Launch site looks abandoned, buildings in deteriorated condition. Just east of here was located the launch control equipment for one of the three Nike complexes in Fairfax County. Foundations visible in construction site. Nike launch facilities obliterated by construction. U.S. Army Air Defense Command operated the sites with Regular Army units (possibly from 562nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment) from 1960 until 1966. Also used by the Air Force as part of the. Owned by the Utica School District. Today, most buildings had recently been demolished. Redeveloped into open greenspace with retention ponds. Old FC buildings in area in various states of deterioration and abandoned. Now "Nike Overlook Park". . Doors probably welded shut. Now a parking lot. No evidence of radar towers. Now a part of Maheras-Gentry Park, FDS. Were intercontinental ballistic missiles ever housed or siloed at Montrose Harbor? L-58's housing area was taken over by the Air Force after the IFC was closed by the Army, and was redesignated as Loring Family Housing Annex #2. Launch site roads still in place, overlaid by park facilities. On "Nike Base Road". Not much else. One small IFC building remains. And it is roughly. The first thing that makes this particular route interesting is the still active missile silos that dot the highway from Kimball to the Colorado border. Many were already on Army National Guard bases who continued to use the property. Buildings in use by company, magazine area visible being used as storage yard. Missile Sites. Very deteriorated state. During the cleanup, the magazine elevator doors were sealed with asphalt for safety reasons.395216N 0745253W / 39.87111N 74.88139W / 39.87111; -74.88139 (PH-32-LS), 395145N 0752545W / 39.86250N 75.42917W / 39.86250; -75.42917 (PH-67-CS), 402901N 0800950W / 40.48361N 80.16389W / 40.48361; -80.16389 (PI-71-LS), 403138N 0800344W / 40.52722N 80.06222W / 40.52722; -80.06222 (PI-93-CS). Redeveloped as multiple-family housing. If youve ever been to this missile launch site park, wed love to hear from you. The sign simply says M1. An Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) was established at Cape Charles AFS, VA in 1958 for Nike missile command-and-control functions. Two radar towers remain on private property owned by a landscaping company. The building that housed the Missile Master site is still standing and concrete paddocks that held radar tower are still visible. Originally HM-65, redesignated HM-66. Now US Forest Service facility. Abandoned. Most touch screen devices will zoom by You can either park on the side of the road here, or you can continue down to the right and park in the parking lot, then walk back to the split and continue. From 1958 to 1972, the Department of Defense deployed a contingent of surface-to-air missiles intended to shoot down any incoming nuclear missiles aimed at United States cities. Property given to North Allegheny School District. Base of radar tower and control building remain S.E. Now under private ownership, Explosives Technology. Private ownership, 4 military buildings still exist, usage unknown. Mostly intact. Launched from a Montana silo, a Minuteman III would take about 20 minutes to reach Moscowits speed is not constant along its flight path. On 18 Sep 1968, IFC-2 was designated the Palehua AF Solar Observatory Research Site, activated, and assigned to Military Airlift Command with jurisdiction and operational control assigned to Air Weather Service. Magazines visible, earth grading equipment moving dirt around area. Air Force operations ended 31 July 1964. The AADCP inactivated on 1 Sep 1974. The administrative, housing, and launch complex area was located just west of South Lake Shore Drive, between the 59th St Harbor and Hayes Dr. Geoffrey Baer joined "Chicago Tonight" for this week's Ask Geoffrey, about old Nike missile bases in Chicago. This change eventually made Nikes air defense role obsolete. Some radio towers but no evidence of radar. No evidence of launchers. Abandoned, replanted with pines. Concreted areas cracked and in poor condition. Actual missile area had 3 building to hold missiles, and rails to slide them outside. Other bases were located at Fort Sheridan, Porter, Indiana, even in the middle of Jackson Park. There's A Park Hidden In Plain Sight In Illinois At A Cold War Missile Launch Site There's a Cold War missile launch site in Addison, Illinois that is now home to a charming park where children play. Largely obliterated. Three magazines in place but buried. Site was never operational. The AADCP was inactivated in 1969. The areas in black denote deactivated missile wings, the areas in red denote the active missile . Site razed in 2006; now a vacant lot with visible concrete debris piled up in several places. Interstate 87. Part of Army Reserve Center, in back of facility. Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) D-15DC established at Selfridge AFB, MI in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. Units assigned are the 2071st USAR School, 326th Maintenance Battalion and 214th MI Company. These Nike Hercules sites were manned by Regular Army and National Guard units and operated from 1960 to 1968. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Redeveloped into high-end single-family housing. The three underground magazines are existent and in reasonably good condition. The launcher Area has about 7 launch pads with 3 underground bunkers and 1 barn with rails, about 80% finished when construction halted. Electrified with working elevators. Some buildings standing, used by the Twin Pines Council of Governments as a Police Firing Range. The National Park Service has a history of how women became missileers. Buildings vacant, but given the remoteness of this facility appear to be in decent shape. Sports Complex, some old military buildings still in use. Double above-ground magazines, on top of mountain ridge, under US Army control, Both Nike launch facilities overgrown with vegetation, abandoned. No evidence remains of LS. Intact, Communications Facility Partially. Public Safety Training Center. FDS. Sites at (S-13) Redmond, (S-61) Vashon Island, and (S-92) Bainbridge Island were upgraded to launch Nike Hercules missiles and survived until 1974. Carrie Austin Resigns from City Council After 29 Years in Office, At Least 2 Tornadoes Briefly Touch Down in Chicago Suburbs, Control of Chicago City Council Up for Grabs as Aldermanic Runoffs Loom. Totally obliterated. These were covering the Norwegian capital, the former Kolss HQ Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH), the Rygge and Gardermoen airbases and the naval base Karljohansvern. Most of site has been obliterated, fenceline visible in aerial imagery. Private ownership. Nike launch magazines abandoned and partially covered by a layer of soil, used for open-air storage. Aerial imagery shows 3 radar towers still erect. Obliterated, paved over for tractor trailer parking lot. Buildings in good shape, no evidence of radar towers. Under restoration since 2009. FDS. It has been in use as a secured communications site for various federal agencies, including BLM, FAA, FCC, FBI, IRS, and others. The launch site itself is not part of the paintball area. Magazines badly deteriorated, some used as parking lot. This area is within the SRA on the southern shore of the lake. Some old military buildings, off "Nike Site Road". The Shutter Nike Missile Base is tucked away behind a gated fence near the Monroe County Village of Hecker Illinois with a population of about 500. In a two-week period, 24 hours a day, the Army Corps of Engineers literally built an island in the swamp by bringing in thousands of truck loads of earth fill to build an elevated land surface for the missiles and radars which would keep the equipment elevated above the Everglades water level. Site Summit is listed in the, Intact Army ownership, best preserved Alaskan Site. It was inactivated on 4 Nov 1970. Private ownership, now MPL Industries. Now well-preserved in private ownership. Most of area now redeveloped into tennis courts, park area. Air Defense Command/NORAD radar sites at Fire Island AFS (F-1) and King Salmon AFS (F-3) AK were integrated into the Army Nike operations. SL-47DC was integrated with the USAF Air Defense Command/NORAD Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense radar network as Site P-70 / Z-70. Magazines visible, concrete heavily cracked. Redeveloped into Electric Lighting Company. FDS. Now privately owned but undeveloped. Private ownership. Intact, Explosives Technology. