If you were to drive past this field just outside of Kimball (in the far southwestern corner of the panhandle), you’d see a few unremarkable-looking buildings from a distance. A couple of Quonset huts and two mobile homes seem to be the only points of interest around here. But, if you were able to get through the gates to move a little closer, you’d see what looks like the beginning of a tunnel carved into the earth… which leads to the strangest home you’ve ever seen. This unremarkable field holds one of the few underground bunkers in Nebraska. And this intriguing missile site home in Nebraska is a sight to behold!

In the 1960s, in the midst of the Cold War, Atlas missile silos were built throughout the country.
Google Maps
Most of the sites were in the Great Plains and Midwest, with some also located in New York, Vermont, New Mexico, and Texas.
After the missile sites were decommissioned in the mid-to-late-60s, these huge underground complexes were often just left to rot away.
Missile Site Home
This was the case when Don and Charlene Zwonitzer bought their future home in 1997. The former Atlas E missile silo had once belonged to the 566th SMS at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The silo was overrun with wildlife and decay when the new owners took possession.
Missile Site Home
It took several years to clear the underground chambers of unwanted materials and build new structures and spaces inside.
There are plenty of visual reminders of the home's past identity.
Missile Site Home
The fence that encircles most of the 18-acre property is nine feet tall and topped with barbed wire. The big steel doors, escape hatches, and tunnels in the home are all leftovers of its first life.
After entering through heavy steel exterior doors, a tunnel leads to a foyer.
Missile Site Home
From there, one tunnel leads to the work area, and another leads further underground to the living area.

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Though unconventional (and windowless), the home is comfortable and welcoming.
Missile Site Home
The ceilings are high, concrete pillars abound, and there is a definite warehouse-type look to the interior, but it still seems like a lovely family home.
Between the underground space and the two mobile homes above ground, the home clocks in at an impressive 29,352 square feet.
Missile Site Home
Note the ladder and escape hatch in the picture above!
Missile Site Home
In lieu of the outdoor patio space that you would find outside of some homes, the silo home has an indoor patio complete with a hot tub, waterfall, deck, and arcade.
The garage and storage area is located inside the missile bay.
Missile Site Home
Imagine parking your car where an enormous missile used to lie in wait just in case the unthinkable should happen.
The entire property is self-sufficient and secure.
Missile Site Home
Solar and wind generators are paired with large battery banks (and backup diesel generators) to keep the home operating smoothly. A greenhouse grows food for the occupants, and there is more than enough storage space to keep food and other essential supplies. An NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) system filters out any dangerous substances to keep the inhabitants safe no matter what's happening above ground.
The entire home is under voice-activated computer control, with significant security measures in place. The structure was built to withstand a one-megaton blast up to 1.6 miles away.
Missile Site Home
It's safe to say that these homeowners are set up to deal with all sorts of disasters.

This video gives a guided tour of the home’s interior, along with more information about its solid construction and what it’s like to live underground in one of these Nebraska missile silos. The owner sometimes gives tours of their incredibly unique home.  You can find more information on the official MissileSite Home website. And guess what? As of 2021, the property is for sale!

Given the opportunity, would you ever choose to live underground in a home like this? Do you know of any more underground bunkers in Nebraska or abandoned missile silos near you? If so we’d love to hear about it. Looking for a place to stay while you tour this wild house? Check out the offerings from our friends at Booking.com.

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More to Explore

Bunkers in Nebraska

Tori Jane | November 16, 2021

What are some unique places in Nebraska?  

We feel like Nebraska just doesn’t get enough credit. It’s more than just farmland and plains!

  • There are all kinds of strange and wonderful things to do in this state, like Carhenge, in Alliance. Created as a way to honor his father in 1982, artist Jim Reinders created a replica of Stonehenge, but with cars, trucks, and even an ambulance. It’s weird, but it’s fun.
  • In Taylor, you’ll find semi-spooky plywood cut-outs of people who would have lived there at its peak, around 1890 to 1920. Monowi, Nebraska, is known as the United States’ smallest town. It has a population of exactly one – a woman named Elsie, who is also the mayor, owner of the town’s only tavern, and, well, everything else. She pays taxes – to herself – and goes to herself to get things like a liquor license. Honestly, sounds pretty nice to us!  

 

Are there any interesting, mysterious places in Nebraska?  

Nebraska is a plenty mysterious place – you just need to know where to look. There are loads of places that are said to be haunted, cursed, or just creepy in general!

  • Some of our favorites include the old Alliance Theatre, in, well, Alliance, which is haunted by shadows, cold spots, orbs, and more. It’s not quite known when the creepy stuff began – it just kind of seems to have always been there.
  • There are also some truly eerie cemeteries, like Ball Cemetery, in Springfield, said to be home to numerous restless spirits; if exploring old cemeteries isn’t your thing, no worries – there's more!
  • Lincoln’s Antelope Park is said to be haunted, as is the state college in Wayne.
  • Then, there’s Seven Sisters Road – formally known as “Road L” - near Nebraska City. It’s said to be haunted by seven young women who were hanged by either their father or a brother way back in the day, and you can still hear their screaming.

Learn more about all the most mysterious places in Nebraska... if you dare.

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