The Atlas Obscura Podcast

A preacher built the world’s biggest treehouse after a life-changing vision. The conversation traces its wild construction, winding staircases, chapel and strange features. Listeners hear about its role as a wedding and pilgrimage site and the community it created. The story ends with safety struggles, trespassing tales, and a mysterious fire that destroyed the landmark.

Listeners are invited to share off-the-beaten-path spring break travel memories. The show asks where you went, who you traveled with, and what made the trip unforgettable. Submission details include a three-minute voicemail option and an email for voice memos. The team eagerly awaits the most unexpected and memorable travel stories.

Linda Derry, site director of Old Cahawba Archaeological Park with decades at the site, guides listeners through Cahaba's layered past. She debunks name myths and recounts its rowdy frontier capital days. She traces the town's 1850s boom, Civil War disruptions, Reconstruction-era Black leadership, decline, and 20th-century revival as a historic park.

Rosecrans Baldwin, author and reporter who explores Los Angeles in Everything Now, guides a surprising tour of the city’s wild side. He highlights Griffith Park’s untamed feel and the 67-mile Backbone Trail. He also recounts a wilderness survival weekend and a quirky plant-communication class. LA comes alive as both rugged outdoors and quirky spiritual playground.

Will Harlan, Southeast Director at the Center for Biological Diversity and longtime hellbender researcher who snorkels to survey populations. He talks about hellbender biology and ancient adaptations. He discusses population declines, hurricane damage and surprising signs of resilience. He highlights community conservation and where to see them responsibly.

Deletri Hollinger, historian and co-director of the Florida Civil Rights Museum, provides context on Tallahassee's civil rights struggles. Phil Glason, project manager at FSU’s Master Craftsman Studio, explains the design choices behind the Tallahassee–Leon County Civil Rights Heritage Walk. They discuss the 1956 bus boycott, the memorial’s footsteps motif and name selection, and community reactions to the reveal.

Stories about unique overnight stays, from a Titanic-themed hotel and a castle with a self-serve whiskey library to a stranded night rescued at a truck stop. Listeners are invited to share unforgettable spring break travel tales. Short, surprising travel moments and oddball accommodations take center stage.

Lisa Sweezy, museum caretaker who preserves a vast ventriloquism collection. She walks through ventriloquism history and what makes it distinct from other puppetry. She recounts William Berger’s obsessive collecting and how the collection grew. She highlights standout dummies and offers a peek into the museum’s odd, eerie charm.

Denise Kuhn, a chili researcher at New Mexico State University who helps farmers and breeds peppers. Chris Naka, a reporter who narrates his visit to Walter De Maria’s Lightning Field. Dylan Thuras, Atlas Obscura co-founder and reporter who covers place-based stories. They explore the Chili Pepper Institute’s history and breeds, then recount the secretive, meditative experience of visiting the Lightning Field.

Colin Dickey, a writer who explores haunted and abandoned places, revisits Centralia, Pennsylvania and finds it unexpectedly lush. He describes the mine fire origins, failed extinguishing attempts, and how nature has reclaimed the landscape. He compares Centralia’s rewilding to other abandoned sites and notes signs the underground blaze still persists.