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Cleveland Defense Area (CL): Headquarters facilities were located at the Shaker Heights Armory and in Cleveland. Above ground launching site with berms protecting launchers. In use by state highway department and is currently covered by a bike track, a Hamburg Town Park, and Bulk Storage. FDS. Obliterated Private ownership. FDS. Buildings deteriorated but intact. Part of the concrete structures and the bases of the radar towers are still standing, and used for paintball wars by the local youth. Nothing else is left. Buildings under vegetation, two large radio towers fallen on side visible . Magazines are present, welded shut, and badly degraded. No evidence of LS. Buildings demolished in December 2020. At the time, there was no effective defense against missiles like that. Some IFC roads exist, no structures. They were the countrys first surface-to-air guided missile system. This is the entrance to the 341st Missile Wing, 490th Missile Squadron M-01 in Monroe, Montana off of Magazines exist, launch doors visible, probably welded shut, appears to be storage area. Missile silos are scattered across such vast expanses so that potential adversaries would have to target each missile individually. The control area was located atop. This double Nike site was operational with both Ajax and Hercules missiles. Two round ground pads, one square ground pad, and one tower with cyclone fence around the top. The site, known officially as 550th SMS Site 2, was constructed in 1961 and decommissioned on June 25, 1965. United States Minuteman Missile Wings - 272KB PDF The site was initially an AN/FSG-l Missile-Master Radar Direction Center. Part of magazine visible. No radar towers. FDS. Entire site now the WA National Guard Kent Armory. In 1968, the Cleveland Defense Area merged with Detroit's. From the mid-1960s until the early 1990s there were 1,000 Minuteman Silos and 100 corresponding Launch Control Facilities for command and control. The AADCP was inactivated in Sep 1969. Most silos were based in Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Wyoming and other western states. They have since been demolished to build a training facility. Buildings standing, magazines visible with launch doors probably welded shut. The rest of the site is used by farmers. Battalion Blvd remains. Launch doors are probably sealed shut but visible along with Nike concrete launching pads. Abandoned, vegetation (tall trees) growing in Magazine concrete. that appear on the map. Three sites were deactivated in December 1958 as only Saddle Mountain was converted to the new Nike Hercules. GRAFTON The last remnants of a U.S. Army missile base that defended American skies during the Cold War can still be spotted by sharp-eyed visitors to Pere Marquette State Park. FDS. The U.S. still has an arms limitation treaty with Russia through February 2026. Beck VoTech School. All rights reserved. Even the signs listing the bunker's rules can be read decades later. Many military buildings in use and well maintained. FDS. Some buildings standing, Now USG Plant. The roof of the magazines make up the Upper Field of the dog park. Assembly buildings are still standing but now in private hands. FDS. Site used as vehicle storage for county vehicles, and other public services. On high ridge, elevation 3,750'. FDS. In use for light industry. HM-01DC was integrated with the USAF Air Defense Command/NORAD Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense radar network as Site Z-210. Known as Orange Air National Guard Station. Now part of a horse farm. After the Army closed the Nike facility, It was gained as an off-base installation of Andrews AFB on 21 Feb 1975, under Headquarters Command. Very deteriorated. Redeveloped into single-family housing. No evidence of former IFC site. Magazine area visible from aerial imagery. HM-65 was Nike-Ajax. Several buildings were reused as warehouses. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) missile silos. Most of launch site turned into a quarry. Today's W78 warheads are 23 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Razed but broken concrete pads still visible; former Civil Defense site. Off "Nike Site Road". C-92 Redeveloped into Vernon Hills Athletic Complex. Some construction on launching area, launch doors concreted over, but one of the two magazines had been converted into a gym. Administrative Area buildings intact deteriorated. Air strip is now part of Evergreen Lakes subdivision. FDS. Some roads still exist as unconnected concrete. Formerly used by the RIANG, 281st CCG, 282d CBCS. Controlling the SAMs was the 29th Artillery Group (Air Defense). FDS. You do not want to buy land or live anywhere near these silo's, and preferrably not anywhere within 200 miles of these missile fields. C-70 Naperville, Illinois - Nike Missile Sites on Waymarking.com. Has been completely demolished and made into a nature conservatory. