powering up our metal detectors and keeping a very close eye on the surface of the earth as we set out in the hunt for meteorites with Steve Arnold, who’s been in the game for more than t…

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

This 80s Icon Has A Shrine In A Berlin Hostel

In the basement of a Berlin hostel – in a corridor connecting their brewery to the luggage storage area – is a shrine to a pop culture icon with a surprising connection to the city’s history. (Hint: …

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

My Life in Three Places: Dylan Thuras

Dylan takes us on a tour of three places that have shaped his life.

Listen to our episodes about the Corn Palace, House on the Rock, and Gold Medal Flour.

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

Mother Jones and the Battle of Blair Mountain

How a woman in her 70s inspired some of the biggest labor uprisings in American history.

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

Pigeon Towers of Iran (Classic)

This elaborate architecture throughout Iran served a very unique purpose - gathering pigeon guano. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pigeon-towers-iran

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

Getting Lost with Susan Orlean

Travel writer Susan Orlean is an admitted terrible tourist. But she’s an expert at getting lost – with a purpose. Today, she takes us to some of the places that have shaped her life. And she talks ab…

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

A Walk Through Sandwich History with Barry Enderwick

Barry Enderwick has made and tasted more than 1000 sandwiches from across history. Today, he and Dylan make – and eat three sandwiches that each tell us something about history, culture, and ourselve…

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago

The Mysterious Origins of Virginia’s Swimming Ponies

For one day every July, the Assateague Channel on Virginia’s marshy eastern shore is filled with the bobbing heads of swimming ponies. These feral horses are celebrities in the area, but nobody actua…

Published on 1 year, 5 months ago