Home

DIY Anthropology: International Obscura Day this Saturday. Go Wild.

Calling all curious minds—scientists, anthropologists, relentless tourists: Saturday, April 9th, is International Obscura Day, the day to "explore hidden treasures in your hometown," or so says Atlas Obscura, a website dedicated to public curiosities and esoterica. If you're the kind of person who appreciates public oddities every day of the year, tomorrow is icing on the cake. Celebrate Obscura Day in one of hundreds of locales—from Los Angeles to Sydney, from Berlin to Manila.

Here's a sampling of events offered:

Brooklyn, NY

Take a tour of the underground catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery where such notables as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Leonard Bernstein, and Boss Tweed are buried.

Grassy cemetery with tombstones and a gothic-style building in the background.

Houston, TX

Visit the Art Car Museum and chat with artist Mark Bradford as the "Junkyard Wars" and "Battle Bots" alumnus discuss his career of using cars to make art.

Chocolate car sculpture displayed in an art gallery.

Los Angeles, CA

Go for dinner and magic at the Magic Castle, an old house in the Hollywood Hills turned into an evening-long mystical experience (normally, it's extremely difficult to get past their exclusive doors, so go now while you can.) Don't miss the phantom piano player, and magic shows in every hidden room of the house.

Historic mansion with intricate architectural details and lush landscaping.

Lucas, KS

See the traveling museum that houses the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things. Be one of the first 44 to arrive, and you'll receive a special gold-foil-imprented pencil to commemorate the event.

Ice cream truck with colorful branding parked on a street.

Portland, OR

Visit Reed University to peer into a functioning nuclear reactor that's usually closed to the public. (Hope that there's no surprise earthquakes tomorrow.)

Abstract blue background with vertical lines and glowing effects.

San Francisco, CA

Get a special pass to walk through off-limits areas at Alcatraz Island, and gaze upon rarely seen buildings, including the guards' apartments, the firehouse, and "the dungeon".

Alcatraz Island at sunset with dramatic clouds.

Florence, Italy

Take a backroom tour of La Specola Anatomical Collection, infamous for their gory displays of preserved hippopotamus' and preserved medical oddities. Ick.

Preserved skeleton displayed in a glass case.

London, England

Tour behind-the-scenes at the renowned Royal Observatory Greenwich where, among other things, time was first kept with ultimate precision.

Royal Observatory Greenwich with historical buildings and domes.

Find an event in your city now.

Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates are packed with new features, and you can try them before almost everyone else. First, check Gadget Hacks' list of supported iPhone and iPad models, then follow the step-by-step guide to install the iOS/iPadOS 26 beta — no paid developer account required.