Last night, I fell asleep to the cheers, boos, groans, and expletives of the crowd watching the Knicks/Spurs game at a bar across the street. I’m no “sports person” by any means, but I do love how team loyalty brings folks together.

Catalonia’s Human Tower Tradition

In Catalonia, no festival is complete without castells: massive towers of humans that can reach jaw-dropping heights. They date back to the early 18th century and likely grew out of much older gymnastic and human tower–building traditions throughout Spain. While most of these ancient sports have all but disappeared, castells have actually gained popularity over the last several decades. About a hundred colles, or teams, are now active in the region.

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Team Up

How a team of explorers traveled through Antarctica by kite — Throwing caution to the wind
This team of reenactors helped solve a Revolutionary War mystery — Battling for the truth
Meet Montreal’s team of “dream engineers” — Inception in real life?

Place of the Day

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Willis Tower Glass Platform

As the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, Willis Tower provides an unrivaled view of Chicago, all from the comfort of four glass platforms suspended 1,353 feet in the air. Located on the building’s 103rd floor Skydeck, the observation perches allow visitors to enjoy a unique and vertigo-worthy view of the city’s architectural landscape.

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A Prairie Reborn Outside Chicago

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie offers a glimpse of a landscape that once covered much of the Midwest. Established in 1996 on the site of a former army ammunition plant, it is now the first national tallgrass prairie in the United States and a major restoration effort spanning nearly 20,000 acres. Today, visitors can hike miles of trails, spot grassland birds, and even see a conservation herd of bison helping to restore the ecosystem.

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Introducing...Atlas Obscura Events!

San Francisco Free Folk Festival

JULY 11, 2026

An eclectic mix of live performances, hands-on sessions, and community gatherings in Golden Gate Park.

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Curiosity Rewards Return Visits

Curiosity rarely ends with the first visit. Inside The Obscura Society, conversations continue, new questions appear and discoveries tend to lead to more discoveries. Pull up a chair. Ask something strange. Or simply explore and see what you find this time.

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The AO Podcast: The Animal Worlds We Rarely See

In his new book, “The Hidden Nations of Animals,” author Ryan Huling documents a fascinating, secret world.

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