Past Adventures - Obscura Society

by Annetta Black December 31, 2011

Obscura Society

The Obscura Society is the real world exploration arm of Atlas Obscura. We seek out the secret histories, unusual access, and opportunities to explore strange and overlooked places hidden all around us.

These are some of the adventures we have had so far:

	EXCURSION TO THE ABANDONED RUINS OF BANNERMAN ISLAND July 22, 2012 - New York City We went trekked upstate to Beacon for a guided tour of the now defunct and crumbling munitions warehouses owned by the eccentric arms dealer, Frank Bannerman. Untapped Cities’ article about the event Bannerman’s Castle in Atlas Obscura
	LOST STREAMS OF NYC: WALK THE ROUTE OF MINETTA BROOK July 14, 2012 - New York City Famed urban explorer, Steve Duncan, led us on an above-ground tour of of the city’s earliest sewer systems. Untapped Cities’ article about the event Photo Set on Flickr
	HIKING THE RUINS OF MURPHY RANCH June 16, 2012 - Los Angeles On a beautiful SoCal day the Obscura Society LA chapter paid a visit to the long abandoned Nazi compound in Rustic Canyon, just outside Will Rogers State Park. Field Report Murphy Ranch in Atlas Obscura Photo Set on Flickr
	DISASTERS OF NEW YORK: GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY WALK June 9, 2012 - New York City On June 9, Atlas Obscura’s resident cemetery aficionado, Allison Meier, resurrected her sold-out Obscura Day tour of disaster memorials at Brooklyn’s own Green-Wood Cemetery. Field Report Green-Wood Cemetery in Atlas Obscura Photo Set on Flickr
	TOM STATHES CARTOON CARNIVAL #10: MADE IN NYC June 8, 2012 - New York City Cartoon Cryptozoologist, Tom Stathes, joined us at Observatory, for an evening screening of cartoons that spanned New York’s animation past. Event details Untapped Cities’ article about the event
	SAN FRANCISCO FIREBOAT ADVENTURES May 19 & June 16, 2012 - San Francisco We were guests of the SFFD for two gorgeous Saturday afternoon ride alongs on the historic fireboat Phoenix, responsible for saving the Marina district from the fires following the city’s 1989 earthquake. Photo Set on Flickr
	FERMILAB FIELD TRIP May 19, 2012 - Chicago We visited the famous Tevatron accelerator at Fermilab, an astounding 3.9 miles across with particles colliding at almost two trillion electron volts. Event Details Fermilab in Atlas Obscura
	SCURVY AWARENESS DAY AT SMUGGLER’S COVE May 2, 2012 - San Francisco We explored the grisly history and many mishaps in the quest for the cause and cure of scurvy over artisan grog with Martin Cate, rum afficianado and owner of Smuggler’s Cove. Event details By the End, Death is a Mercy - A Short History of Scurvy
	OBSCURA DAY 2012 April 28, 2012 - Everywhere From London to Los Angeles, we celebrated the third annual Obscura Day with over one hundred events all over the world. And we couldn’t have done it without you. Looking Back at Obscura Day 2012 Photos on Flickr
	EXPEDITION TO HOLYLAND (EXHIBIT) January 14, 2012 - Los Angeles We set out to explore the odd treasures of Antonia F. Futterer, biblical archaeologist, collector of Middle Eastern artifacts, and enthusiastic would-be tomb raider. Holyland Exhibition in Atlas Obscura
	TRAP DOORS & PIPE ORGANS: THE REGENCY MASONIC BUILDING January 9, 2012 - San Francisco We met up after dark for a private look at the secrets of the Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge, theater, and meeting place and its strange crawlspaces and mysterious tiny rooms.
	SEX & SURVIVAL AT THE CONSERVATORY OF FLOWERS December 17, 2011 - San Francisco We explored San Francisco’s historic glass house after dark for a private, small group tutorial on the sex lives of plants.
	EXPEDITION TO THE BUNNY MUSEUM December 17, 2011 - Los Angeles An intrepid team launched the Obscura Society LA Chapter with an expedition to the “Hoppiest Place in the World.” The Bunny Museum in Atlas Obscura
	HIDDEN SYMBOLISM OF GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY December 11, 2011 - New York City On a chilly afternoon, we explored and decoded the secret messages carved into the tombstones in Brooklyn’s beautiful and historic Green-Wood Cemetery.
	CONEY ISLAND GRAND GUIGNOL December 10, 2011 - New York City Co-hosted by Morbid Anatomy, the evening recreated scenes from the popular and scandalous Victorian horror theatre known as the Grand Guignol.
	CEMETERY EXPLORATIONS: NEPTUNE SOCIETY COLUMBARIUM December 3, 2011 - San Francisco Building caretaker Emmitt Watson recounted his efforts to reclaim this historic hidden treasure from raccoons and pigeons, and gave us a rare rooftop peek at the surrounding hills - once covered in graves, now covered in homes.
	CEMETERY EXPLORATIONS: CALVARY CEMETERY October 22, 2011 - New York City We explored just part of the vast Calvary cemetery, home to 3 million internments - more than any other cemetery in the US.
	CEMETERY EXPLORATIONS: ELMWOOD CEMETERY October 15, 2011 - Detroit We joined the League of Adventurous Detroiters and Amy Elliott Bragg of The Night Train to Detroit blog for an exploration of the oldest continuously non-denominational cemetery in Michigan.
	CEMETERY EXPLORATIONS: COLMA NECROPOLIS October 14, 2011 - San Francisco Bay Area When San Francisco decide to evict its hundreds of thousands of Gold Rush era dead, they brought them to Colma, where the dead still vastly outnumber the living.
	CEMETERY EXPLORATIONS: MISSION DOLORES October 8, 2011 - San Francisco We visited the oldest building in San Francisco for a look at one of the very last cemeteries left in the city, home to native Ohlone and Miwok graves as well as early city dignitaries and ne’erdowells.
	URBAN FORAGING COCKTAIL MISSION July 14, 2011 - Washington DC In DC we met up with “Wild Man” Steve Brill to look for edible botanicals on the city streets. Afterwards we stuck around for cocktails inspired by the forage.
	SUISON BAY GHOST FLEET July 9, 2011 - San Francisco Bay For our first official adventure we headed out onto the San Francisco bay for a look at the rusting hulks of the National Defence Reserve Fleet and the historic USS Iowa super battleship.