during the cold war us congress bunker under which golf course

What happened to the bunker that used to be home to Congress?

Today, part of the bunker is a tourist attraction. Another part is used as a secure data storage facility. Had it not been exposed in 1992, there's a good chance this would still be the secret home of the U.S. Congress.

Did a West Virginia resort Harbor a nuclear bunker for Congress?

"West Virginia resort harbors nuclear bunker for Congress". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Knight-Ridder Newspapers. p. 1A. ^ a b "Congress had headquarters for nuclear war". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. November 6, 1995. p. 3.

Where did the US government hide out during the Cold War?

The Greenbrier—White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia For decades the most ambitious Cold War hideout for the U.S. government was hidden in plain sight at a mountain retreat 250 miles southwest of the capital city.

Was there a secret bunker in West Virginia's Greenbrier?

Hidden in West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort was a massive bomb shelter stocked with supplies for members of Congress in case of an emergency. In the Greenbrier's public exhibition hall, a not-so-secret entrance leads to the bunker.

What was the Greenbrier idea?

With the Cold War reaching a fever pitch, the United States government contacted The Greenbrier in the late 1950s with an idea. If a foreign military strike reached American soil—specifically, a nuclear holocaust— the country needed a relocation spot to house leaders and officials to stabilize and continue the flow of government.

Where is Greenbrier Resort?

This week, The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., is hosting golf's best. Sixty years ago, the resort was configured to accommodate a different crowd: Congress, in the event of a nuclear attack. For under the fairways and greens lies a massive underground bunker, one that was hidden to the world for more than three decades.

How many people could be in the Greenbrier shelter?

The shelter could house up to 1,000 people.

Was the Greenbrier bunker ever used?

However, even during the dramatic moments of the Cold War, the fortification was never used. (As far as we know.) In 1992, The Washington Post exposed The Greenbrier's secret. Immediately after the word was out, the bunker was derestricted .

When was the Greenbrier bunker completed?

Once it was completed in 1961, the facility was constantly maintained by a small group of government employees working undercover as audio and video technicians. The Greenbrier, or “America’s Resort”, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. During its Eisenhower-Era use, the bunker provided the following:

How many presidents are in the Greenbrier bunker?

And, The Greenbrier, which has been welcoming guests from around the world since 1778, including 26 presidents and countless celebrities, recently welcomed a new guest to check out this bunker: The ‘Today’ Show. The morning show broadcasted live from the 112,544-square-foot bunker.

How many square feet is the bunker?

The morning show broadcasted live from the 112,544-square-foot bunker. The NBC show traveled south, camera crew in tow, to get exclusive access to the bunker and the people who had have been instrumental in the success of the bunker. Watch the Today Show’s visit to the Greenbrier to learn more.

When did the Greenbrier resort end?

On May 31, 1992, The Washington Post published an article, “The Last Resort,” which exposed the facility. In 1995, the US government ended the lease agreement with The Greenbrier, and later that year, the resort began offering tours of the historic facility. This post was last updated on August 3, 2020.

Did Kerry Sanders get access to the bunker?

Kerry Sanders and ‘Today’ Show crews were granted access to portions of the bunker where no other cameras have gone! They were able to capture on video for the first time that shows the bunker in its original state and all the elements that made it possible for hundreds of people to live and work here.

What bunker was used to house the 535 members of Congress during the Cold War?

Greenbrier Bunker. One of the great vestiges of the Cold War is the Greenbrier bunker, a facility built to house all 535 members of Congress in the event of a nuclear attack.

Who worked undercover at the Greenbrier bunker?

After its construction, the Greenbrier bunker was maintained by 12-15 permanent government employees who worked undercover as members of an Arlington-based television repair company called Forsythe Associates.

What did Bugas say about the bunker?

Gup, however, argued that by 1992 the bunker was essentially obsolete: “The bunker was built when bombers took hours to go over the polar ice caps.

How many doors does the bunker have?

The bunker has four doors, all made by the Ohio-based Mosler Safe Company and shipped to Greenbrier by railway. The two largest, known as GH 1 and GH 3 and weighing 28 and 20 tons respectively, require 50 pounds of force to open. Once sealed, the bunker would have had enough air to last 72 hours, after which a ventilation system would filter air ...

What was the purpose of the exhibit hall in the Greenbrier Hotel?

The largest, Exhibit Hall, was designed to host joint sessions of Congress.

How deep is the Greenbrier bunker?

Inside the Bunker. The Greenbrier bunker is buried 720 feet underground. It would not survive a direct nuclear strike, but is capable of weathering a blast 15-30 miles away and protecting its occupants from fallout. The two-level facility is 112,544 square feet, roughly the size of two football fields on top of one another.

How long did the bunker last in Greenbrier?

Among other supplies, the bunker was provided with enough food for 1,000 people to last 60 days.

What was the Greenbrier bunker?

The Greenbrier is also the site of a massive underground bunker that was meant to serve as an emergency shelter for the United States Congress during the Cold War . The bunker was code named " Project Greek Island ," and Fritz Bugas was the former onsite superintendent.

What was the name of the hotel in the Civil War?

The Grand Central Hotel came to be known by the moniker "The White" and, later, "The Old White". During the Civil War, the property changed hands between forces of the Confederate Army and the Union Army, who almost burned the resort to the ground. Following the Civil War, the resort reopened.

What was the Greenbrier hotel named after?

In the late 1950s, the U.S. government approached The Greenbrier for assistance in creating a secret emergency relocation center to house Congress in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. The classified, underground facility, named " Project Greek Island ", was built at the same time as the West Virginia Wing, an above-ground addition to the hotel, from 1959 to 1962.