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Launch site buildings bulldozed, dumped into the magazines, magazines sealed shut, soiled over & the whole area re-graded in the early 1970s to make it look like a natural area again, and they did a very thorough job. 5 miles. One of the Launch Bunkers has been converted to a Cross Country Ski Chalet with a large parking lot, and the other three Launch Bunkers are used for storage. Appears abandoned, covered by wild vegetation, Private ownership. FDS. To reach the site, drive to William W. Powers State Recreation Area in southeast Chicago. They were disguised as Propane tanks.no radar towers. Thoroughly fenced in. Installation started in late 1959 [1] after the United States Army had purchased 44 acres (18 ha). Elevators cemented over. Accessible to the public by hiking. Hanford Defense Area (H): Nike missiles replaced and augmented gun batteries that had been previously installed Used primarily as a junkyard. The only IFC building left is a small pump house. Appears to be light office building. Redeveloped into an office park north of I-88. You can zoom in and out in a few ways. Many parked cars on site, probably employees. Everglades National Park, National Park Service. 3) Far Away From Population Centers - Minuteman sites on the sparsely populated Great Plains meant less lives were directly at risk from nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. Double magazine now motor pool area for Army Reserve unit. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. One diagram in particular raised a few eyebrows: It showed the location of a Missile Alert Facility, along with the silos for 10 nuclear weapons. US Forest Service Insect & Disease Lab. In early 1965 the AN/TSQ-51 "Missile Mentor" solid-state computer system was installed. Located on Belle Isle, south of Blue Heron Lagoon, East side of Lakeside Drive, Obliterated, City of Detroit. Triple battery next to Lake Erie. Mostly redeveloped, magazine area in poor condition, used as storage yard and parking lot. The other two Illinois facilities were in Grafton and Hector, with a fourth location in Pacific, Missouri. Launched from a Montana silo, a Minuteman III would take about 20 minutes to reach Moscowits speed is not constant along its flight path. Obliterated. Magazine area appears to be an auto junkyard, although intact, appears to be a large garage, auto dismantling building erected over the magazine. The site was initially an AN/FSG-l Missile-Master Radar Direction Center. The launch batteries and magazines were on the east edge of the Jackson Park Lagoons (facing east), about 3/4 mile away from the IFC radar site. On 1 October 1961 W-13DC was integrated with USAF Air Defense Command/NORAD Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense radar network as Site RP-54/Z-227. Now Blast Camp paint-ball park. Former access road to IFC remains, highly deteriorated and partially taken over by vegetation. Partially intact. Posted by: BruceS. Offutt AFB Defense Area (OF): Provided a Nike Hercules defense for Omaha's Offutt AFB, which was the Headquarters of the FDS. The green pond in the upper-right of the photo is the poo pond that processes waste. Abandoned, buildings appear derelict with lots of junk in the area. In the early part of the Cold War, the threat (perceived or real) of Soviet attack prompted the creation of several U.S. weapons, including the Nike missile. FDS. Concrete pad visible along with launch door (sealed). CAArNG, 458th MASH facility. Buildings torn down, foundations remain. It is also used occasionally for communications exercises supporting various US Army operations. From decommissioned nuclear bunkers to dilapidated military barracks, these properties. Barracks remaining. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. LA-45DC was integrated with the USAF Air Defense Command/NORAD Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense radar network as Site RP-39 / Z-39 The AADCP was inactivated 1 Sep 1974 along with the remaining Nike Hercules sites. Through the efforts of various volunteer groups, as of 1995, this is the only Nike site in the country that has been preserved and is open for public viewing. For instance, from Launch Facility (Missile Silo) Delta-09 to Moscow was approximately 5,100 miles. Intact, Private ownership in good condition. As the sites were decommissioned, they were first offered to federal agencies. Bay doors and elevators still work and are still in use by owners. Air Force operations ended 31 Dec 1969. Although silos are unattended, they are monitored with video and other IFC buildings are being reused in reasonable condition. As