Atlas Obscura API

Query Atlas Obscura places for weird/obscure location inspiration. Use when you need nearby curiosities by coordinates, place lookup by ID, or global place coordinates for creative prompt spice and worldbuilding.

Use this skill to pull Atlas Obscura data through the atlas-obscura-api JavaScript library.

Setup

From this skill directory:

• npm install

This installs the atlas-obscura-api dependency used by the helper script.

Fast path commands

Run from skills/atlas-obscura-api/.

• Nearby search by coordinates:
  • node scripts/atlas_obscura.js search --lat 44.4759 --lng -73.2121 --limit 5
• Place details by ID (short):
  • node scripts/atlas_obscura.js place-short --id 4654
• Place details by ID (full):
  • node scripts/atlas_obscura.js place-full --id 4654
• Raw place coordinate index:
  • node scripts/atlas_obscura.js places-all --limit 10

Output usage guidance

When sharing results:

1. Prefer 1–3 top places unless user asks for more.
2. Include: title, location, short subtitle/description, and canonical URL.
3. For creative workflows, extract one “spice line” (e.g., architectural mood, local oddity, folklore angle) for prompt context.

Troubleshooting

• ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND for atlas-obscura-api: run npm install in this skill directory.
• Empty search: broaden location radius by changing coordinates slightly or run a different query seed.
• Site/library drift: return partial data and clearly note field gaps.