How much did the Greenbrier Medical Institute cost?

In 2011, Justice announced an ambitious plan to construct the Greenbrier Medical Institute, a large-scale medical facility with a projected cost of at least $250 million, planned to be built in five stages. It was to include a sports medicine facility to be headed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.

What was the White Sulphur Manifesto?

The "White Sulphur Manifesto", the only political paper published by Confederate General Robert E. Lee after the Civil War, advocated the merging of the two societies. The resort became a center of regional post-war society, especially after the arrival of the railroad.

Where is the Greenbrier?

The Greenbrier is a luxury resort located in the Allegheny Mountains near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, in the United States. Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of the area.

How many tennis courts are there at Greenbrier?

The resort is home to a 2,500-seat tennis stadium, five Har-Tru outdoor courts and five Deco-Turf indoor courts. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all matches during the 2020 World TeamTennis season will be held at The Greenbrier.

Where is the secret bunker Congress?

The Secret Bunker Congress That Never Used For 30 years, it was kept secret. Hidden in West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort was a massive bomb shelter stocked with supplies for members of Congress in case of an emergency. Special Series.

When was the bunker in the Washington Post exposed?

There were a few weird coincidences that Conte noticed before the bunker's existence was exposed by the Washington Post in 1992. For one, there were many, many, MANY bathrooms. And most of them were for men.

What is the North entrance to the Greenbrier?

The north entrance to the Greenbrier gives no clues to a secret bunker for Congress. The north entrance to the Greenbrier gives no clues to a secret bunker for Congress. In a groundbreaking series of reports in 2010, Washington Post reporters Bill Arkin and Dana Priest revealed that 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are ...

How long was the bunker kept secret?

The story of how the bunker was kept secret for 30 years and how it even got here is stranger than any conspiracy theory. For one thing, it was built as an addition to one of America's most famous luxury resorts, the Greenbrier Resort in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Did Conte know about the Greenbrier?

Thing is, Conte didn't really know anything about it. He knew every square inch of the Greenbrier's property. He had access to all the records and documents and historic photos of presidents and kings and prime ministers drinking mint juleps on the veranda.

Is the Secret Bunker used in the Greenbrier?

The Secret Bunker Congress Never Used. The north entrance to the Greenbrier gives no clues to a secret bunker for Congress. The north entrance to the Greenbrier gives no clues to a secret bunker for Congress. In a groundbreaking series of reports in 2010, Washington Post reporters Bill Arkin and Dana Priest revealed that 33 building complexes ...

Where was the Federal Reserve bunker built?

Built into a hillside 75 miles south of Washington, D.C., the nuclear-era bunker constructed for the chairman, board of directors and staff of the Federal Reserve System included an enormous vault that held more than $4 billion—enough to replenish currency east of the Mississippi River and maintain the money supply for the two years it would take for the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to resume operations.

What hotel had a golf course in 1955?

The nation’s highest court decided in 1955 that in the case of an apocalypse it would convene inside one of the three banquet halls of the palatial Grove Park Inn, which sported a golf course and—as an added perk—was in the process of building a new swimming pool.

What was the purpose of the U.S. government during the Cold War?

As the Cold War heated up in the 1950s, the U.S. government devised top-secret plans to ensure its survival if the Soviet Union launched a nuclear attack. These “Continuity of Government” preparations included building dozens of underground bunkers and arranging to move high-ranking government officials out of harm’s way.

When did the Packard Campus become operational?

The facility became fully operational in early 1967, but has since been re-designated as an alternate command center. pinterest-pin-it. The Conservation Laboratory building of the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation is the only part of the facility which can be seen on the side of Mount Pony.

What is the purpose of the Greenbrier shelter?

This 112,000 square-foot shelter was constructed beneath the Greenbrier Resort’s West Virginia Wing, to serve as a relocation site for members of the U.S. Congress and associated staff in the event of a nuclear attack on the U.S. soil. (Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

When did the Bunker end?

As a direct result, the U.S. government began de-commissioning The Bunker and ended the lease agreement with The Greenbrier in 1995.

What is the bunker at Greenbrier?

The declassified Bunker at The Greenbrier is a must-see experience that takes you behind the scenes and walks you through a fascinating period in the resort's history. Carved deep into the mountainside beneath our West Virginia Wing is an emergency Cold War fallout shelter. Once a top secret U.S. government relocation facility for Congress, The Bunker is now open to anyone interested in reliving a legendary piece of The Greenbrier history. Bunker Tours provide a unique and in-depth look behind the hidden doors and let you explore an aspect of The Greenbrier that no other resort can claim. Reserve your place in our history today!

When was the Greenbrier bunker built?

Construction began in 1958 on the 112,544-square-foot bunker, which was built 720 feet into the hillside under The Greenbrier's West Virginia Wing. Once complete in 1961, the facility was maintained in a constant state of readiness by a small group of government employees working undercover as Forsythe Associates, a company hired by the resort for audio/visual support services.

How long is the Bunker tour?

It was also named one of the Top 100 Military Destinations in America for 2018. Tours are approximately 90 minutes in length and are available for guests 10 years of age and older.

Construction

Inside The Bunker

• The Greenbrier bunker is buried 720 feet underground. It would not survive a direct nuclear strike, but is capable of weathering a blast 15-30 miles away and protecting its occupants from fallout. The two-level facility is 112,544 square feet, roughly the size of two football fields on top of one another. The bunker has four doors, all made by the ...

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