WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. W.Va. — A vast underground bunker lay hidden for decades in the mountains beneath one of America’s most luxurious resorts, built in secret to shelter the U.S. Congress in the event of nuclear disaster.
It was among the world's most closely guarded secrets for 30 years, although it's now open to the public, providing an extraordinary window into Cold War history and enticing tourists from around the globe to visit The Greenbrier.
A secret bunker in the heart of Appalachia
The Greenbrier has been attracting travelers to the mountains in what's now southern West Virginia for more than 250 years. One of the nation's early spas, its mineral-rich waters first attracted visitors seeking relief from their illnesses. However, it soon began to draw wealthy travelers from the lowlands in search of respite from the summer heat.
After the Civil War, during which the "Old White" served as an army hospital, the resort began a period of enormous growth. With the arrival of the railroad, the remote getaway grew into a resort that soon began attracting royalty and dynastic American families.
Steeped in Virginian character, the 11,000-acre resort seems to have been trapped in time, preserved in a world of grace and opulence that seldom exists elsewhere in the U.S.
"The Greenbrier is a treasure chest with almost 250 years of history in the property," says Deanna Hylton, manager of the bunker.
"We get a lot of people who visit here because of it. This is the only place where you can tour the Bunker because it was the only building constructed specifically to enable Congress to endure the Cold War. It's a one-of-a-kind structure with an incredible story."
A Cold War lifeline for Congress
Built in the early 1960s under President Eisenhower’s “Continuity of Government” program, the facility was designed to house every member of Congress in the event of a nuclear attack or disaster that rendered Washington, D.C., unsafe. Known as Project Greek Island, it remained in a state of readiness from 1962 to 1992.
Beneath the resort's east wing, commonly referred to as the West Virginia Wing, the bunker housed office and living spaces, secure communications equipment, and blast doors weighing between 18 and 30 tons.
According to Hylton, the mountainous location, situated not too far from the nation's capital, was chosen for both natural protection and convenience. "The proximity to Washington, D.C. was the deciding factor," she said.
"It was easy to arrive by train—the largest means of transportation to the area at the time—as well as by plane or automobile. The Greenbrier, being in the mountains, was an out-of-the-way target for a plane-borne bomb, and far enough away that if D.C. were hit, the resulting damage would not reach it."
From a Top Secret facility to public tours
The bunker's existence was a closely guarded secret until 1992, when it was exposed in a Washington Post Magazine cover story. After the news broke, the federal government officially closed the facility in 1995, leaving behind a remarkable relic.
Since its public revelation, The Greenbrier has made the bunker available for guided tours, attracting some 50,000 visitors each year.
The 90-minute tour leads visitors through briefing rooms, House and Senate chambers, decontamination areas, and vast underground tunnels filled with communications gear and bunk beds.
Hylton said the visitors are invariably moved by the horror of what could happen if the U.S. enters into nuclear combat. "The tour winds its way through the bunker, uncovering a relic history of what could have been if…"
Visitors are also amazed at the stark difference between the upscale resort upstairs and the utilitarian bunker downstairs.
"People are shocked by the magnitude of this beautiful resort among the rural West Virginia hills, and in that sense, the simplicity of the bunker," she says. "There's no frill and no waiters in the bunker. It was built for Congress so they can still get their work done—work, not luxury."
Why the Greenbrier Bunker is such a popular attraction
A place of historical significance for more than one reason, the bunker serves as a sobering reminder of Cold War fears, as well as the necessity of meticulous government planning.
"Some individuals today go so that they can take the tour because they are worried about what is happening in our world. They want to reassure themselves that they can survive," Hylton said.
Visitors also marvel at the size of the blast doors and that the secret wasn't revealed to most of the staff at The Greenbrier. "They are in awe that it was a 30-year secret while approximately one hundred Greenbrier employees worked every day to keep it running."
Beyond the bunker, The Greenbrier itself offers a full spectrum of amenities, including championship golf courses, gourmet restaurants, spa treatments, and direct access to West Virginia's natural splendor.
Planning your visit to The Bunker at The Greenbrier
Daily guided tours of the Greenbrier Bunker are available year-round, led by knowledgeable guides who provide detailed historical information and share personal anecdotes. Visitors begin their adventure by walking through the opulent resort and then entering the underground facility.
Photography is not permitted, and due to the nature of the tour, children under 10 are not allowed. Walking and standing are required throughout, and the tour is not wheelchair accessible.
While visiting, guests can explore the rest of The Greenbrier’s grounds, which include luxury accommodations, a championship golf course, spa services, fine dining, shopping, and a casino. The resort is easily accessible by car, with Amtrak service stopping directly at the property, and through Greenbrier Valley Airport located just 15 minutes away.
Whether you're a history enthusiast, an inquisitive traveler, or someone seeking an unusual escape, the Bunker offers something for everyone, ranging from intrigue to education to breathtaking Appalachian scenery.
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To be honest, the military was remarkably naive about nuclear war back then. If one of today's strategic nuclear weapons was lobbed at the Greenbrier, no one would survive.
Recently I read “Nuclear War: A Scenario” by Annie Jacobsen. There are many scenarios in which a nuclear war might occur, but due to the “Launch on Warning” strategy that the superpowers seem to have embraced, none of those scenarios ends well. In Jacobsen's scenario, the following unfolds:
- A North Korean leader launches an intercontinental ballistic missile at the Pentagon.
- Korea launches another ballistic missile from a submarine targeting a nuclear reactor in California.
- The U.S. president has 6 minutes to decide on a response.
- The U.S. president is evacuated from the White House and is pressured to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles at all 82 North Korean targets related to the country’s nuclear and military capabilities.
- U.S. missiles fly over Russia, prompting Russian leaders to assume their country is under attack.
- The Russian and American presidents cannot communicate by phone and exchange missile launches toward each other.
- Within 72 hours, three nuclear-armed countries manage to kill billions of people, while the survivors face starvation on a poisoned land where the sun no longer shines and food ceases to grow.
In most nuclear war game simulations, it would pretty much be all over before most people even grasped what was happening.
Today's strategic nuclear weapons didn't exist when the bunker was constructed. As the article states, the location (which was then secret) was an unlikely and inconvenient target for an aircraft borne bomb. They decommissioned the bunker after its location became public knowledge, but do you really think it wasn't replaced by a more modern structure, designed to withstand today's weapons?
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The article keeps using the word "secret" describing the "hidden" bunker. I lived south of White Sulphur and grew up during the 60's. Everyone knew about this bunker. It was no secret. We would tell friends and kin people who didn’t live around home that if there was a war the president would be hiding under the Greenbrier Hotel. It was common knowledge.