Atlas Obscura is an American-based online magazine and travel 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 user-generated content.[6] The articles on the website cover a number of topics including history, science, food, and obscure places.
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]
In 2010, the site organized the first of the international events known as Obscura Day.[8] 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][8]
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.[9]
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.[10][11]
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."[12]
Joshua Foer, Ella Morton, and Dylan Thuras, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders, Workman Publishing Company, 2016[15]
Dylan Thuras, Rosemary Mosco, and Joy Ang, The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid, Workman Publishing Company, 2018[16]
