During the Cold War the United States government, private organizations, and well-funded families invested in a staggering array of fallout shelters. Some communities even invested in transforming local mines into fallout shelters that could house a small town in the event of a nuclear attack.
While we’ll never know just how many fallout shelters are still out there and in use, there are a few well-known installations to be aware of. If you happen to live near one, and the threat of a nuclear attack suddenly becomes a reality, you might be able to take shelter there until the worst of the fallout passes.
The Greenbrier
Location: White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Once upon a time, the Greenbrier was one of the US’s best-kept military secrets. Today it’s one of the most well-known fallout shelters in the world. It’s so popular they even offer tours of “The Bunker.”
The Greenbrier was secretly constructed in the 1950s.
It was meant to house Congress in the event of a nuclear attack while the Senate and House of Representatives were in session. Once it was exposed by journalists it became a strategic target, and hostile foreign powers were aware of it.
Technically it’s been decommissioned, which reduces its value as a strategic target. Yet there’s still enough functionality to the installation that it could serve as a short-term fallout shelter. The interior still has dormitories, meeting rooms, and decontamination chambers.
Theoretically, the generators could be brought back online in an emergency. The hotel itself might also have enough scavenge-worthy resources to keep a few hundred people safe for a few months.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Cheyenne Mountain is another famously well-known fallout shelter and hardened military installation leftover from the Cold War era.
For decades it was the command center for NORAD.
The fallout shelter itself lies deep under 2,000 feet of primordial granite and is reinforced to be able to handle a massive nuclear assault. It has extensive security features, along with massive, impenetrable blast doors and an independent water supply.
Technically, Cheyenne Mountain is still a fully functional military base. However, the NORAD command center has been moved elsewhere. There’s nothing to suggest that Cheyenne Mountain would open its doors to non-military personnel.
However, it’s the most likely location for the people of Colorado Springs to evacuate should the threat of a nuclear attack loom large. In a scenario like this, Cheyenne Mountain would be heavily targeted by hostile foreign powers decimating the surrounding area. Still, no matter the shelter you choose, these are the 7 actions you should take immediately after the fallout.
Denver International Airport
Technically Denver International Airport is one of the busiest air terminals in the United States and that’s its primary function.
Yet there is extensive speculation about a large underground facility that goes beyond the massive baggage system and infrastructure tunnels.
There might be some truth to this as Denver International Airport does have extensive underground infrastructure. Much of this was designed with different emergency scenarios factored into the construction process.
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Just how viable it is as a long-term fallout shelter remains to be seen. In a desperate situation, you could potentially hide out in the tunnels and scavenge the airport. Maybe you’ll get lucky, and there is indeed a fully functional nuclear fallout shelter hiding deep in the bowels of DIA.
Chicago’s Underground Pedway System
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Keenly aware that they were a Cold War target, the City of Chicago constructed a large network of underground tunnels and shelters, that was dubbed “The Pedway.”
Rather than being one big singular shelter, it’s actually a series of hardened tunnels with shelter areas.
Today the Pedway is used primarily for utility purposes and/or integrated into the public transportation system. Technically this means that the fallout shelter functions aren’t operational.
Still, if you’re in Chicago when a nuclear threat becomes a reality, the structural integrity of the Pedway is in place. With the right supplies, you might be able to survive for some time. However, that’s not accounting for the pesky waters of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River trying to invade the tunnels. Not to mention the crime risk of housing a large number of the population of Chicago in an unregulated tunnel system.
The Washington D.C. Metro System
Location: Washington DC
As the nation’s capital and a prime Cold War nuclear target, the Washington D.C. Metro system was engineered to be able to serve as a fallout shelter.
Indeed, it has deep stations, terminals, and tunnels capable of providing adequate protection for a significant number of people.
Unfortunately, the system is currently being used primarily as an over-tasked transit system. It isn’t being specifically maintained for use as a fallout shelter. Yet it stands to reason that in the looming threat of a nuclear attack, the Federal Government likely has fallback plans to make it rapidly operational.
