John Sims shares his unexpected discovery after moving into a new home in Tucson, Arizona. The former owner had mentioned a disturbing rumor about something buried on the property. Curiosity piqued, John began digging in the backyard and found a hatch leading to a spiral staircase.
With the help of friends, they excavated and discovered a nuclear bomb shelter built during the Cold War. The shelter was in good condition despite neglect for nearly half a century. Tucson had a history of bomb shelters and being a former rocket town, housing 18 ballistic missiles capable of traveling across continents.
John’s discovery of a bomb shelter in his Tucson backyard went viral after he shared it on Reddit. The find sparked international interest, with local and international media outlets contacting him for interviews.
The missile silos and nuclear shelters from the Cold War era were kept Top Secret by the government, and many had been destroyed or sealed during the early 1980s. John plans to turn his discovery into a cold war museum and has been collecting memorabilia related to the period. He advises those who find bomb shelters in their yards to be cautious and not to jump in without proper safety measures.
John has received donations through a GoFundMe campaign to help restore the bomb shelter and has been sharing the progress on social media. He intends to spend a night in the shelter at least once in his lifetime and considers using it as a cool retreat from the Arizona heat.