in several other states, during the 1960s the National Guard assumed a greater role in operating the sites. Undetermined purpose Site largely intact barracks has been torn down. Hilltop Elementary School, no remains. D-58 control site is currently being auctioned to general public by. Was Midway School. Double launch magazine now District of Columbia minimum security prison. In highly industrial area. Above-ground magazines protected by berms. Wiloughby Eastlake School District. It was faster, and could travel farther up to 90 miles. The Cost of U.S. Nuclear Forces: From BCA to Bow Wave and Beyond, Fact Sheet: Ballistic vs. Cruise Missiles. MAF = Missile Alert Facility, this is where the missileers control the launch of ten Minuteman III ICBM's, each MAF has 10 silo's under their supervision. Solar panels and a simple off grid power [] $999900 118.5 acres 2 bd This Cold Warera fallout shelter was actually a storage facility for the nation's emergency currency. Appears magazines were removed and filled in with dirt. Abandoned and overgrown. It is home to a MNDOT radio tower. Redeveloped into Governor Livingston Regional High School. Harry P. Barbier Memorial Park. 384744N 0894758W / 38.79556N 89.79944W / 38.79556; -89.79944 (SL-10-CS), Private Ownership Purchased 7-12-14 by Ron Mertens of Smithton IL. Partially intact. Privately owned, abandoned and overgrown, surrounded on north and east by a new subdivision. A battery of Nike missiles was installed at Belmont Harbor in the early 1950s. If those centers fail to carry out a launch order, specially-configured E6B airborne command posts, nicknamed Doomsday Planes, can take over. Also used as a self-storage site. Partially Intact, FEMA Agency Region X HQ and US Army Reserve Hooper Center. The other magazines are buried beneath a modern parking lot and have been filled with soil. The units were HHB and B/75th (11/54-9/58), HHB and B/3/562nd (9/58-6/60) and MDArNG B/3/70th (6/60-3/63). The site is overgrown with vegetation, Nike launch buildings are relatively intact. Most structures are still present but have been repurposed as storage buildings. Location now a parking deck. With the exception of Alaska, in which sites were given a specific name, Nike missile sites were designated by a coding system of the Defense Area Name abbreviation; a two-digit number representing the degree from north converted to a number between 01 and 99 (North being 01; East being 25; South being 50; West being 75), and a letter, L = launch site, C = IFC (Integrated Fire Control) site. Mostly cleared land, some roads of IFC remain but that's about it. and its ten silos is called a flight. Appears to be light industrial estate. The buildings are all new; the motor pool, up a rise slightly, has a couple of older structures, but the place otherwise has been cleaned off. Now Northeastern University Marine Science Center. FDS. Barracks buildings in use, double magazine site. There was a multiplicity of reasons that Minuteman's were sited in the Great Plains region. Was used as a storage site for construction supplies by the university's building contractors at first. In the mid-1990s, the site was sold to another developer who turned the control area into the Briarwood development. New building for armory, no FC buildings remain. The USAF radar site at Murphy Dome AFS, AK (F-2) was shared with the Army for Nike missile-defense system. Appears in good condition. The Launch Area is still fenced in, although the access road to the magazine area leads to a storage yard and Commercial Driver Training course. Intact, Private ownership, 1 launcher used to store dynamite. Private ownership. Nothing remains except large open area. Private ownership, Old Army building still standing most in good condition, along with the roads. Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) LA-45DC was established at San Pedro Hill AFS, CA in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions. see the locations of all silos on the ICBM History page. Now L-58C is used as a Long Range Radar (LRR) site by the FAA, designated "J-63" equipped with ARSR-4 Radar. Magazines probably in good condition, launch area being used for trailer and outside storage. FDS. Headquarters, Miami-Homestead Defense Area. The missiles were decommissioned in 1974 as the Cold War came to an end, but remnants remain all around the country to this day. They were said to be the last line of defense. Its new purpose is utilized regularly, and you can enjoy it too. It was designated as Gibbsboro Family Housing