• Medfield State Hospital (Classic)
    Jan 31 2025

    This abandoned hospital outside Boston, Massachusetts was originally conceived as a place to help people with mental health issues. But it wound up doing a lot of harm.

    READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medfield-state-hospital

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    11 mins
  • Joe Magarac: The Other Man of Steel
    Jan 30 2025

    Joe Magarac is a folk hero that allegedly was born from the stories of immigrant steelworkers in the early 20th century. He is the Paul Bunyan of Steel Country. But is the legend of Joe Magarac an American immigrant folk story or is he the product of the imagination of writers and the steel executives?

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    21 mins
  • More First Trips Abroad
    Jan 29 2025

    Last month, we asked you for stories about your first trips abroad. That really struck a chord – we got too many great stories to fit in a single episode. So today, we’re sharing MORE of your stories from your first international trips. This time we hear about traveling abroad for the first time to Italy, Slovenia, Canada, and Norway.

    Plus: We want to hear your stories about traveling to see an event that you’ve been wanting to experience in person. That could be last year’s Olympics in Paris or visiting New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras for the first time. Or something totally different, like going to a special convention with an esoteric concept. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave us a message telling us your story. Or better yet, record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

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    14 mins
  • The Diving Horses of Atlantic City
    Jan 28 2025

    For half a century, horse diving was one of Atlantic City’s biggest attractions. One day in August 1964, a young girl attended one of these shows, and witnessed something that would change her life forever.

    Read Diana Hubbell’s story about horse diving in Atlantic City.

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    19 mins
  • Dylan’s Mailbag: Tough Trips, Controversial Airplane Etiquette, and Tattoos
    Jan 27 2025

    Dylan and producer Johanna take your questions.

    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 at Hello@AtlasObscura.com, or simply send your question via email.

    And if you want to listen to Dylan’s episodes about getting shipwrecked in Antarctica, check out Beechey Island Graves Part I and Part II.

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    18 mins
  • Buckley’s Cave (Classic)
    Jan 24 2025

    One of Australia’s greatest stories of escape and survival centers around this rock formation in Point Lonsdale.

    READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buckleys-cave

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    16 mins
  • The Mystery Man of Marree
    Jan 23 2025

    In 1998, a giant drawing of an Aboriginal man mysteriously appeared in the Australian Outback. Some locals were thrilled. Others wanted it destroyed. Producer Elah Feder goes looking for the culprit, and is led to a key piece of the puzzle – but not one she expected.

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    24 mins
  • Mobile Bay’s Tidal Wave of Fish
    Jan 22 2025

    Every summer, along a 15 mile stretch of the Alabama coastline, an almost magical natural phenomenon washes up on the beaches. Hundreds of fish and sea creatures usually hidden in the deep swim towards the shore. Locals call it the Mobile Bay Jubilee – and the jubilees are hard to predict and activate a different side of these coastal communities.

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    14 mins