Illinois is known for its haunted houses and Halloween extravaganzas: the kinds of places that draw lines out the door and attract visitors from all over the country. But beyond these creepy crowd favorites are a number of lesser-known spooky spots, all with backstories both historical and paranormal—like the “devil baby” that haunts a former…
The Town Hall has been central to Durham’s history since 1350 and has opened its doors to the public following refurbishment work. Now everyone can discover its rich history and hidden stories. Audio guides, interactive information points and short films help you to explore this extraordinary building and the remarkable individuals who helped shape the city. Learn…
In a subterranean chamber under the massive Liverpool ONE shopping centre is the infrastructure that turned Liverpool from a lacklustre port city into a global powerhouse of shipping. While the city got it’s charter back in 1207 with the intention of it being a port city, it struggled to gain much success. It was overshadowed…
The Prince of the Lilies is one of the signature images of Minoan Crete, reproduced on postcards, book covers, and museum posters worldwide: a slender, muscular figure wearing a crown of lilies and peacock feathers, striding forward through a garden, one hand on his chest. It’s usually presented as a king, sometimes a priest-king, ruling…
Bristol has no shortage of churches, but one of its strangest temples is devoted to nature. Outside the University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry, artist Luke Jerram’s Palm Temple resembles a futuristic chapel made of wood and stained glass. Created in 2020 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Brunelleschi’s famous dome in Florence, it eventually…
Rue Jankowski is a dead end in Le Mans’ Saint-Nicolas district, the kind of narrow passage you’d normally walk past without a second look. Then you turn the corner and the wall seems to fall away into a glowing, striped tunnel, arcing across the buildings around it as though the street itself had been punched…
In Mumbai’s Byculla area is located Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, the city’s oldest public garden and zoo. It was formerly known as Victoria Gardens. At the garden’s entrance is a beautiful old clock tower. Known as David Sassoon Clock Tower, it was built in 1864 in the Palladian style of architecture. It is said that…
The state of Oaxaca in Mexico’s south is often considered one of the country’s main artistic hubs. Its diversity in nature and indigenous cultures has created an atmosphere of inspiration for creative endavors. In the capital city of the same name, known fully as Oaxaca de Juárez, perhaps the clearest examples are its booming gastronomic…
Considering that Mexican cities have been ranked among the ones with highest homicide rates, a large number of massacres committed by organized crime groups as well as human rights violations by authorities, the last century or so has been rough for Mexico. In this context, the country’s civilian population has often taken matters into their…
Cartonería is one of the main forms of artes populares (folk art), also known as artesanías (handcrafts), to come out of Mexico City and its metropolitan area. The terms refers to cartón, what cardboard is called in Mexican Spanish, and cartonería works use a type of papier-mâché technique for their building. Cartonería is the original…
