Two Downtown Knoxville Nuclear Fallout Shelters Still Exist C’mon Inside

Discover the hidden remnants of Cold War-era fallout shelters in Knoxville

Two Downtown Knoxville Nuclear Fallout Shelters Still Exist C’mon Inside
Two Downtown Knoxville Nuclear Fallout Shelters Still Exist C’mon Inside

Knoxville: Did you know there are still two nuclear fallout shelters in downtown Knoxville? It’s pretty wild to think about. Back during the Cold War, folks were really worried about nuclear attacks, so they built these shelters to keep safe.

These shelters were designed to hold enough food and supplies for people to ride out a radiation storm. Knoxville jumped on the bandwagon after Congress set aside a ton of money for these projects back in 1961.

But what happened to all those shelters? Are they still usable? Well, it turns out there are still a couple of them hanging around. The Office of Civil Defense even did a survey back in the day to find all the shelters that could hold at least 50 people.

They mapped out the city into zones, each with its own bomb shelter. There was even a pamphlet that told people where to go if the worst happened. Fast forward to today, and many of those shelters have been forgotten or torn down.

But not all of them! Knox News found two that are still standing: one at Church Street United Methodist Church and another at the YMCA on Clinch Avenue. The church shelter is kind of a secret, known as “the dungeon” by a few staff members.

It’s a small, dark room with some old supplies still inside, but it’s not really safe anymore since it can’t block radiation like it used to. The YMCA shelter is a bit more recognizable, with thick concrete walls and a tunnel leading to it.

It’s now used for storage, but you can still see signs of its past. It’s fascinating to think about how these places were once seen as lifelines during a time of fear. Now, they’re just a piece of history tucked away in the city.

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