Fort Hamilton
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Fort Hamilton is an active US military base in Brooklyn, New York, near the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.
It’s known to have an extensive underground facility that was enhanced to serve as a fallout shelter during the Cold War.
The base itself is operational, yet the state of its fallout shelter isn’t considered to be actively maintained. However, it stands to reason that if tensions were to build with a nuclear superpower, the fallout shelter would be quickly brought online.
Still, it’s probably only a viable shelter for people living close to Fort Hamilton in the surrounding neighborhoods. In the event of an imminent nuclear threat, they couldn’t conceivably hold the population of New York City and all its boroughs.
Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center
Location: Berryville, Virginia
During the Cold War Mount Weather was developed into a government installation and fallout shelter, that remains fully operational to this day. It’s meant to be a relocation site for government officials to maintain a functional government in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.
Mount Weather remained fully equipped with communications systems, living quarters, and other essentials for maintaining long-term government operations. Some speculate that it’s become the new replacement for the Greenbrier, as many of its operations have remained classified. Even after the end of the Cold War. The thing is that an EMP is probably inevitable after a nuclear strike. That’s why is just as important to protect your essential electronics. The best thing I found is an EMP-protection cloth that’s an incredibly versatile solution. This EMP-proof cloth is a conductive fabric used to wrap items or create custom Faraday cages. Developed by leading U.S. scientists, this cloth offers protection superior to a traditional Faraday cage. Not only is it flexible and portable, but it’s a reliable way to shield your electronics during an EMP event.
The thing is, the EMP Cloth isn’t always available. They don’t restock them that often because they’re pretty hard to produce, so it took YEARS for me to finally get my hands on it. I recommend you secure your own cloth from here. It’s a rare find and not many people get to own it, which is a shame.
Raven Rock Mountain Complex
Location: Maryland & Pennsylvania Border
The Raven Rock Mountain Complex was originally developed during the Cold War to serve as a fallout shelter and an alternate Pentagon operations site.
Known to some as Site R it’s one of the US’s most secure military facilities.
While much of what’s there is classified for good reason. It’s known that Raven Rock remains fully operational and stocked to weather a long-term nuclear disaster. It has a vast series of hardened underground tunnels, living quarters, and communications technology to support US Department of Defense operations.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to be open to the public in the aftermath of a nuclear assault. In the fallout after a nuclear attack, it will likely remain closed off to prevent compromising US military command.
Adams County Nike Missile Site
Location: Denver, Colorado
During the Cold War, the US built several Nike missile defense installations with fallout shelters like the Adams County Missile Site. It was intended to be a defense station but has since been decommissioned.
The Adam’s County Missile Site still has underground facilities capable of housing people and equipment during a nuclear attack. The bunker structure is equipped with blast doors, decontamination showers, and quality air filtration systems.
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Today it’s more of a historic landmark offering tours to the public. Yet speculation is that it could still serve as an effective fallout shelter for anyone who brings their own supplies.
Vivos XPoint
Location: Southwestern South Dakota
Vivos XPoint was originally constructed to be a hardened munitions storage facility, surrounded by a military base. When the Army decommissioned it, the entire facility was sold to the nearby City of Edgemont, which in turn sold it to local cattle ranchers. It has since been converted into a massive fallout shelter complex.
Since it’s privately owned, Vivow XPoint is proudly offering the opportunity to purchase a private family-size bunker for around $55,000. While they don’t disclose how many units, they still have available, it appears to be a prime opportunity for a prepper living in the area to invest in a hardened fallout shelter that’s part of an existing prepper community.
If you live in the Black Hills, or the front range of the Rockies, and you’re in the market for a fallout-hardened bug-out location, Vivos XPoint is definitely worth a look.
Iron Mountain
Location: Boyers, Pennsylvania
The Iron Mountain facility was originally developed to serve as an underground storage site originally developed for important documents and sensitive valuables.
However, much of the site is hardened enough to serve as a fallout shelter.
