In the California’s Jurupa Valley, residents discovered a treasure in their backyard: a 15,000 year old tree. Now, it may disappear.Read Shannon Osaka’s article about the Jurupa Oak.

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

A 15,000 Year Old Tree and a Housing Development

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 laboratory.

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

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: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/discovery-hut

Discovery Hut (Classic)

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 three decades. If you want to learn more, check out Steve’s website, and read this profile of the meteorite hunting community.

Hunting for Meteorites with Steve Arnold

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: It’s David Hasselhoff.) Plus: Atlas Obscura has a new book coming out! Pre-order your copy of Wild Life today.

This 80s Icon Has A Shrine In A Berlin Hostel

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.

My Life in Three Places: Dylan Thuras

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

Mother Jones and the Battle of Blair Mountain

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

Pigeon Towers of Iran (Classic)

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 about throwing out the guidebook – opening herself up to these experiences – and the art of getting lost.

Getting Lost with Susan Orlean

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 ourselves. Pre-order Barry’s book, Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook, today!  We also have a new book coming  Pre-order a copy of Wild Life today!

A Walk Through Sandwich History with Barry Enderwick

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 actually knows exactly how they got there. Atlas Obscura senior editor Gemma Tarlach tells us the story and wrote about it here.

The Mysterious Origins of Virginia’s Swimming Ponies

In 2008, a researcher floating in a boat in Lake Huron had an idea for how to learn more about our prehistoric ancestors. It involved sonar, a lot of patience, and some very bumbling AI caribou. Listen to Morgan Springer’s original story here. For more stories about the land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes, check out Points North wherever you get your podcasts.

How Caribou Gave Us a Peek at Life 9,000 Years Ago

We're working on another listener-led episode and want to know: What is your favorite unusual road trip destination? The weirdest road trip memory holed deep in your subconscious. Where was it? What did it look like? What do you remember? Maybe there is a place you have taken a friend, or your own kids and just thought. Oh man, they are going to freak out… It can be a good memory, a bad memory, or just a weird one. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send a voice memo to Hello@AtlasObscura.com. 

We Want to Hear Your Unusual Road Trip Stories

Anna Swan had an adventurous life before settling in Seville, Ohio and building a house large enough to fit her large life.

House the Giants Built (Classic)

Today we have two classic episodes to share about hidden histories of America. In one, we’ll hear the story of an unconventional Revolutionary patriot – an enslaved woman who sued her enslaver. And in the other, we’ll learn about a group of Native American veterans who developed an unbreakable secret code during World War II – and the unlikely location where their legacy is preserved.

Double Header for the Fourth

An audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Co-founder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters explore a new wonder every day, Monday through Thursday. In under 15 minutes, they’ll take you to an incredible place, and along the way, you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Our theme and end credit music is composed by Sam Tyndall.

hubhopper

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

hubhopper