Annex. FDS. Today, Nike Missile Base SL-40 near Hecker, Illinois, is the Beck Vocational Center; its buildings preserved through adaptive reuse. As of 2019, entire launch site covered by new police academy. Below-ground Triple-magazine Nike-Hercules site built up on high ridge. You can walk on the former IFC at Lake Shore and E 31st Street; now a nice little park with a playground and good view of downtown, Lake Michigan, Navy Pier and Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. FDS. Mostly redeveloped, many buildings remain in good shape, sidewalks still connecting buildings. This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 15:53. The CPS-6B radar was removed in July 1958, FPS-8 removed 4Q 1960 until the Nike sites were inactivated in 1971. FDS. Partially Intact, Las Trampas Regional Park and microwave communications facility, Redeveloped, TRACOR Aerospace, Expendable Technology Center, Las Trampas Regional Park Office. The Arlington Heights Army Air Defense Site was a Project Nike Missile Master site near Chicago, Illinois. Some accessibility through a ventilation shaft to a small bunker room. FDS. For instance, the missile field of F. E. Warren Air Force Base includes portions of western Nebraska, northern Colorado, and eastern Wyoming, an area of more than 12,000 square miles. Abandoned. Well preserved site with numerous IFC buildings in use. becomes S. State Line Rd. Launch site on W side of Columbia Ave. razed in 2008, obliterated; missile magazines filled in, concrete pads removed. Being cleared and leveled. The MAF's are also a target. The Buildings and radar installations are fenced off as part of the paintball area, but the launch site is situated a quarter mile away, and on farm land. The site is currently used as a small arms firing range and a radio tower has been built there. Army ownership on Ft Wainwright property, The site is overgrown with vegetation, Nike launch buildings are relatively intact. are the names of places, businesses, cities, etc. After being closed by the Army it was established as an Air Force installation, the Sepulveda Air National Guard Station. While the project was approved, the development was never built. The U.S. Army (19541959) and the Army National Guard (19591963) operated this battery. After the Nike base was closed, it was gained by Ellsworth AFB on 30 Sep 1963, as Ellsworth Academic Annex (also referred to as South Nike Education Annex). During the Cold War there were an additional 500 silo's for a total of about 1,000, which were in South Dakota, Missouri, and North Dakota. The base's 150 missiles are . No evidence of IFC site. Partially intact. FDS. FDS. Radars were FPS-93A and in 1982 the FPS-117 was installed. It sits roughly 60 miles southwest of the city of Hami, known as the site of a re-education camp where the Chinese government detains Uyghurs and members of other minority groups. When you select the Map view, you can turn on terrain features by clicking or touching the Terrain box. In private hands, appears in good shape. Quite a few of the buildings, except for a metal structure on the north-east corner, are still standing. Access road also overgrown with vegetation, inaccessible. The site fired Nike missiles at potentially incoming jets as part of the Project Nike. It was transferred from the Army to the Air Force (Headquarters Command) on 10 Jun 1963. FDS. Above-ground launch facility with built-up pads, but no evidence of missile launch facilities remaining. Located at Battery Leary, Merriam, Upper Reservation, Ft. MacArthur. Looks as if it is being used as a storage/junkyard. There are two adjacent ski recreation areas. Now a sports complex. Site was both an AN/FSG-l Missile-Master and later AN/GSG-5(V) BIRDIE Radar Direction Center. You can turn off the labels if they obstruct your view. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. At that time it was redesignated; and Jurisdiction, Control, and Accountability assigned to Andrews AFB. . The area is off-limits to visitors at Angel Island State Park. Site demolished and cleared. Double magazine site, now a storage yard. The buildings appear to be in use and in good condition. Totally obliterated and redeveloped into the Parkhurst US Army Reserve Center. Part of Allegheny County Police and Fire Training Academy. Abandoned, now known as the Rochester-Utica State Recreation Area and the Shadebush Environmental Educational Center. Buildings in good condition, no radar towers. Administrative offices built over Missile magazines and sleeping quarters circa 1991.