The Atlas Obscura Podcast

Joe Taft, founder and operator of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Indiana who has cared for hundreds of big cats. He describes the center’s scale and why many captive-bred lions, tigers, and leopards cannot be released. He tells stories of human-bonded animals like Frosty, contrasts USDA standards with his larger enclosures, and explains why private ownership often fails.

Sue Aikens, longtime Alaskan Arctic resident and author of North of Ordinary, reflects on decades living at the remote Kavik oil-camp and the wild life that shaped her. She recalls survival stories, a raven named George, a grizzly attack she survived, and why solitude and the tundra fit her spirit. The conversation traces loss, resilience, and returning to the childhood cabin that saved her.

Todd LaRue, director of special projects and author who spent a decade touring hundreds of Los Angeles museums. He talks about how his roadside and folk-site interests launched the project. He defines what counts as a museum and the geographic scope he used. He shares quirky finds like street lighting archives, nostalgia-filled Valley Relics, and a surprising Vietnamese-American history museum.

Victoria Munro, director of the Alice Austen House, guides listeners through the life and legacy of photographer Alice Austen. She describes the coastal Staten Island house, Austen’s bold street and intimate private photography, her partnership with Gertrude Tate, and the house’s later rescue and role as a museum and creative program hub.

A deep look at the Barbican as a prescient 'third place'—a concrete, multiuse city within a city. Tales of surprise discoveries, basement cinemas, and communal gardens bring the brutalist estate to life. Discussions explore how public arts, theaters, and shared spaces create social hubs and the modern threats facing these vital urban commons.

Listeners share mishaps from temples to police encounters when local rules clash with home habits. The episode highlights footwear, clothing, pointing and other cultural faux pas. Calls for short voice memos recounting where it happened, what went wrong, and how each situation was resolved.

A detour to a sealed, nearly century-old subway station and the secrets behind its closure. A museum tour reveals ornate cathedral-like architecture, skylights, and chandeliers preserved underground. Tales of the subway’s 1904 grand opening and how riders can still sneak a quick glimpse from a passing train.

Kassia St. Clair, cultural historian and author of The Secret Lives of Color, traces how ultramarine and mauve reshaped art and fashion. She tells the globe-spanning story of expensive lapis-based blue and the accidental chemical birth of mauve. Short, vivid tales link trade routes, patrons, chemistry, and shifting tastes.

Katia Latouf Villarida, a Mexico City hummingbird rescuer who runs a home sanctuary nursing injured and baby hummingbirds. She tells how dozens of hummingbirds live and fly inside her apartment. She shares her first rescue, how caregiving helped her through illness, the sanctuary’s layout and care routines. She also discusses threats to hummingbirds and the emotional process of preparing them for release.

Mark Gruther, museum curator and VP of Historical Resources at the Henry Ford, walks through a quirky artifact: a sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison’s last breath. Hear about Ford’s idolization of Edison, their friendship and collaborations. The story highlights why a tiny, ephemeral relic became a prized piece of industrial history.