![]() ![]() "Others want to grow mushrooms."Īt least one other Atlas site has been transformed into a home, but that silo owner guards his privacy assiduously. "Most want them for secure storage, and paranoid people want bomb shelters," he says. Worth, Texas, office says he gets hundreds of calls every year from prospective missile base purchasers (though the GSA no longer has any Atlas sites for sale, it does have sites once occupied by second-generation missiles). Realty specialist John Robinson of the GSA's Ft. In the years following, the Atlas sites were dispersed among local governments, companies, and individuals by the federal government's General Services Administration. ![]() The Atlases were decommissioned only four years later when they were replaced by Titan IIs and Minutemen. In a matter of a few months, Kansas will be the nation's No. A 1958 story in The Topeka Capital was headlined: "Missile Base Is Viewed With Joy" another, in a 1961 edition of The Kansas City Star, began: "What is happening in Kansas is almost incredible, and so awesome it shakes you right down to your boots. The Pedens' is one of 21 that went up in Kansas, which was happy to get the accompanying infusion of money. The entrance tunnel, which once connected the missile's launch area with its control center, has been painted red, white, and blue by the Jackson Heights High School student council.Ītlas missiles were America's first intercontinental ballistic weapons 100 were installed in permanent sites around the country during the 1950s and early '60s, mostly in the Midwest. About an hour from the Pedens' home, a missile base north of the town of Holton has been converted into a public high school. Mark Hannifin of Midland, Texas, bought one that was flooded with 130 feet of water he uses it for giving scuba diving lessons. Today, there are at least 15 decommissioned Atlas missile sites for sale, ready for transformation. ![]() The section they use as a garage once housed a thermonuclear missile capable of flying 6,000 miles away and producing a four-megaton explosion. 6, just southwest of Topeka, Kansas, and their home lies beneath three feet of earth. Ed Peden, an ultralight manufacturer, and Dianna Ricke-Peden, a speech therapist, live on Atlas E missile base No. The Peden family has given up seeing sunsets. He notes that even four years ago, a buyer thinking of going off the grid would raise eyebrows.Originally appeared in Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine. “With the pandemic and with the political unrest, people calling me are more interested than ever to pull the trigger on something like this,” Dominic says. The coronavirus pandemic has inspired buyers who have security and privacy in mind. The main silo is a “steel superstructure, 18 stories tall and suspended by springs,” Dominic says. Located behind two huge blast doors, each weighing 75 tons, the control center sat just 50 feet from the missile. The lower level contained the launch controls where they could “hit the red button,” Dominic says. The upper level housed the crew and contained bunk beds, a bathroom, dining area, and break room. It will also require a water supply and plumbing. To live in it, though, a homeowner would likely want it to be warmer than its current consistent temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The 3,612-square-foot silo is both dry and insulated by the earth, so heating and cooling needs are minimal. The space currently has temporary electricity set up in order to safely walk around. ![]() The silo features two blast-proof doors and steel structures that are designed to withstand a blast of 200 pounds per square inch, according to the New York State Military Museum. At the northern tip of the Adirondacks, the location is about a 12-hour drive to major cities. The 8.7 acres are surrounded by a 7-foot, chain-link fence. He’s ready to hand off the silo to someone new. The local businessman who lives here is retiring and moving south. The upside of the hut is that a buyer can live above ground while fixing stuff below ground. The other one was enclosed and turned into a residence with a garage. One of those huts, used as a wood shop, has since burned down. At the time, the property also had two Quonset huts. This silo last changed hands in 1998 for $20,000. It’ll take an enterprising buyer to turn this bunker into a prepper paradise. These underground shelters took millions of dollars to build six decades ago, but this one up for sale now sits squarely in the category of fixer-upper. ![]()
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