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All the United States California San Diego

The Atlas Obscura Guide to San Diego

45 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in San Diego, California


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Sponsored By logo

Do, See, and Listen

Curated for You

Sponsored By San Diego Tourism logo
Click Here to Explore More.
outsider architecture

1895 Looff Carousel

One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D. Looff.

Story

Stunning Wildflower Superbloom Photos That Will Have You Racing to the Hills

Orange, yellow, and purple petals blanket the southwestern United States.

Story

How the California Condor Comeback Was Hatched

Once on the brink of extinction, the massive birds now number in the hundreds.

ecosystems

Sunny Jim Cave Store

Behind this beachfront shop lies a spectacular, colorful sea cave with an equally colorful past.

Unusual Attractions in San Diego

Off the Beaten Path

Wildlife at the sea cave

San Diego, California

Sunny Jim Cave Store

Behind this beachfront shop lies a spectacular, colorful sea cave with an equally colorful past.

Spruce Street Suspension Bridge

San Diego, California

Spruce Street Suspension Bridge

An inconspicuous footbridge beloved by San Diego locals.

Added By
Christina Kantzavelos
San Diego Museum of Man

San Diego, California

San Diego Museum of Us

An extraordinarily ornate museum in San Diego holds wondrous anthropological treasures.

Added By
Rachel James
Whaley House

San Diego, California

Whaley House

San Diego's most historic and haunted home.

Added By
alyx
Harper’s Topiary Garden

San Diego, California

Harper's Topiary Garden

A couple turned their front yard into an artistic masterpiece.

Added By
Rachel James
1895 Looff Carousel

San Diego, California

1895 Looff Carousel

One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D. Looff.

Added By
Greg Janetka
Hotel del Coronado.

San Diego, California

Hotel del Coronado

L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.

Added By
Daryle Conners
The Fallen Star installation is now part of the permanent collection at UCSD

San Diego, California

Fallen Star

This little blue house pokes out over the campus of UC San Diego, seven stories high.

Added By
johnbins
See All 45 places

Explore the Map

Hidden Wonders

What Do You Want to Do in San Diego

Museums (6) Architecture (6) Art (5) Music (4) Haunted (4) Architectural Oddities (4)
San Diego Tourism logo

This Post is Sponsored by San Diego Tourism.

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San Diego Stories

Articles and Podcasts

Mastodons once roamed over much of North America. One of them died near the future site of San Diego, causing a scientific controversy 130,000 years later.

science

The Wild Tale of the Cerutti Mastodon, a Fossil That Could Rewrite the Human Story

The Cerutti Mastodon, found near San Diego, shows signs of being butchered 130,000 years ago—but by who? Or what?

Read more
Written By
Gemma Tarlach
August 1, 2024
  • The materials to create the coyote (left) are commonly used for building stop motion puppets; a raccoon (right) looks lifelike after Binard mounts the hide on the form.

    preserved specimens

    You Can Take Home Dead Animals From This California Library

    By Sarah Milligan

  • Halectites at Black Chasm Cavern in Volcano, CA.

    caves

    How to Decode a Cave

    Sponsored by Visit California

  • Podcast

    The Rainmaker

    By The Podcast Team

  • Podcast

    Friendship Park

    By The Podcast Team

  • Podcast

    Sunny Jim Cave

    By The Podcast Team

  • The whimsical cypress in better days.

    trees

    The Cypress That May Have Inspired Dr. Seuss's 'The Lorax' Has Toppled Down

    By Evan Nicole Brown

  • The ones on radar weren’t packed quite so tightly, but there were a lot more of them.

    insects

    A Ladybug Swarm Over California Was Huge Enough to Show Up on Radar

    By Jessica Leigh Hester

This Post is Sponsored by San Diego Tourism.

Click Here to Explore More

San Diego Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. SEANETTA
    4
  2. jondi letnap
    3
  3. Gregory T Janetka
    2
  4. alyx
    2
  5. Rachel
    2
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to San Diego.

Places Edited

  1. blimpcaptain
    24
  2. ccesare
    19
  3. Avoiding Regret
    17
  4. SEANETTA
    12
  5. jondi letnap
    12

Places Visited

  1. j3taylor
    40
  2. hernameisreo
    37
  3. limikoleit
    35
  4. cincjr27
    35
  5. bertcrabbe
    35
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in San Diego.

Recent San Diego Activity

  • Nitchevo99

    has been to 1895 Looff Carousel

  • Nitchevo99

    has been to Unconditional Surrender

  • clpierce43

    has been to Sunny Jim Cave Store

  • tiffwithwicks

    has been to Unconditional Surrender

  • TehCoo

    wants to go to Sunny Jim Cave Store

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