You Can Own This Former ICBM Silo in the Arizona Desert

You Can Own This Former ICBM Silo in the Arizona Desert
The ex-Titan II silo hosted a missile fitted with a nine megaton thermonuclear warhead

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a29800419/icbm-silo-arizona/

A former Titan II missile complex is on sale for the low price of $395,000.

The complex was once home to a nine megaton thermonuclear warhead, the most powerful ever to grace America's nuclear arsenal.

The facility needs plumbing, water, and electricity.

We used to use these For Sale silos in post-apoc RPGs all the time. I’ve always wanted one. With a good enough internet connection I think it would be cozy.

Looks like a great place for an NRA or Tripoli headquarters!
Twelve acres isn't too bad for a launch site either.
Make a mock Titan, build up bunks all around, and invite the membership over for yearly classes and launches.
Hey, I want shares in this project!

It is a little Murdery.

Shades of Zephram Cochrane!

cwbullet said:

It is a little Murdery.

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M'eh. Doesn't have to be a Titan, nor even a rocket. Just make a hotel in the silo and call it the Silo Inn.

If I had that kind of money, I'd rather sink it into transforming that into a cool house than buying some crap McMansion on a quarter acre lot.

I think, were you to buy it, you would easily sink an equal amount into just the asbestos remediation. Then it would get expensive.

Peartree said:

If I had that kind of money, I'd rather sink it into transforming that into a cool house than buying some crap McMansion on a quarter acre lot.

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Yeah but the beauty of a crap McMansion on such a lot is you can cut the grass in one pass with a 20" mower.

It is 12.58 acres.

Yeah, my guess is that you'd spend at least another million on renovations.

H_Rocket said:

I think, were you to buy it, you would easily sink an equal amount into just the asbestos remediation. Then it woiuld get expensive.

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I'm thinking the views would be a bit limited. Great home for a Gopher impersonator

I was in one 25+ years ago. It was in rough shape then. Guys I was with had cut open a vent shaft and we reppeled in.
When decommissioned after the missile was pulled the silo was filled with gravel. So the coolest part would have required a lot of work.
$400k for 12 acres may not be too bad of a price as long as the road is still good and accessible.

Best play fort ever

i remember watching one of those unusual homes episodes (netflix?) where some guy bought one and lives there. Couldnt find it, but i did find this... have a tour ... https://www.denverpost.com/2017/11/24/nuclear-missile-silo-airbnb/

edit addition: and no, it doesnt seem to be listed on airbnb.

Other facts

• Terms: Cash, Owner Carry
• Road Type: Paved, Chip/Seal
• Road Maintenance: County
  
• Sewer: Other: septic required
  
• Distance Utilities: Distance to Electric: unknown
  
• Water: Other Well: to be drilled

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/24665-S-Highway-79-Catalina-AZ-85739/2082082831_zpid/?view=public

Front door view:

Cozy!

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/sale-gently-used-icbm-silo-arizona-desert-just-395000

Looks like the interesting parts are gone or at least inaccessible. Nothing resembling a silo lid can be found on Google Maps and none of the interior images appear to show the actual silo.

Does anybody know what the standard decommissioning procedure of these sites looked like, besides removing sensitive and usable equipment? I imagine filling in the silo would have been done both for treaty verification and safety reasons.

Reinhard

I see a lot of steel that needs to be blasted and repainted.

Yeah...hard pass from me even if I had the $$$ to burn on it.

Instead of Mr. Clean you could mop with WD-40.

Hmmm...

It's in the Arizona desert, no neighbors for miles around, presumably.
Launch year round, anytime day or night. No trees, utility lines, or water hazards.
Plenty of sun, setup a solar photo-voltaic/battery system. No need to hook up to the grid.
Hopefully there's enough underground water for a well to tap into.
Use the underground bunkers for your workshop, make all the sanding dust you want.
Plenty of storage room for a HUGE rocket collection.
Need to be spry and nimble enough to safely climb up and down ladders.

I am going to guess that the cost of just cleaning this site up would exceed its value. It would be cool to build a house right on top of the entrance and make the silo part your basement, rocket shop, or shelter for the preppers in the audience.

I love how the only entryway is a 50' ladder.
Watch that first step!

Reinhard said:

Looks like the interesting parts are gone or at least inaccessible. Nothing resembling a silo lid can be found on Google Maps and none of the interior images appear to show the actual silo.

Does anybody know what the standard decommissioning procedure of these sites looked like, besides removing sensitive and usable equipment? I imagine filling in the silo would have been done both for treaty verification and safety reasons.

Reinhard

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I took a few tours of the Titan Missile museum about an hour south of me (and this property is only a few miles away- the thought crossed my mind, if only for the land! The museum has a great display on the decommisionnning process, and I gotta be honest, I'm surprised as hell that this is for sale. The display states (and shows pictures) that the agreement with Russia required the detonation of the silo with TNT, and the remains left alone for several months so Russian satellites can verify the destruction (save the one on display, whose silo door is locked in 1/2 open status, and disabled so it can never open all the way). After that, they were backfilled with earth, one of which closest to me is now a church parking lot. From the photos posted about this one, the internals are in rough shape, and I didn't see any of the silo itself, so not sure what state it's in...for those who visit this area, highly recommend the tour- super interesting and spooky all at the same time. Most sobering thought is that the politician who fought for the 18 in AZ (Goldwater, I think? I'm terrible at history) brought a lot of jobs to the area, but guaranteed that if Armageddon ever comes, we're definitely a target for the Ruskies...glad I moved here only in 2006!