Along with our delightfully lovely partners at Hendrick’s Gin, we are eagerly anticipating the Second Annual International Obscura Day, slated for April 9th. We have organized 100 events in dozens of countries in concert with a panoply of odd and amazing friends and hosts from Chicago to Sydney, Minneapolis to Manila. Our aim is to make this global celebration of wonder and curiosity a reflection of the unique character of the Atlas Obscura community and a medium for our people and the world to connect with like-minded enthusiasts and explore the unusual places in their hometowns.

Obscura Day 2011 Preview from Atlas Obscura on Vimeo.

Often, however, these wondrous locales are neglected by travel guides and ignored by the average tourist. This off-the-beaten-path quality can simultaneously invigorate the curious traveler but fail to bring ample concessions for these kind of places to keep their doors open. Hopefully Obscura Day can shine light on their distinctiveness and serve as a vehicle for preservation by exploration. If each one of us recognizes how weird the world right around the corner truly is, than we’ve done our job.

Poster design by Oliver Munday is available for purchase at the Ann Arbor T-Shirt Company.