Time gives everything significance. From photographs and furniture to architecture and artefacts, simply stick around long enough and you’ll become historic, and quite likely a tourist attraction too.
One of the handiest examples for the traveller – because it is also a hotel – is the Greenbrier Resort in the US state of West Virginia. The imposing 700-room property sits on thousands of acres and has top-notch amenities such as golf, spa and a casino. It also sits on top of a Cold War bunker.
In 1958 the top-secret, 10,500 sq m, government facility was carved underground, with the building of a new hotel wing overhead acting as a decoy.
The fallout shelter – codename Project Greek Island – was designed to house the US Congress in the event of a nuclear holocaust.
During the Eisenhower-era there were secret entrances with blast-proof doors, a decontamination chamber, dormitories designed to accommodate 1,100, a power plant, diesel and water tanks, water purification equipment and giant food stores.
It had a communications area that included a TV production studio and audio recording booths. The bunker also had a hospital with operating theatres as well as meeting rooms for the House and Senate.
Despite its vast size, its presence remained a secret until 1992 when The Washington Post exposed it in an article headed “The Last Resort”. It was subsequently decommissioned and declassified, before being repackaged as a tourist attraction.
These days the hotel rents out the bunker for MASH and James Bond themed office parties. That’s the other thing about time, it makes a mockery of everything too.
See greenbrier.com
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