Matt Blitz

 

Matt Blitz is a history and travel writer. His work has been featured on CNN, Atlas Obscura, Curbed, Nickelodeon, and Today I Found Out. He also runs the Obscura Society DC and is a big fan of diners.

Jane's Carousel sits between the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and is housed in a $9-million-dollar transparent acrylic box. The restoration by artist Jane Walentas took 20 years to complete.

Take a Spin on the Most Beautiful, Hand-Crafted Carousels in the Nation

These historic merry-go-rounds are survivors of a bygone era, when thrills came in a much tamer form

America's Road Trip: Route 66's Most Fascinating Museums

Take a drive on Route 66 and encounter the wonders of the road

Inside of the labyrinth, along one of the bamboo corridors.

Get Lost in the World's Largest Maze

Ponder existence while wandering through the bamboo stalks of Italy's Masone Labyrinth

The Stories Behind Disneyland's Hidden Wonders

As the amusement park celebrates its 60th anniversary, here's the truth behind some of its more unusual features

There Are New World Heritage Sites, Here Are the Ones You Should Travel to Now

This year, 24 sites from across the globe have been added to the heralded Unesco list

Miki Sudo takes on the 2013 women's champ Sonya Thomas. Sudo would grab Thomas' title by consuming 34 hot dogs to Thomas' 27.75.

How a Hot Dog Eating Contest Became One of the Fourth of July's Greatest Traditions

Why the American dream is shaped like a hot dog

An 1898 portrait of Twain painted by Italian artist Ignace Spiridon, which now hangs in the Mark Twain Library in Redding.

The Library Mark Twain Built

The author helped create a library in the last town he called home—and it's full of great summer reading suggestions

The famous Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island, New York.

Ride America's Most Historic Roller Coasters

This summer, ride the coasters that add history to their thrills

Allis Markham puts the finishing touches to her entries at the World Taxidermy & Fish Carving Championships in Springfield, Missouri, on May 6.

Why Taxidermy Is Being Revived for the 21st Century

A new generation of young practitioners is leading a resurgence in this centuries-old craft

A wolf enters the Colosseum via the lift in the hypogeum.

A New Recreation Shows How Ancient Romans Lifted Wild Animals Into the Colosseum

An elaborate system of elevators and trap doors lifted ferocious beasts onto the Colosseum floor

Sleep With the Fishes: The Best Places to Spend a Night Underwater

As the weather heats up, escape to these hotel rooms beneath the waves

A view from the cell wall of the Shanghai Natural History Museum, looking down on the north tectonic wall made of stone.

The New Shanghai Natural History Museum is Ancient, Modern and Uniquely Chinese

The nautilus-shaped building draws on Chinese traditions and 21st century design to house amazing specimens found nowhere else

The famed snow-covered church in Kiruna.

Instead of Being Swallowed by a Mine, This Arctic Town is Moving

The people of Kiruna are moving their entire town brick-by-brick

Seven Works of Art to Visit That Use Discarded Junk to Create Masterpieces

One person's trash is another person's artistic inspiration

Yasuní National Park with the sun just under the horizon.

This Park in Ecuador is One of the Most Biodiverse Places on Earth

Yasuní National Park in the Amazon rainforest may have more species of life than anywhere else in the world

A map of the Dupont Underground site.

A Long-Forgotten, Underground Tunnel in D.C. Is Finally Getting Some Fresh Air

The 75,000-square-foot space underneath the city's Dupont Circle will become an impressive new art space

An image of Alexanderplatz in May 1945, set in Alexanderplatz today. Behind it, poking just above the image, is the Park Inn Hotel.

Dramatic Images of Berlin in May 1945, Set Against the City's Prosperous Present

"Spring in Berlin" compares Germany's capital city at the end of World War II and today

The coconut that John F. Kennedy carved a message into while stranded during his Navy service in 1943. During his term as president, the coconut sat on his desk in the Oval Office.

These History-Making Artifacts Can Only be Found at Presidential Libraries

From coconut shells to boat cloaks, these mementos tell fascinating tales from American presidential history

The location of the first McDonald's, now home to the unofficial McDonald's Museum and Juan Pollo Corporate Offices.

Seven of the Most Unusual McDonald’s Around the World

From Roswell to Norway, the quirkiest spots to get a Big Mac

Sinbad the Coast Guard dog surrounded by sailors.

The Adorable and Heroic Animals of the Museum of Maritime Pets

Telling the stories of dogs in sailor hats and cats in life jackets

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