Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures

Trips Highlight

Oaxaca Mexico tamales

Mexico • 7 days, 6 nights

Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals

from

Iceland - Northern Lights Aurora Borealis

Iceland • 8 days, 7 nights

Iceland in Winter: Northern Lights & Geothermal Marvels

from

Upcoming Experiences

View All Experiences »

Accidental Discoveries

Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Frankenstein

Antiques and Their Afterlives: Holiday Gift Guide

Upcoming Courses

View All Courses »

Bee-licious: Taste Honey Like a Sommelier With C. Marina Marchese

Designing Soft Circuits & E-Textiles With Linh My Truong

Tree Communication With Annie Novak

The Table as Canvas: Designing a Bizarro Dinner Party With Jen Monroe

Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva

Top Destinations

Latest Places

Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries

Download the App

Top Destinations

View All Destinations »

Countries

Australia
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan

Cities

Amsterdam
Barcelona
Beijing
Berlin
Boston
Budapest
Chicago
London
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Montreal
Moscow
New Orleans
New York City
Paris
Philadelphia
Rome
San Francisco
Seattle
Stockholm
Tokyo
Toronto
Vienna
Washington, D.C.

Latest Places

View All Places »

Oconomowoc Oz Plaza — Oz Plaza

Submarine piers at Dora I — Dora I

The artwork is inspired both by classic horror and modern cinema. — Bones in Jars

Spencer the Marathon Dog statue — Spencer the Marathon Dog Statue

Latest Places to Eat & Drink

View All Places to Eat »

Introducing one of the only train station lobsters that won't leave you filled with regret — Grand Brasserie

A simple box of soba noodles with aburaage (fried tofu), the foxes’ favorite food. — Inari Soba Mansei

Chef Boyardee Statue

Cevapčići at Sarajevo ‘84 — Sarajevo ‘84

In this salad, rice gets topped with pinches of toasted coconut, dried fish, finely-sliced herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, a tiny knot of noodles, crushed black pepper and dried chili. — Thai-Islam Phochana

Recent Stories

All Stories Puzzles Video Podcast

Most Recent Stories

View All Stories »

Divers measure and document details of the world's largest coral, which could cover two basketball courts. — The World's Largest Coral, a Single Organism, Can Be Seen From Space

Bear 409, “Beadnose,” a sow that won Fat Bear Week in 2018. GIS specialist Joel Cusick is pioneering a new technique for calculating the bears’ weight that doesn’t disrupt their normal activity. — Fat Bears and 5 Other Stories of Preparing for Winter

Accusations around sex and race have caused controversy and change at a major LARP community. — Racism and Sexism Claims Shake a Modern Fantasy Village

T'anta wawa, or 'baby bread,' is baked in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, and Ecuador in honor of those who have passed away. — Bake 'Baby Bread' as a Celebration of Life and Death

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

Paris
London
New York
Berlin
Rome
Los Angeles

Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters

All

United States

Virginia

Sterling

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Sterling

2 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Sterling, Virginia

Updated June 13, 2018

Email

Unusual Attractions in Sterling

Warp Drive

Sterling, Virginia

Warp Drive

This pun was simply waiting to come to life, and one defense contractor made it so.

Plane Mates at Dulles Airport.

Sterling, Virginia

Dulles Airport Mobile Lounges

These unusual rooms on wheels are holdovers from the 1960s.

Are we missing something unusual?

Acetylene Gas Generating Station

Herndon, Virginia

Acetylene Gas Generating Station

The birthplace of the Herndon Gas Company.

3 miles from Sterling

Herndon Depot Museum

Herndon, Virginia

Herndon Depot Museum

This former train station was once an important shipping depot for the regions farmers.

3 miles from Sterling

Herndon Fortnightly Club

Herndon, Virginia

Herndon Fortnightly Club

In 1889, a small group of women began meeting to discuss literature, art, and other topics. Their every-other-week salon grew into a lending library that still exists today.

3 miles from Sterling

The Grave of Laura Ratcliffe.

Herndon, Virginia

Laura Ratcliffe Hanna Family Cemetery

Across from a hotel parking lot, a Confederate spy rests under a large tombstone with her Union Veteran husband behind a copse of trees in a small, well-maintained cemetery.

3 miles from Sterling

Murphy Dairy Farm

Herndon, Virginia

Murphy Dairy Farm

A decaying garage hidden amid the dense forest is all that remains of a once-prosperous dairy farm.

4 miles from Sterling

In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Sterling, Virginia

Sterling Leaderboard

Places Added

termah71

1
Dr Alan P Newman

1

Join the Ranks!

Add an unusual place to Sterling.

Places Edited

termah71

1
Dr Alan P Newman

1
R

rosspatterson

1
1

19navigator97

1
B

blimpcaptain

1

Join the Ranks!

Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

M

marykate

2
josho

2
B

brucewatson71

2
B

bibliobecca

2
bglewandowski

2

Join the Ranks!

Visit a place in Sterling.

Recent Sterling Activity

C

candielynn

has been to Dulles Airport Mobile Lounges
G

gazellegolden

has been to Dulles Airport Mobile Lounges
C

CherylD

has been to Dulles Airport Mobile Lounges
T

tnpaige91

has been to Dulles Airport Mobile Lounges
mapopbezoek

wants to go to Dulles Airport Mobile Lounges

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App

Places

All Places
Latest Places
Most Popular
Places to Eat
Random
Nearby
Add a Place

Editorial

Stories
Food & Drink
Itineraries
Lists
Puzzles
Video
Podcast
Newsletters

Trips

All Trips
Art & Culture Trips
Food Trips
Hidden City Trips
History Trips
Wildlife & Nature Trips
FAQ

Experiences

Experiences
Online Courses
Online Experience FAQ
Online Course FAQ

Community

Membership
Feedback & Ideas
Community Guidelines
Product Blog
Unique Gifts
Work With Us

Company

About
FAQ
Advertise With Us
Advertising Guidelines
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Terms of Use

© 2024 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.