Posted by
The United States is dotted with decommissioned missile silos — as any good X-Files fan knows — and some of them have found a new life in the private sector. Ed and Diana Peden bought their very own missile silo outside Topeka, Kansas in the 1980s. At the time it was twenty years decommissioned and filled with water and sludge, but the couple couldn’t pass up the 18,000 square feet spread out on 13 floors underground. After cleaning out the old girl (and finding that the 40+ ton silo garage door still worked after sitting in eight feet of water!) the couple moved into their newly-dubbed castle, Subterra.
The missile-housing area now houses an RV and lawnmowers — and its adjacent mechanics bay houses the Peden’s ultralight building facilities.
Travel down the tunnel to the left, and you’ll reach the Peden’s living room. Here you’ll find out that not only do they live in a very unusual house — the Pedens are Grade-A hippies! Yay! Behold: their beautifully-becurtained drum circle room:
The control room, which was once manned 24 hours a day by men ready to press the button, is now a spiritual haven filled with religious artifacts from around the world.
Villa Vals: A home cut from a mountainside and fit for a super villain
Villa Vals is a rentable property in Switzerland that doesn't seem like it should exist in this century. Maybe in an alternate year 2011, one... Read more
Some of the original mechanics are still installed in the base, like this control panel:
Having found a love for their completely odd home, Diana and Ed have branched out into running a real estate company geared towards selling silos across the country: 20th Century Castles. Check out what’s for sale there.
If you want more of the history of Subterra, Wired has a full article covering how the silo came to be, and its journey from relic of war to beloved homestead. You can also get the story straight from the horse’s mouth on Subterra’s web site.
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!! This is AMAZING!
This home was featured in an episode of Stephen Fry in America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg7TmlG7JBU
All I can think of when I see this is how freaking well prepared they are for the zombie apocalypse. JEALOUS!
Exactly!! get some food stock piled and you could hide for months
Plus, I bet you could rig the top of the silo as some sort of sniper post and get some sweet hydroponics going on in the missile housing area.
I totally think way too much about zombie survival plans.
No such thing as over-preparedness!
This home is featured on an awesome documentary called “Home Movie.”
Oh, man … how I wish there were abandoned missile silos for sale here in South Africa! I have so many plans …
If we only had the money! I want one SOOOOOOOO BAD!!!
Holy crap! this is in my town and I had no idea it existed! Very cool.
This is like my crazy, repurposed space dream come true. Love it!
Holy wow! I’m smitten, though I’d definitely need to bring in some sort of natural lighting devices.
Also, if anyone wants to hear a fabulous missile silo song, try Josh Ritter’s “The Temptation of Adam.” It’s so beautiful. Josh is my pretend second husband/lovah.
I love the ones with totally legit-looking houses and properties above ground. There’s something so I’M BATMAN about it.
13 floors? I could never afford these, but they’re just begging to be turned into co-ops.
My sister actually got the experience to participate in a New Years Eve party and drum circle at Subterra a few years back. It was utterly amazing from what she described!
What do they pay in terms of their electricity bill? Do they have pets? I’m wondering how viable this is (mostly cos I’d like to do the same!) thanks for the post!
Is this the missile silo that was involved in the big Pickard and Skinner LSD bust? Or are there multiple silos in Topeka?
Pretty cool place they have.