Atlas Obscura

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Atlas Obscura
Type of site
Travel and Exploration
Available inEnglish
FounderJoshua Foer Dylan Thuras
CEOLouise Story
URLwww.atlasobscura.com
CommercialYes
Registration2009; 17 years ago (2009)
Launched2009; 17 years ago (2009)
OCLC number960889351

Atlas Obscura is an American-based travel and exploration company.[1][2][3][4] It was founded in 2009 by author Joshua Foer and documentary filmmaker/author Dylan Thuras.[4][5] It catalogs unusual and obscure travel destinations via professional and user-generated content, operates group trips to destinations around the world, produces a daily podcast, as well as books, TV and film.[6] The brand covers a number of topics including history, science, food, and obscure places.

History

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Co-founder Dylan Thuras at BookCon in June 2019

Thuras and Foer met in 2007, and soon discussed ideas for a different kind of atlas, featuring places not commonly found in guidebooks.[7] They hired a web designer in 2008 and launched Atlas Obscura in 2009.[7] Annetta Black was the site's first senior editor.[8]

In 2010, the site organized the first of the international events known as Obscura Day.[9] Thuras has stated that one of the site's main goals is "Creating a real-world community who are engaging with us, each other and these places and getting away from their computers to actually see them."[7] As of 2021, Atlas Obscura has originated Atlas Obscura Societies organizing local experiences in nine cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle.[4][9]

Sommer Mathis (formerly of The Atlantic's CityLab) was the site's editor-in-chief from 2017 to 2020. She was succeeded by Samir Patel, formerly of Archaeology magazine, who became the site's editorial director in 2020 and editor-in-chief in 2021.

In October 2014, Atlas Obscura hired journalist David Plotz as its CEO.[5] David Plotz was the site's CEO for five years (October 2014 – November 2019). Warren Webster, former president and CEO of digital publisher Coveteur, and co-founder of website Patch, assumed the position in March 2020.[10]

Co-founder Joshua Foer in 2013

In 2015, Atlas Obscura raised its first round of major funding, securing $2 million from a range of investors and angels including The New York Times.[6]

In September 2016, the company published its first book, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders written by Foer, Thuras, and Ella Morton under Workman Publishing Company.[11][12]

Following a second fundraising effort that netted $7.5 million, in late 2017 the site launched Gastro Obscura, a food section covering "the distinctive food locations of the world."[13]

In 2019, Series B funding round raised $20 million from investors like Airbnb (lead investor), A+E Networks and New Atlantic Ventures.[14][15]

In April 2025, Louise Story was announced as their CEO.[16] In November, after disagreements with Story's direction for the company, Foer and Thuras were removed from the company board by shareholder vote.[17]

Publications

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  • Joshua Foer, Ella Morton, and Dylan Thuras, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders, Workman Publishing Company, 2016[18]
  • Dylan Thuras, Rosemary Mosco, and Joy Ang, The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid, Workman Publishing Company, 2018[19]
  • Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras, Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide, Workman Publishing Company, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 2021
  • Dylan Thuras, Atlas Obscura Explorer's Journal: Let Your Curiosity Be Your Compass, Workman Publishing Company, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 2017
  • Atlas Obscura Page-A-Day Calendar 2023: 365 Days of Extraordinary Destinations, Bizarre Phenomena, and Other Hidden Wonders, Workman Publishing Company, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 2022
  • Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders. Workman Publishing Company, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 2024

References

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