Classic Cold War Sites Still Waiting for Things to Heat Up
Back when the Cold War was in full swing, half the planet was either digging bunkers or staring nervously at the sky. Every concrete dome and hidden base was built for a showdown that never arrived.
Today, those once-classified zones are tourist attractions with snack bars and Wi-Fi. Abandoned missile silos have become wedding venues, and radar domes are selfie spots for influencers who think “Fallout” is just a video game.
Originally built for conflict, these sites now host field trips, art exhibits, and engagement photos. It is peaceful, awkward, and oddly photogenic in the strangest possible way.
Beijing Underground City – China
Bargain shops and karaoke bars line tunnels once dug for nuclear panic.
Sosnovy Bor Submarine Base – Russia
Urban explorers photograph decay where submarines once listened for enemies.
Demilitarized Zone – Korean Peninsula
Wildlife thrives in the no-man’s-land humans still fear to enter.
Chernobyl-2 “Duga” Radar – Ukraine
Photographers chase the perfect shot beneath a decaying wall of antennas.
La Cabaña Fortress – Havana, Cuba
Evening cannon fire now signals a light show instead of a revolution.
Greenbrier Bunker – West Virginia, USA
Luxury resort guests tour the once-secret congressional shelter beneath their feet.
Diefenbunker – Ontario, Canada
Cold War relic turned museum and escape room for thrill-seekers.
Former Soviet Airfield – Poland
Drifting competitions now burn rubber where MiGs once burned fuel.
Nike Missile Site SF-88 – California, USA
Wedding guests sip champagne in a launch bunker kept spotless for photos.
Tempelhofer Feld Airbase – Berlin, Germany
Families picnic and fly kites across runways that once launched bombers.
HAARP Research Site – Alaska, USA
Tour guides explain science to visitors who still suspect mind control.
RAF Greenham Common – UK
Solar panels and wildlife now occupy what used to host nuclear protests.
Project Diana Facility – NJ, USA
Ocean researchers study fish where radar dishes once tracked the moon.
DEW Line Stations – Arctic Circle
Scientists quietly measure climate change where soldiers once watched the skies.
Teufelsberg Listening Station – Berlin, Germany
Graffiti artists have replaced the intelligence officers on the hill of debris.
Lowry AFB Titan I Silo – Colorado, USA
Gourmet mushrooms thrive in chambers once filled with missile fuel.
Der Regierungsbunker – Ahrweiler, Germany
Tourists stroll through miles of tunnels once meant to save the government, not entertain it.
Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex – ND, USA
Bitcoin miners now power up inside a radar pyramid built for Armageddon.
P-7 Government Bunker – Moscow, Russia
Private parties echo through tunnels once reserved for state secrets.
Titan II Missile Silo – Kansas, USA
Luxury condos rise where nuclear missiles once waited for the end of the world.