The Atlas Obscura Podcast

The Atlas Obscura team answers the question: 

If time travel were possible, what time period would you visit and what place would you like to see most?

We also want to hear from you. Tell us your answer to the question above. Why do you wish to be there? What do you imagine it was like? Who, if anyone, would you have taken? How would you spend your time there? This can be anywhere in the world.

Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call in if you get disconnected.

Or you can also record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected]

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Today we’re diving into the illustrious history of tattooing in Long Beach, California. Once the headquarters of the US Navy’s Pacific fleet, Long Beach (and its infamous entertainment zone, The Pike) became home to a veritable renaissance of tattoo art between the 1920s-1970s. We’ll visit Outer Limits, a spot that’s been home to an active tattoo parlor since the ‘20s and is likely the oldest tattoo shop in the US. Owner and legendary tattoo artist Kari Barba tells us the story of the shop, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in April 2027.

For more info, check out:

• Outer Limits Tattoo
• The Tattoo Heritage Project in Long Beach (Kari tells us they hope to open an exhibit in time for the LA Olympics) 
• Want more stories of the old Pike? Check out our old episode on Elmer McCurdy, the funhouse mannequin who turned out not to be a mannequin at all
• Outer Limits has a strong claim on being the oldest tattoo shop in the US – we’ve also done an episode on the oldest tattoo shop in the world, Razzouk Ink in Jerusalem! 

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On Fridays this October, we're surfacing strange, incredible and sometimes spooky stories. In this episode, reporter Sam O’Brien takes us to Lily Dale, the world’s largest surviving community of spiritualists, where she learns (even if you don’t believe in ghosts) there’s more than one way to connect with the dead.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lily-dale-spiritualist-community

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Co-host Kelly McEvers has lost her passport – more than once. A lot more than once, actually. And all those mistakes led to some big life moments. And if you want to hear more about Kelly’s encounters with Zora, check out her story from This American Life. 

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A plot of old-growth forest in the Bronx is the largest surviving remnant of New York City's original woodland. This episode was produced by Nora Ritchie. 

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Kelly, Jerome, and Amanda answer some questions from a very autumnal mailbag – from visiting the LA version of a classic pumpkin patch (80 degrees, full sun, in a parking lot) to the best ways to get some chills and thrills ahead of Halloween.

Places mentioned in this episode:

• The LA Natural History Museum Spider Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
• Paranormal Activity on Broadway, NYC 
• Loved To Death Oddities, San Francisco, CA
• The Griswold Inn, Essex, CT 

If you have a question for our next one, give us a call, 315-992-7902, and leave a message. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected] or email us your question!

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We step foot into the Haines Shoe House, a famous shoemaker’s ambitious advertising experiment. Then, we trek to the World Famous Giant Shoe Museum, a giant collection from a man’s giant fixation.
 

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On Fridays this October, we're surfacing strange, incredible and sometimes spooky stories. This episode centers on cakes with a particular ingredient that some believe protected them from witchery - and sparked one of the best-known witch hunts in United States history. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-are-witch-cakes

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Today we're powering up our metal detectors and keeping a very close eye on the surface of the earth as we set out in the hunt for meteorites with Steve Arnold, who’s been in the game for more than three decades. If you want to learn more, check out Steve’s website, and read this profile of the meteorite hunting community.

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There’s an organ in Halberstadt, Germany that began to play in 2001 and will continue to play until the year 2640. This is the John Cage Organ Project Halberstadt. 

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