The Black Hills are arguably one of the most beautiful and serene places in the country, thanks to so much open and untouched space and our charming mountain communities. Since most of the area is like this, there is one place, in particular, that stands out amidst the rolling prairie, which is this South Dakota military facility that was built and left to decay:
Located just south of Edgemont, the Ordnance Depot (also known as the Igloos) was established and built in 1942 as a means to help the Army's increased ordnance handling needs and - due to its remoteness - featured housing, schools, church, shopping, a movie theater, and more.
During its operation, the Depot housed not only its employees and their families (including a young Tom Brokaw, pictured) but also chemical weapons and - during World War II - Italian prisoners of war.
While this is where many stories end, the Black Hills Ordnance Depot made a genuinely unique comeback, as the land and its abandoned buildings were purchased in 2016 and converted into private doomsday bunkers.
Billed as being the "world's largest survival community," the former Depot is expected to house 5,000 people, as each 2,200-square-foot bunker is designed to comfortably accommodate 10 at a time.