Best Witness Docs & Atlas Obscura Podcasts (2025)

1
Dolly Parton’s Dreambox (Classic) 14:41

12h ago14:41

14:41

We will always love Dolly Parton, who’s installed a “dreambox” time capsule at her amusement park. In it, there’s a secret song that no one will hear until the legendary artist turns 100. LEARN MORE about Dolly’s songwriting prowess in Unlikely Angel, a book by Hamilton College professor Lydia Hammesley.…

1
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake with The Sporkful 40:14

1d ago40:14

40:14

Today, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at the Sporkful. Dan Pashman goes on a tour of Los Angeles, with an Atlas Obscura guide in hand. In search of an elusive slice of coconut cake, Dan begins at the airport, takes a detour to an underground tunnel system, and pays a visit to a very unusual store: Time Travel Mart.…

1
Museum of Friends 15:02

2d ago15:02

15:02

Producer Luz Fleming chats with the co-founders of MoF, or the Museum of Friends, about how they managed to create one of the best contemporary art museums Colorado has to offer, in one of the least likely locations you can imagine.By SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
Why Is There a Dinosaur Here? 13:41

4d ago13:41

13:41

The roadside dinosaur has been part of the Americana cannon since the 1930s, and we’ve got theme parks and Sinclair gas station mascots as a result. Today, Places Editor Diana Hubbell and producer Johanna Mayer head to two spots on opposite ends of the United States to ask one question: Why is there a dinosaur here? Learn more about Steve’s Dinosau…

1
Welcome to Summer (Classic) 12:19

4d ago12:19

12:19

It’s Memorial Day, and the unofficial start of summer! To kick off the season, we hear a sampling of listener-submitted stories of summer adventure in the wild, strange, and wonderful world in which we live. Plus: Birds!By SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
We’re Looking for Stories about Places that Celebrate Lesser-Known Queer History 1:11

7d ago1:11

1:11

It’s almost Pride Month, and we want to hear your stories about places that celebrate lesser-known queer history, or that have a deep personal connection to you. Give us a call at (315) 992-7902, and leave us a message telling us your name and story. Or, record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected].…

1
Kalakuta Museum (Classic) 13:25

8d ago13:25

13:25

Iconic musician Fela Kuti declared his home in Lagos, Nigeria, an independent state. He called it Kalakuta - and in 1977 it was invaded by the Nigerian Army.By SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
A Disappearance from the Ocean View Hotel 26:31

9d ago26:31

26:31

In 1926, a wildly popular evangelical preacher named Aimee Semple McPherson disappeared from Venice Beach, in front of the Ocean View Hotel. When her body wasn’t found, she was presumed to have drowned. There’s just one curious thing: Over the next few weeks, people kept on seeing her.By SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
Edward Bellamy's Real-World Utopia 15:32

10d ago15:32

15:32

Dystopian fiction is all the rage these days. But back in the 1800s one of the bestselling books in the United States was a work of utopian fiction, about a guy who falls asleep in 1887 and accidentally time travels to the year 2000. The book, called “Looking Backward” launched political parties, communal living projects, and inspired a generation …

1
In Guyana, a Rebellion Thwarted by a Letter 17:59

11d ago17:59

17:59

In Guyana’s Square of the Revolution, a statue honors Cuffy, an Akan man from West Africa who became a legendary figure. Captured and enslaved by the Dutch in the colony of Berbice (present-day Guyana), Cuffy rose from house slave to revolutionary leader. But an act of civility would be the beginning of his downfall.…

1
The Places YOU Gained After the Pandemic 12:08

12d ago12:08

12:08

Earlier this month, the Atlas Obscura staff shared the places we gained during the pandemic. Now, we hear your stories – from a university that is an unlikely home for a certain critter, to a private community, to an arboretum and a chance encounter. Plus: We want to hear from you for our next compilation episode! Pride month is coming, and we want…

1
Chicago Bridge Houses (Classic) 12:42

15d ago12:42

12:42

Drawbridge operators in Chicago used to live at these specific homes nestled at the base of their bridges.By SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
The Man Who Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge 27:22

16d ago27:22

27:22

At the height of the Incan empire, a series of 200 woven suspension bridges crisscrossed the valleys of the Andes. Today, only one remains. It’s called the Q'eswachaka, and it’s rewoven every year by a continuous line of bridge builders. Journalist Eliot Stein traveled to Peru to meet the current bridge builder, and to witness this incredible tradi…

1
Finding The Great Gatsby in Louisville 14:55

17d ago14:55

14:55

You might think of The Great Gatsby as a classic New York City novel – but the events that set off the action of the story actually take place somewhere else. In Louisville, Kentucky. It’s where Daisy and Gatsby first meet, and where Daisy marries Gatsby’s rival, Tom Buchanan (boo, hiss!) In today’s episode, we track down the footsteps of author F.…

1
Saving the World’s Rarest Pasta 15:53

18d ago15:53

15:53

For 300 years, only a handful of women in Sardinia knew how to make the “threads of God,” an exceptionally intricate pasta. But then, one woman decided to share the recipe with the outside world. Read Diana Hubbell’s article about the quest to save the world’s rarest pasta.By SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
Dylan’s Mailbag: Waiting in Lines, Traveling with Mixed Budgets, and Unexpected Layovers 14:42

