Podcast Episodes

Tumbleweed Christmas Tree (Winter Wonder Classic)

Chandler, Arizona creates a Christmas Tree made entirely of the diaspore of this Western plant. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tumbleweed-christmas-tree

Published on 2 years ago

A Holiday Announcement

Over the last two and a half years, the Atlas Obscura podcast has published well over 500 original episodes. For the next few weeks, we're taking a holiday break  -- but not leaving you without wonde…

Published on 2 years ago

President Heads (Classic)

42 giant busts of U.S. presidents are slowly crumbling in a field in Virginia. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/president-heads

Published on 2 years ago

Sniffing out What’s Special with Saskia Wilson Brown

Specific smells have been linked to specific geographies, cultures, and mythologies for THOUSANDS of years. Today, we hear from Saskia Wilson-Brown about fragrance, power, and the power of scent. 

MOR…

Published on 2 years ago

Nightwalking with Bianca Giaever

We learn about an age-old practice of nightwalking, with the help of two women who took it on as an experiment in the early chaotic days of the pandemic. Joining the conversation is Bianca Giaever, c…

Published on 2 years ago

A Return to Recipe Graves

Gastro Obscura’s senior editor Sam O’Brien returns to the podcast to go deeper with us on her strange beat – recipes etched into gravestones. We probe how food can help heal and remember those we’ve …

Published on 2 years ago

Old City Hall Station

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. 

MORE: Visit the New York Transit M…

Published on 2 years ago

Pando the Trembling Giant (Classic)

Fishlake National Forest is home to the biggest organism by mass on the planet - but this giant is shrinking and an usual group has banded together to help defend it.  

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:  https:…

Published on 2 years ago

Gourdlandia

This magical wonderland in Ithaca, New York is devoted entirely—almost spiritually—to this unusual and versatile fruit. It's also the brainchild of Graham Ottoson, who is teaching an Atlas Obscura co…

Published on 2 years ago

New Bedford Whaling Museum

An oozing whale skeleton isn't the only attraction at this Massachusetts museum. Hear how a producer’s visit revealed some surprising facts about an industry that helped enrich a city and was inclusi…

Published on 2 years ago