If the thought of escalating global tensions has you searching for a bunker with a difference, then here’s a rather surreal chance to secure your very own missile silo.
Nestled outside Lincoln, Kansas, the Rolling Hills Missile Silo isn’t just a relic of the Cold War; it’s a potential doomsday pad that could come into play as fears of WW3 loom.
Built in 1960 to house a nuclear-equipped Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), this decommissioned facility stands on 8.4 acres of land, sealed behind barbed-wire fences that apparently remain the site’s originals.
Reported on and listed by Homes.com, there’s no mansion above ground, just two metal storage buildings and two concrete pads, each measuring 100 by 40 feet.
What’s more, it’s on sale for a cool $1.3 million.
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According to Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation consultant John Gilbert: “Atlas rockets could not stand in the silo until they were fueled for launch.” They were stored horizontally in what was effectively a coffin until they were ready to go.
Visitors step down through a freestanding portal that opens onto a staircase leading to the subterranean depths. Within just five or ten steps, the temperature plummets thanks to natural insulation, settling into a constant 54–62°F year-round.
The entrance leads first to a 75-ton steel “entrapment room”. Tarra Martin from Real Broker, who is in charge of the sale, explains: “You’d go through one of those big metal doors”.
“You close it behind you, and you’re in this tiny room. You pick up a phone, and if you are who you say you are, they’ll open the next door. If you’re not, they’ll trap you in there.”
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These doors are no longer functional, but theoretically could be restored — though Martin says: “it would just be a lot of money”.
Beyond that beefy security feature lies the two-storey, 2500‑square‑foot control centre. Once filled with the machinery and railings essential to launching a missile, the rooms now sport a fresh coat of white paint — courtesy of the current owner, who purchased the site three years ago. Ideal for espionage-themed photoshoots, if nothing else.
A tunnel from the control centre opens into the main silo itself — an 18‑storey concrete tube stretching into the ground.
Looking down reveals a 14‑storey drop, with another four storeys above up to the launch doors. A dramatic drop by any measure, and certainly one of the most striking features of the property.
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The land is zoned residential with a working water well, meaning an adventurous buyer could build a home at surface level and repurpose the silo below. Ideas floated include a mushroom farm, an art gallery, or even an enormous wine cellar, though Gilbert cautions that humidity and airflow would be critical for comfort or storage.
It’s not without precedent. In neighbouring Concordia, Kansas boasts the Survival Condo, a luxury bunker built into a former silo — each floor of which has been put on sale approximately $3 million. And nearer still is the Atlas Ad Astra Adventure Resort, converting another silo into an educational attraction and rental.
That said, Gilbert admits living in a silo isn’t exactly for everyone. He reflected: “I spent many, many hours in a … control centre”.
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“It’s noisy. It smells. The air is heavy.” Even so, if the idea of spending WW3 curled up underground appeals to you, this missile silo just might be worth the investment.