Posted in New Jersey Creepy February 11, 2018 by

10 Staggering Photos Of An Abandoned WWII Bunker Hiding In New Jersey

There are abandoned places all over New Jersey, some of which are truly fascinating. For prime exploring, many head to the Pine Barrens. The woods are filled with remnants of former milling and mining towns, several of which are hidden and others which are well-preserved attractions (like Batsto Village). However, you can find abandoned barns up in Sussex County, abandoned factories in Essex County, and abandoned bunkers in Cape May County…formerly vibrant buildings become nothing as the years go by. While the bunker I’m referring to may not be considered hidden to locals, it’s certainly an unexpected surprise for many visitors. Exactly how much of the bunker you can see at any given time depends on the tides.

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This is Cape May's iconic WWII bunker, Battery 223. When it was built in the 1940s, it was approximately 900 feet from the shore.
Flickr/he who shall
While the battery is not hidden today, it was once covered in sand and sod.
Flickr/Adam Kuban
Greenery still grows atop the battery.
Flickr/Chris Kelley
The harbor defense battery, built to help protect America's coast, was completed in 1943.
Flickr/Cavalier92
Designed to host a 6-inch battery and survive a direct hit from battleships and aircraft, the structure was built with six to seven-foot thick reinforced concrete walls and a thick blast proof roof.
Flickr/Kellan
The 6-inch guns had a nine-mile range!
Flickr/Sneakerdong
Battery 223's guns were never fired at an enemy, though there were drills and live fire tests. It was decommissioned in 1944.
Flickr/Stephen Harris
By 1950, the Army had dismantled all of the fixed gun harbor defenses. At some point after 1958, Battery 223 was used for radio communications by the Navy. By 1962, it became part of the Cape May Point State Park.
Flickr/Stephen Harris
All entrances were sealed but a sign gives us some insights as to what was once inside.
Flickr/OliverK
We know that the facility contained powder rooms, latrines, shell rooms, shower rooms, a switchboard and radio room, generator room and more.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM

For a closer look, check out the short video below by YouTube user, Abandoned Walkthroughs.

Have you visited the bunker on the beach in Cape May? Were you familiar with its history? You can find it by parking at Cape May Lighthouse (215 Light House Ave., Cape May Point) and walking towards the ocean for a few hundred yards. To discover an equally intriguing attraction at a nearby beach, click here.