October 21, 2021

FRIGHT CLUB Vampire Origins The vampire is a common image in today’s pop culture, and one that takes many forms: from Alucard, the dashing spawn of Dracula in the PlayStation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, to Edward, the romantic, idealistic lover in the Twilight series. But suave as these bloodsucking monsters might be, they’re a far cry from their roots in Eastern European folklore. Here’s a bite-sized history for you. READ MORE → LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND Eleanor Rigby's Grave What do we know about the real woman behind one of the Beatles' most famous songs? The real Eleanor was born in 1895 to parents Mary Rigby and Arthur Whitfield. She worked in a hospital in Liverpool, and in 1930 married a man named Thomas Woods. Eleanor lived in Woolton her whole life, and died at the age of 44 in 1939. But how did her name get involved with The Beatles? READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Explore China's Regional Cuisines In this discussion-based seminar, we’ll learn about various regions of China through their distinct cuisines, using food as a vehicle for deeper learning. Join Atlas Obscura trip leader and educator Dr. Xiaokun Song as she walks us through cuisines across the country, as well as the histories, narratives, politics, and culture they’re steeped in. ENROLL NOW → FRIGHT CLUB Mapping Abandoned Railroads For the past several years, Andrew Grigg, a transit enthusiast, has been building an interactive atlas of abandoned railroads. Using Google Maps, he’s laid the ghostly silhouettes of the lines over modern aerial imagery, cataloguing some 2,500 lines and covering more than 60,000 miles. It’s a hefty task, but it’s worth it to help excavate histories that are on the brink of being forgotten. READ MORE → Demystifying A Mystery House You might have heard of the Winchester Mystery House, an architectural oddity in San Jose, California. The house is filled with unorthodox building decisions, where stairways lead into walls and some doors open into a dead drop to the room below. Legend has it that Sarah Winchester did this to appease or confuse the ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifles, but no ghost stories are really necessary to marvel at its creativity and ambition. In 2017, under new management, the labyrinthine mansion gave up more of its closely guarded secrets, with 40 hidden spaces opening to the public. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA EXPERIENCES | HALLOWEEK Charm School: Vintage Hallowe'en Decor Crafts, candy, costumes, and creatures! Join Nina Nightingale for a look at some curious decorations from the past, get some inspiration for your own upcoming fright night, and learn a quick and easy way to craft a vintage jack-o-lantern. GET TICKETS → HILLSBOROUGH TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY Doris Duke's Pet Cemetery Aided by the status of the “world’s richest girl” during the twilight of the Gilded Age, Doris Duke lived a life of many passions and pursuits. Her main residence was a sprawling 2,700-acre New Jersey estate called Duke Farms, which she shared with her family, visitors, and the animals she rescued and lived with, which have settled into their final resting places here. Keep an eye out for the tombstones for two camels, Princess and Baby, who were purchased as part of a deal that also included a Boeing 737 plane. READ MORE → Enter the Underworld Hades. Naraka. Guinee. Xibalba. Though names may differ from one set of teachings to another, almost every religion on the planet features the concept of an underworld—a place to which the souls of the dead are banished, for penance or punishment. Here are 11 purported entrances to the netherworld, ranging from Mayan caves to Japanese swamps. (Note: We take no responsibility for the consequences of your attempts to open an infernal portal.) READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST The Great Stalacpipe Organ We’re visiting the Luray Caverns in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia! We’re in search of one specific instrument that draws out the secret sounds of millennia-old stone. In the middle of the cave is an enormous organ, where the keys are connected to tiny mallets that hit a different stalactite. CÓRDOBA, SPAIN Noor From around 700 to 1200, the Islamic-ruled Spanish city of Córdoba was a rare beacon of religious tolerance in Europe, where Muslims, Jews, and Christians all coexisted in relative harmony. This cross-cultural exchange led to a flurry of intellectual and culinary flourishing. Moorish dishes, or those created by the Muslim inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula, drew on the vast array of spices and sweet-savory flavors of the Arab world, but when the fragile peace shattered, many of these recipes slipped into obscurity or all but disappeared. Since 2016, chef Paco Morales has been recapturing some of this region’s gastronomic heritage at Noor, his two-star Michelin restaurant in Córdoba. READ MORE → BORDIGHERA, ITALY Hotel Angst In the 19th century, the sleepy Ligurian town of Bordighera was among the most indulgent attractions for the elite traveling the Italian Riviera, and perhaps nothing better exemplifies its former glory better than the appropriately named Hotel Angst. Built by star-crossed Swiss entrepreneur Adolf Angst, the hotel contained world-class billiard halls, ballrooms, and state-of-the-art suites. But by the time the First and Second World Wars rolled around, the once-illustrious Hotel Angst fell into ruin—and now lies in ruin. READ MORE →