Not all of North Carolina’s war-related history pertains to actual battles. During the Cold War era, nuclear fallout shelters were created throughout the state and were intended to provide protection in the event of a nuclear strike. Fortunately, of course, they were never put to the test. Many of them were very public in nature, but some, as in the case of the elaborate hidden underground nuclear bunker below, were not intended for use by the general public.

The 60,000 square foot underground bunker hidden under the field shown below is located about 30 miles outside of Charlotte in the small town of Stanfield.
Google Maps
Google Maps [streetview]
For decades, anyone passing by this secret underground bunker may have thought the small buildings in the field were related to the maintenance of the adjacent communications tower — and they were partially correct...
But the heavy security all around this perfectly square swatch of land tells another story.
YouTube/WFAE News
Google Maps [streetview]
Let's take a closer look: there are two gated and locked chain link fences on the property and the outer one is topped with barbed wire.

All of the security here is in place to protect an underground Cold War era nuclear bunker — and it's not the typical fallout shelter you may remember from the 60s.

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Well underneath this property is a massive nuclear bunker that was built just outside of Charlotte to protect the communications system in the event of a nuclear strike. During the Cold War with Russia and its allies, the U.S. believed that large cities would be likely targets in the event of a nuclear strike.
YouTube/WFAE News
YouTube/WFAE News
The facility is four stories deep on one section and two stories deep in another. When it was in operation, it contained massive amounts of communications equipment to be used in the event that Charlotte became a target of a Russian nuclear attack.
The bunker was created to support 90 people for up to 90 days and had central air conditioning, a kitchen, bedrooms, showers, and more.
YouTube/WFAE News
YouTube/WFAE News
Today, reportedly, all of the equipment has been removed from the shelter and it sits empty and all but abandoned; ready to be repurposed into something even more unique, like underground condos or even a storage facility.

Want to see and learn more? Check out a brief tour of the underground bunker in this YouTube video from user WFAE News:

Did you know about this hidden underground nuclear bunker in the Tar Heel State? And do you know of others?! We’d love to know the answer to both questions…

For another secret facility hiding in plain sight: You’ll Never Guess What This House In North Carolina Is Actually Used For.

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