19d ago14:42

14:42

Dylan and producers Johanna and Amanda take your questions. If you have a question for Dylan, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected], or simply email your question. Plus: Listen to Dylan’s episode about how he learned to love Las Vegas.…

1
Medical Clowning Program (Classic) 15:14

22d ago15:14

15:14

The history of medical clowning extends back to Ancient Greece and the time of Hippocrates and is taught in workshops throughout the world. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medical-clowning-program-at-haifa-universityBy SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
That Time Locusts Ate The Entire Midwest 22:56

23d ago22:56

22:56

In the 1870s the Midwest experienced a devastating natural disaster in the form of… an enormous cloud of extremely hungry locusts. Dylan and producer Amanda discuss what happens when a cloud of locusts twice the size of Colorado descends on your town. If you can’t get enough of Rocky Mountain Locusts check out our episode on Grasshopper Glacier!…

1
Club Ebony 11:49

24d ago11:49

11:49

We get a crash course in the Chitlin' Circuit, a network of entertainment venues for Black musicians during segregation. And we take a closer look at a special stop along the way: Club Ebony. It’s a place that still thumps with the blues of the past, even as it welcomes a new generation of musicians.…

1
The Big Well 9:55

25d ago9:55

9:55

In 1887, Greensburg, Kansas was a small town in a relatively new state. The town needed to come up with a way to attract visitors – and they chose to think big. Very, very big.By SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura

1
The Places We Gained After the Pandemic 14:46

26d ago14:46

14:46

It’s been five years since the pandemic shutdown. So often, conversations about that time revolve around places we’ve lost. But for this episode, Atlas Obscura staffers share the places they gained during the pandemic. Plus: We want to hear from you. Tell us about the places that you gained or discovered during the pandemic. How did you discover th…

1
Bad Rap Week: Ashley Ray’s Secret Place (Classic) 17:45

29d ago17:45

17:45

Dylan sits down with podcaster Ashley Ray, who has more than a soft spot for her Midwest hometown. Hear why she thinks it may just be the best kept secret, despite its bad reputation. Check out Ashley’s podcast all about TV and culture. All week, we’re collaborating with the great podcast Terrestrials to tell stories about people, places, and anima…

1
Bad Rap Week: Prowling for Coyotes in Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery 21:29

30d ago21:29

21:29

As a child, Lulu Miller had a beloved dog. But one day, the dog disappeared – and in all likelihood, it was probably eaten by coyotes. Since then, Lulu has been strangely fascinated by these crepuscular creatures. Now, she heads to Graceland Cemetery in Chicago at the crack of dawn – to marvel at the urban coyotes that make the cemetery their home,…

1
Bad Rap Week: Searching for Wonder in the Most Boring Mall in Canada 16:46

1M ago16:46

16:46

Toronto is home to a massive underground mall called the PATH, a labyrinth of hallways with shops, banks, and no fewer than nine Tim Hortons. At 30 kilometers long, it’s the largest underground shopping complex in the world. It's also famously dull. What wonder can be found in a dreary, underground mall? Reporter Elah Feder takes this as a challeng…

1
Bad Rap Week: Dylan and Alan Fall Down the Rat Hole 15:29

1M ago15:29

15:29

Dylan has complicated feelings about rats. On one hand, they’re amazingly resourceful creatures. On the other, they caused the bubonic plague (and other harmful situations). So when Terrestrials producer and composer Alan Goffinski went on a rat reporting spree Dylan knew just who he had to talk to in order to come to terms with his feelings about …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Witness Docs & Atlas Obscura Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
The Atlas Obscura Podcast

SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura

1
Mob Queens

Jessica Bendinger & Michael Seligman

1
Dolly Parton’s Dreambox (Classic) 14:41

1
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake with The Sporkful 40:14

1
Museum of Friends 15:02

1
Why Is There a Dinosaur Here? 13:41

1
Welcome to Summer (Classic) 12:19

1
We’re Looking for Stories about Places that Celebrate Lesser-Known Queer History 1:11

1
Kalakuta Museum (Classic) 13:25

1
A Disappearance from the Ocean View Hotel 26:31

1
Edward Bellamy's Real-World Utopia 15:32

1
In Guyana, a Rebellion Thwarted by a Letter 17:59

1
The Places YOU Gained After the Pandemic 12:08

1
Chicago Bridge Houses (Classic) 12:42

1
The Man Who Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge 27:22

1
Finding The Great Gatsby in Louisville 14:55

1
Saving the World’s Rarest Pasta 15:53

1
Dylan’s Mailbag: Waiting in Lines, Traveling with Mixed Budgets, and Unexpected Layovers 14:42

1
Medical Clowning Program (Classic) 15:14

1
That Time Locusts Ate The Entire Midwest 22:56

1
Club Ebony 11:49

1
The Big Well 9:55

1
The Places We Gained After the Pandemic 14:46

1
Bad Rap Week: Ashley Ray’s Secret Place (Classic) 17:45

1
Bad Rap Week: Prowling for Coyotes in Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery 21:29

1
Bad Rap Week: Searching for Wonder in the Most Boring Mall in Canada 16:46

1
Bad Rap Week: Dylan and Alan Fall Down the Rat Hole 15:29