Before it was transformed into a storage facility Iron Mountain was a mine dug deep into Pennsylvania limestone. It still supposedly has functional climate-controlled storage space, with security, and critical infrastructure capable of sustaining long-term habitation.
The Federal Reserve Bank Bunker
Location: New York City, New York
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has a hardened bunker system that was engineered to protect the United States gold reserves as well as important financial records.
It’s got everything you’d need to survive a nuclear blast and the fallout afterward.
Including robust blast doors, hyper-secure vaults, and all the infrastructure needed to support long-term habitation by a small number of people.
Related: How To Remove Radioactive Particles From Water In Case Of A Nuclear Fallout
Unfortunately, the Federal Reserve bunker is still actively being used for gold storage, and access is severely limited. It’s also not meant to house large numbers of people.
Granite Mountain Records Vault
Location: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actively owns and maintains the Granite Mountain Records Vault.
It was originally engineered to protect genealogical records from nuclear fallout and severe natural disasters.
The bunker and storage system is housed deep within Granite Mountain and includes extensive security and climate control infrastructure. However, its status as a functional fallout shelter is unknown as the facility isn’t open to the public.
Even if you won’t be able to reach any of these places, there is a way to turn your house into the safest place on Earth. The complete blueprint is here.
Old Government Buildings in Major Cities
Many state, and federal government buildings constructed in the early days of the Cold War were architecturally designed with modest fallout shelters in them. Just how operational and well-stocked they are is known only to the building managers. Some have been converted into storage spaces, while others are properly stocked and prepared for an emergency or for use as a storm shelter.
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The most common major cities with fallout shelters in their government buildings include Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, Anchorage Alaska, and Las Vegas. If the cornerstone of the building indicated it was built from 1945 to 1975 there’s a good chance some portion of the basement was built to serve as a short-term fallout shelter.
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As a scout leader, in 2010, we toured the local sewage works, which I found unexpectedly fascinating. The biggest surprise is that this facility had an extensive large tunnel network built from heavy concrete for people to move around with maintenance equipment, and the doors to the outside were heavy steel – it almost seemed to have been built to be a fallout shelter, even though it wasn’t. I’ve always kept the place in the back of my mind as a possible redoubt in case of disaster.
Keep your eyes open as you move around your town, and make contacts – you might be surprised at what is available, hidden out of sight.
Living rurally, and with only a small town within driving distance looking for something that could be used for such is nearly impossible… but, I’m in the process of enhancing my storm shelter to the point that it could be a short term shelter (2+wks), if it just me and the dog… Air filtration is on the lengthy list to upgrade this hole in the ground, but still way better than out in the open… Residing rurally, with no mega cities or military bases within 150 miles I’m fairly certain my AO is safe from a direct hit… EMP’s and just plain fallout dust would be my main concern… Traveling to a distant shelter is out of the question…
Nothing in the Antelope Valley. Eh?
Basically, if you aren’t close to one of those, you’re out of luck.
It is laughable to think a cold war era shelter could still be used for nearly any purpose in the event of any such event.
I can remember a poster from the 70s “Bend over and kiss you a$$ goodbye” seems even more relevant today than it did back then.
Combined with ancient dosimeters that haven’t been used or calibrated in decades, no understanding of what to do and general public apathy are conditions that will not end well for the USA (or the rest of the world).
Two weeks (or more) in a hole waiting (and hoping) for a survivable drop in Rad levels without any supplies is in itself unsustainable.
Mostly liberal areas
Very nice article, it jogged my memories from the 1980’s that i wanted to acquire a tool to be able to remove a man hole cover in the event of visible nuclear explosion. And i was taking notice of road over passes near to where i live , bridges, even bought a book of mines near me. good old day’s.
Fortunately? I am 74 years old … enjoying each day, as I hope for 75, then strive for 76 and so on and so on. In an event … beyond weather, where existence means hunkering underground with the populace … I am not prepped, and don’t even plan for it. I am prepped for local weather, short term power outages, and even a few months of foodstuffs … but beyond a few months of preps … and my survive ability of a nuclear event on US soil? Don’t care … not even interested. Before that happens, I only hope to inspire my off spring .. son, grand daughters, and great grand sons, to prepare.
