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in Vilonia, Arkansas, doesn’t look like much from above, but I guess that’s exactly the point. Why build a nuclear bunker that your enemies can easily find? But 15 meters below the surface is a very special Airbnb that has been transformed from an abandoned piece of history into a luxury holiday home.
We ventured to Arkansas to see if this luxury doomsday bunker was worth being rated in the top 5% of Airbnbs worldwide, and spoiler alert: it certainly was. Today we give a full tour of the bunker, delve into the history of the Second World War and tell all the details about what exactly happens during an underground bunker holiday.
Are you ready?
Where does this bunker come from?
During World War II, the United States built 64 Titan 2 missile bunkers across the country, including this bunker in Arkansas. Each bunker contained a 9-megaton nuclear warhead that could be deployed from its underground lair in less than 58 seconds and could hit a target up to 9,000 kilometers away.
These missiles were only intended to be used if the United States was bombed first, so each bunker was built to withstand a nuclear explosion and still be operational. In other words: these bunkers are indestructible.
Fortunately, these missiles were never used and the bunkers were decommissioned after the Cold War. The bunkers fell into the hands of private individuals and were given a new life. We were allowed to spend the night in this bunker, which was converted into a luxury Airbnb.
What’s in it?
When you step through the massive 6,000 pound metal door, the first thing you notice is how surreal this place feels. It’s hard to believe that this was once a heavily secured nuclear site, built to withstand powerful nuclear attacks. On your right you see the silo that used to house the nuclear missile, now closed with concrete. To your left is a long tunnel lit only by blue and red LED lights, leading to what used to be the control center – and is now an Airbnb.
Level 3: The master bedroom
Let’s start by saying that this is one of the most beautifully designed master bedrooms we’ve ever seen in an Airbnb. Located on the top floor of what used to be the missile control center, the room has a beautiful circular layout with a vaulted ceiling.
The floating bed, nightstands and counters give the entire room a luxurious spaceship aesthetic that we couldn’t get enough of. And if you’re coffee-obsessed like us, you’ll appreciate the coffee maker next to the bed.
In the bathroom you will find a gigantic freestanding bath, a bidet and a shower with not one, not two, not three, but four shower heads.
Level 2: The living room
The second level of the Airbnb serves as a meeting space and guest room for any additional guests you bring along.
Probably the coolest part of this level is that the entire floor is suspended underground by giant springs. When this bunker was built, it was designed so that if an earthquake were to occur, the entire control center would shake, but not break.
Level 1: The kitchen and cinema
A spiral staircase leads to the lower level of the Airbnb, where you’ll find the kitchen and movie theater. During the bunker’s operational days, military personnel likely had a kitchen to support their 24-hour presence, but we doubt it was as impressive as the one our Airbnb host created.
In the kitchen you’ll find a sink, microwave, oven, full freezer, stove, coffee maker, and the best stocked refrigerator we’ve ever seen in an Airbnb – pretty much everything you need to whip up a meal. tasty home cooked meal.
Below the kitchen is a home theater with comfy couches and a massive entertainment system connected to all the streaming platforms you could ever need. We assume the original bunker didn’t have a movie theater, but we wondered how they spent the long hours underground. . .
What is life like underground?
When we first heard about staying in an underground bunker, we imagined roughing it in a deep, dark, cold concrete room. It sounded like an exciting adventure, but not exactly a relaxing vacation.
Fortunately, staying in this underground bunker was far from a disaster. The Airbnb host, GT, has done a perfect job creating a place that perfectly combines adventure, luxury and history.
We spent our afternoons outside the bunker learning the art of ax throwing. While in the bunker, we cooked meals and curled up on the couch to catch up on YouTube and watch some movies. GT recommended we watch the movie Command and Control to help us understand what happened in this bunker 60 years ago, and it really brought the history to life.
The darkness in the bunker made us feel like we could sleep forever, but when we finally got up, GT let us make the daring attempt to escape the bunker through the emergency exit. It was quite terrifying crawling through that narrow tunnel and up the 15 meter high ladder – we can’t imagine having to do that in a real emergency!
Your turn
If you think spending the night in a luxurious doomsday bunker seems like the perfect adventure for you, we highly recommend booking GT’s Airbnb and making the trip to Arkansas for a unique adventure.
Watch the video below for a full overview of our stay! And if you want more Doomsday Bunker content, you can read all about our visit to the world’s largest Doomsday community, where we got to ask full-time residents why they chose to make a former military bunker their home!
Hi! We are Kara and Nate. High school sweethearts from Nashville, TN whose shared love of travel led us on the adventure of a lifetime. In 2016 we quit our jobs to travel the world for a year. Seven years later we still haven’t stopped! We quickly fell in love with life on the road and capturing our travels on video. We’ve visited over 100 countries and have been fortunate to build an amazing community of subscribers to our YouTube channel and Daily Drop newsletter. We’re so grateful to be able to do what we love every day and we hope our story and content can inspire you to travel somewhere new!
