As an homage to the bizarre and mysterious rituals that hooded druids used to perform in secret at Stonehenge, the folks at avant-garde travel/history site Atlas Obscura created Obscura Day.
Well, actually, they just made it up — but that doesn’t make it any less of a celebration.
An ode to all things esoteric and the world’s “most curious and awe-inspiring places,” OD 2016 is this Saturday (April 16th) and it will highlight 160 events in 31 different states and 26 countries.
To get you prepped for the upcoming festivus, here are five of the best events around the globe.
Grave Robbing 101
Chicago, $21
In order learn the tricks of the trade, aspiring tombstone-turners will tour Lincoln Park — which served as Chicago’s city cemetery in the 1850s and ‘60s — with the author of, appropriately, The Smart Aleck’s Guide to Grave Robbing.
Image via Atlas Obscura
Overnight in the Odessa Catacombs
Ukraine, $30
The catacombs under Odessa might be the largest network of tunnels anywhere in the world, and the majority of the system is still unexplored and unmapped. As a result, it’s not surprising that a catacomb explorer comes across a mummified body every five years or so. Don’t let the cave bugs bite.
Image via Atlas Obscura
Exploring the Eerie Eastern State Penitentiary
Pennsylvania, $25
The former home of bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone, Eastern State welcomed thousands of inmates during its nearly 200 years of operation. When the prison was closed in 1971, many came to believe that it was haunted. Get a behind-the-scenes look at areas that are usually closed to the public and see for yourself.
Image via Atlas Obscura
Welcome to Froggyland
Croatia, $5
Located along the waters of the Adriatic Sea, the coastal city of Split is home to gorgeous beaches, Diocletian’s Palace and a museum housing 507 stuffed frogs arranged in poses that show them doing “all kinds of people things.” It took 10th century Hungarian taxidermist Ference Mere 10 years to stuff and arrange the frogs within their 21 cases. Ribbit.
Secret Garden Party at Marble Cemetery
NYC, $60
Nestled in the East Village, this 19th century graveyard will play host to a Victorian-inspired garden party featuring rare birds, absinthe tastings, stereoscopic viewings, a butterfly-pinning workshop and croquet. The ticket price includes the absinthe tastings, wine cocktails and an open beer bar. Keep your eye on the wicket.
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