Hell yes, my long term survival plans changed big time after the cardiac emergency team saved my life in the ER. Feed the chickens, putter around the garden, sit on the porch and have a drink.
the locations listed in this article are not accessible to the general public, only gov officials so good luck if you are not in the club.
Well with idiot trump in office firing everyone this is more real than ever. This idiot and his minion Musk are ruining this country and now we are in fear of nuclear shit. Thats what happens when you fire people in highly educated places that keep shit like nuclear weapons safe.
Trump and musk should be in prison.
Lisa, you are not an informed individual! Feel sorry for you! Do some research and stop listening to the propaganda main stream media.
Lisa, WAKE UP!!! Trump got elected while promising to end the war in Ukraine. Two weeks after he got elected, he told Zelenskyy to send US made and US guided long range missiles deep into Russia. They had been trying since the start of the war to goad Putin into using one of his nukes to give NATO an excuse to totally defeat Russia. Fortunately Putin was smart enough not to fall into the trap. We have NEVER been closer to WWIII than we were with Biden.
EDIT: BIDEN told Zelenskyy to send US made and US guided long range missiles deep into Russia.
TDS is strong with this one. There is a cure Lisa. First thing you have to do is, your own research. Stop reading and listening to everything the Dems and Libs put out there. The truth will set you free.
Yes lady Lisa your certainly should do more home work before you spout off such non sense. You couldn’t be more off track then your talking about. Trump and Musk are doing an out standing job and couldn’t be done better then they are doing right now.. Let as many government losers go packing and get a real job. So much fraudulent spending by so many and none of the career politicians ever thought to look at the books and stop the bleeding that has taken us to the debt level we are at. 36+ trillion in the red. Any idea when or whom would have done this for the American tax payers? Wake up and get a hold of your senses and like I’ve heard already said, stop listening to the garbage the main stream media is feeding you. It’s all lie’s and only for there own gains. Explain how anyone with a couple hundred thousand dollars income are worth several million dollars unless their stealing it somehow. No big stretch of imagination required. Open both eyes and believe what you see not what you hear.
Under Biden
I worried what our world would come to.
I have never felt more unsafe in my life time.
The weakest , President this country has ever had.
Not saying it could not happen.
But we stand a better chance now then we did four years a go.
There were no wars under President Trump.
Now he has to go back in and clean up all the mess Biden lift behind
to destroy the United Sates.
I hope the people that voted for him see the destruction He put in place.
To turn us in to a 3rd world county.
Will you vote DEM in 2028 or will you wise up.
I was a DEM growing up.
And when I seen how bad I had been miss lead all my life.
I voted For President Trump.
And I am never going back.
If there is a nuclear attack on the U.S. There are going to be survivor’s whether you like it or not. And if you survive iam sure you will say to yourself….wow i wish i would have done a little more studying on the subject. Even if you are over 90 years old . Maybe you could save a young family somewhere , helping them get back on their feet .and sharing your wisdom if they want it. just the other day i watched a t.v. show about the Pensmore Manshion and underground food ,data storage in the lime stone quarries in the Ozarkes. I bet thats bigger than all the bomb shelters put together…and yes no one can take your spiritual beliefs from you .
Download Kresson Kearney’s book Nuclear War Survival Skills. Combination Geiger counters and dosimeters are readily available on Amazon. Go to ki4u.com and download their info. You will have 48 hr advance warning that ICBMs are about to be launched by monitoring Russian bloggers—it’s Russian policy to evacuate their cities 48 hrs before launch.
And don’t forget the huge drainage tunnels under every interstate highway— they provide radiation protection. The Lord God Almighty has his watchmen on the wall. Be ready, and listen. Pray always.
“it’s Russian policy to evacuate their cities 48 hrs before launch.”
Who told you that nonsense?
Nothing in Texas, and here in Houston the only basements are in the high rises. I could jump into a ditch, but will probably still be incinerated. Oh well.