Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Colorado Colorado Springs Cheyenne Mountain Complex

Cheyenne Mountain Complex

The superstar of Cold War nuclear bunkers has been featured in countless films but is now barely operational.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The blast door at the entrance.   U.S. Air Force on Wikipedia
Cheyenne Mountain   NORAD
The modern command center.   U.S. Air Force on Wikipedia
Nixon & Kissinger vist NORAD c.1970   USAF
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Extending deep into a Colorado mountainside, the Cheyenne Mountain Nuclear Bunker may be the most recognizable semi-secret base in American history thanks to its appearances on both the big and small screen, but it is now more flash than function since most of its operations have been moved elsewhere. 

Digging on the bunker began in 1961 as a privately owned mining operation was enlisted by the U.S. military to begin blasting out caverns within the mountain itself. A series of main chambers were cleared out, creating acres of underground space in which a series of buildings were created, supported on springs to prevent damage from nuclear blasts and reinforced against the surrounding rock. Other support chambers such as water reservoirs and supply storage were also created, making the site fully self-sufficient for an extremely long period. 

 By 1966 the bunker was fully operational and soon became the headquarters for NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) which as its name implies, is responsible for detecting and tracking possible threats to the continent, be they unidentified aircraft, incoming missiles, or other threats.  During its heyday, the operation controlled sophisticated air defense programs out of five dedicated centers in the bunker complex. The complex was protected from EMP blasts, shelling, natural disasters, and ground invasion making it an ideal location for the strategically vital defense programs. Unfortunately nothing (yet) can protect things from the progress of time, and as America's defensive processes changed, each of the defense centers were moved to a nearby airbase, leaving Cheyenne Mountain inhabited by a skeleton crew of maintenance personnel for eventual use as a back-up strategic location by the mid-2000's.

However, long before the mountain fortress was essentially abandoned, it had already entered the cultural consciousness thanks to some high profile appearances in television and movies. While the interior of the base has not seen much screen time, the evocative entrance portal, which is a tall, militaristic driveway that leads straight into the mountainside, has served as the backdrop to many a fantastical military yarn. The entrance was featured in the movies Wargames and Independence Day, and the television show Stargate SG-1, in which the secretive Stargate commandos were actually said to be based out of the bunker through the entirety of its long run. To honor this there is said to be a broom closet in the actual bunker base that is labeled, "Stargate Command."

Cheyenne Mountain may not be the hottest player on the military scene anymore, but fans of military fiction will never forget the bunker's glory days.        

 

Related Tags

Military History Subterranean Subterranean Sites Film Film Locations Television Military

Know Before You Go

Tours aren't allowed for a reason; it is definitely not empty—in fact it's at 'full capacity' but is classified. It's a backup site for NORAD. You can definitely see it from the road! Just get on route 115 off I-25. It's great at night because the entrance is lit up.

 

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

Martin, Jensch, BillT, jsschmidt24

  • Martin
  • Jensch
  • BillT
  • jsschmidt24

Published

September 17, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne_Mountain_nuclear_bunker
  • http://www.norad.mil/AboutNORAD/CheyenneMountainAirForceStation.aspx
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Cheyenne Mountain AFS
Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80906
United States
38.742475, -104.848444
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

Colorado Springs, Colorado

miles away

May Natural History Museum

Colorado Springs, Colorado

miles away

Starr Kempf's Kinetic Sculptures

Colorado Springs, Colorado

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs

Colorado

Places 13
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

Colorado Springs, Colorado

miles away

May Natural History Museum

Colorado Springs, Colorado

miles away

Starr Kempf's Kinetic Sculptures

Colorado Springs, Colorado

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs

Colorado

Places 13
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

The Ultimate Guide to Stunning, Surprising, or Hidden Filming Locations

List

By Michelle Cassidy

What's Left of America's Cold War Civil Defense System?

cold war

By Sarah Laskow

Related Places

  • Part of the sewers seen in the tour, as it was in the film.

    Vienna, Austria

    Vienna Sewer System

    Vienna's underworld of tunnels and subterranean rivers made an iconic appearance in a 1949 Orson Welles film.

  • The ladder leading into the interior.

    Nynäshamn S, Sweden

    The Landsort Artillery Battery

    A southern Swedish island is home to the last ERSTA artillery battery, meant to protect the shoreline during the Cold War.

  • 816 Underground Nuclear Plant.

    Fuling, China

    816 Underground Nuclear Plant

    This top secret Chinese military megaproject is the world’s largest human-made tunnel structure.

  • Inside the bunker.

    Madrid, Spain

    Parque el Capricho Bunker

    A subterranean relic of the Spanish Civil War hides below this picturesque park.

  • Japanese tunnels in Baguio.

    Baguio, Philippines

    Japanese Tunnels of Baguio

    Some locals believe the fabled lost gold of General Yamashida is hiding somewhere beneath the city.

  • Techatticup Mine.

    Nelson, Nevada

    Techatticup Mine

    This famous Nevada gold mine, once a hotbed of Wild West shenanigans, is now open for tours.

  • Casemates overlooking Alzette River

    Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Bock Casemates

    An expansive complex of subterranean tunnels is all that remains of one of Europe's most formidable medieval fortresses.

  • Gesundbrunnen Bunker - Entrance from inside

    Berlin, Germany

    Berliner Unterwelten (Subterranean Berlin)

    A tour of underground Berlin takes you through WWII air raid shelters and tunnels used to smuggle people out of East Germany.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.