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 hello@atlasobscura.com



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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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