Editor’s Pick: Atlas Obscura’s Upcoming Experiences and Courses
From histories of color and chocolate to making your own perfumes, Atlas Obscura offers some incredible online lessons.
In the 14 years since two author/adventurer-types launched the business, Atlas Obscura has grown well beyond serving a niche segment of the travel and tourism industry focused on “the world’s hidden wonders” and assorted other overlooked or little known cultural artifacts and oddities.
Among other things, the business has spawned several bestselling guidebooks, including Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders and Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide. Atlas Obscura has also expanded into the world of events, including organizing tours and presenting lectures and seminars.
Three years ago, the pandemic forced the company to overhaul its events and experiences division, first and foremost by entering the virtual world and creating a whole new slew of events and experiences offered online, whether as scheduled livestreams or available on demand.
The organization’s current lineup of online programming is divided into the categories Experiences and Courses. When you click on the website’s Experiences tab, you’ll notice that a majority of the events listed are actual live, in-person attractions — with enticing headlines such as “The Spies of Georgetown,” “Hidden Union Station,” and “Exploring a Secret Fort.”
As of earlier this week, the site only features two Online Experiences — the live presentation and Q&A show “Accidental Discoveries: A Celebration of Historical Mistakes” with Dr. Kelly Reidy (2/21) and “Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins” (3/14) — both of which are labeled “Members Only.”
In fact, more and more of the organization’s online Experiences are being reserved as a benefit of becoming a paid member. Fortunately, doing so is not complicated or prohibitive, only costing $5 a month (or $50 a year), and can be canceled at any time.
Click on the Courses tab to see the bulk of online content currently available from Atlas Obscura. The courses, generally taught in three- to four-sessions, are generally intended for people of all ages, and are available either On-Demand — allowing you to learn at your own pace, with 24/7 access for a full year — or Live via Zoom screen.
Highlights among the courses available over the next month include:
“The History of Color with Carolyn Purnell,” a four-part lecture series from a historian/author exploring the ever-changing social phenomena of color and the impact color has had throughout history, presented on four successive Wednesdays starting next Wednesday, Feb. 15. ($75)
“Tiny Ecosystems: Making Terrariums with the Terrorium Shop,” a three-session seminar led by Austin Colter of The Terrorium Shop that culminates in creating your own terrarium and starting next Wednesday, Feb. 15. ($150)
“School of Rocks: Minerals, Fossils, Meteorites with Yinan Wang,” exploring the history, science, practice, and ethics of collecting rocks, led by a geologist and life-long collector and explorer of the natural world, and spread over the course of four sessions starting Thursday, Feb. 16. ($75)
“Raising the Bar: Chocolate’s History, Art, and Taste with Sophia Contreras Rea,” a three-session live course exploring the history of cacao, the art of chocolate making, and the significance of chocolate led by a chocolate sommelier, starting Sunday, Feb. 19. ($220)
“Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt with Aaron Sanders Head,” three sessions, starting Tuesday, Feb. 21, led by a Southern textile artist delving into the history of quiltmaking and culminating in learning how to create one’s own. ($195)
“Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery with Saskia Wilson-Brown,” a three-session series led by the founder and director of The Institute for Art and Olfaction starting Monday, March 13. ($215)
Visit www.atlasobscura.com.
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