Erin Johnson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Resources Library and Information Services

This Alaska library may be the only one in the country that allows you to check out pieces of taxidermy.
Hendersonville, North Carolina

Blue Ghost Fireflies

These eerie outliers of the lightning bug family glow a mysterious blue color.
Kawasaki, Japan

Anata No Warehouse

This faux-seedy Japanese arcade is made up to look like a maze of alleys straight out of a cyberpunk dystopia.
Boulder City, Nevada

Hoover Dam Old Exhibit Building

Experience a charming 1930's version of "infotainment."
Hillsborough, California

Junípero Serra Statue

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.
Wieliczka, Poland

Wieliczka Salt Mine

An underground city of salt.
Civita, Italy

Civita di Bagnoregio

This quaint Italian town keeps losing ground as the sides of its plateau slowly erode.
Khewra, Pakistan

Khewra Salt Mines

The world's second largest salt mine, said to have been discovered by Alexander the Great's horse.
Zipaquira, Colombia

Cathedral of Salt

Cathedral carved out of salt, located a mile below the earth's surface.
Oroville, California

Cherokee

Home of what was the largest hydraulic mine in the world, producing gold and the first diamonds in the U.S.
Mulgrave-et-Derry, Québec

Wallingford-Back Mine

What was once the largest mine in North America has left behind a hollow hill filled with bright blue waters.
Bonne Terre, Missouri

Bonne Terre Mine

The world's largest man-made underground caverns offer unparalleled underwater wonders.
Morondava, Madagascar

Avenue of the Baobabs

The centuries-old trees lining both sides of this dirt road may become Madagascar's first natural monument.
Cave City, Kentucky

Wigwam Village #2

One of the few surviving "Wigwam"-themed motels.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

The Abandoned Dioramas of the Old Grand Rapids Public Museum

The museum moved on, but the diorama remain.
Joliet, Illinois

Joliet Iron and Steel Works (Joliet Iron Works Park)

What was once the second largest steel mill in the US is now a sprawling complex of modern ruins.
Wrangell, Alaska

Petroglyph Beach

Low tide reveals 8,000-year-old rock carvings in Southern Alaska.
Fremont, California

The Secret Sidewalk

The old Niles Canyon Aqueduct in the San Francisco Bay Area is a bemusing and secret trail through nature for wayward travelers.
San Francisco, California

Land’s End Octagon House

The one-time watch house for incoming ships at the Golden Gate now stands abandoned and hidden in trees.
San Francisco, California

Sweeney Observatory Site

Barely visible foundations remain where Stow Lake’s “observatory” once welcomed visitors.
Regensburg, Germany

Document Neupfarrplatz

From Ancient Rome to WWII, Neupfarrplatz has over 2,000 years of history underneath its main square.
Doganella di Ninfa, Italy

Gardens of Ninfa

Ruins of a 10th century church tucked away deep in a botanical garden.
Ercolano, Italy

Herculaneum

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.
Belfort, France

The Lion of Belfort

A colossal sculptural lion built by the same man who designed the Statue of Liberty.