Top 10 Most Secretive Places In The World
#10: Fort Knox
USA
The term “as safe as Fort Knox” came about for a reason! Built in the mid 1930s, Fort Knox (or the United States Bullion Depository if you wanna get fancy) is used to store various goods belonging to the U.S. government. This includes roughly 4,500 metric tons of gold bullion. The building consists of 4,200 cubic yards of concrete and nearly 1,500 tons of steel. The main vault is twenty inches thick and weighs as many tons, and the surrounding area is littered with active mines. People not belonging to the Department of the Treasury or the Mint Police are strictly prohibited from entering the grounds. We mean, you can, but you probably won’t get very far.
#9: Jiangsu National Security Education Museum
China
Turns out, China is very secretive of their outdated spy technology. In the Chinese city of Nanjing is the Jiangsu National Security Education Museum, which honors the country’s history of espionage. Almost appropriately, however, foreigners are not allowed in. It is reported that all non-Chinese citizens are immediately turned away at the door. A spokesperson for the museum told The Associated Press that China wants to keep its espionage technology a closely-guarded national secret. Despite the preventative measures, we know of many things that lie inside the museum, including various classified documents. But there’s also the fun James Bond-type stuff like lipstick and pen guns, playing card maps, and a microphone disguised as a calculator.
#8: RAF Menwith Hill
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England
Located in the English county of North Yorkshire is RAF Menwith Hill, a massive monitoring station serving both the United Kingdom and the United States. On location are members of the British Ministry of Defence, the United States Department of Defense, and the NSA. The goings-on at the base are secretive and rather vague. In the words of the Royal Air Force themselves, “Its primary mission is to provide intelligence support.” Whatever that means. What we do know is that it houses many fancy radomes - golf ball-looking structures - containing state-of-the-art reconnaissance satellites. These satellites may be a part of ECHELON, a spy program concerned with mass surveillance. We don’t know what’s going on at Menwith Hill, but they definitely know what’s going on with us!
#7: Metro-2
Russia
Something fascinating may exist under the streets of Moscow. And that is the alleged Metro-2. Located as many as 660 feet underground, Metro-2 is said to be a secret railway line connecting various places of state significance. It also allegedly houses a secret underground city that would protect its inhabitants from a nuclear attack. Construction of the metro supposedly started under Joseph Stalin, but even that’s unconfirmed. Some claim that construction ceased after Stalin died in 1953, and some claim that it has been secretly expanded on throughout the years. In 1991, the US Department of Defense wrote a report that seemingly confirmed the existence of a secret railway underneath Moscow. But we may never know for sure.
#6: The Vatican Secret Archive
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Vatican City
They aren’t just letting anyone into the Vatican Secret Archive. It’s right there in the name! Even though it’s now known as the Apostolic Archive, access to the area is still firmly restricted to outsiders. Established in the early 17th century, the archive was built to house important documents belonging to the Catholic Church. Some academic researchers are allowed inside the archives, but the application process is rigorous and time-consuming. Scholars are not allowed inside if their research is deemed unnecessary or if they do not have an adequate introductory letter (among many other things). And even then, some materials relating to personal information are still off limits.
#5: Bohemian Grove
USA
Found in Monte Rio, California is Bohemian Grove, a campground spanning nearly 3,000 acres. It serves as a summer retreat for the members of the Bohemian Club, a private organization consisting of the richest and most powerful men in the United States. Yes, men. Females are prohibited unless visiting with their spouses or parents. It is said that important business deals and plans concerning national interest take place here, including the conception of the Manhattan Project. Security is extensive in order to keep the proceedings and discussions secret. This includes the hiring of both ex-military personnel and the Secret Service to monitor the surrounding area and prevent outsiders from getting in.
#4: The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang
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China
You know this place better as “that spot with the Terracotta Army.” Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang was constructed between 246 and 208 BC. The tomb is located within a necropolis that spans miles, and excavation work has been frustratingly slow. The Terracotta Warriors weren’t discovered until the 1970s, and new pits have been unearthed as recently as 2008. The tomb itself is situated underneath a 250-foot tall pyramid mound that houses a buried palace. However, it has remained unexcavated for a variety of reasons, including fears of damage. This may be the world’s most beautiful tomb, and we have no idea what it looks like.
#3: Mezhgorye
Russia
Located in the Ural Mountains of southwestern Russia is the closed town of Mezhgorye, meaning access is prohibited to everyone but the locals. Not much is known about the town, but rumors certainly circulate. What we do know is that Mezhgorye was once two or three separate military garrisons, and these garrisons were eventually unified into the closed town we know today. The main theory is that Mezhgorye houses the workers of nearby Mount Yamantau. In the local Bashkir language, “Yamantau” means “evil mountain.” That about sums it up. It has long been said that Yamantau houses some sort of secret Russian base. Whether that be a bunker, a nuclear facility, or a repository, we simply do not know. And Russia will not tell us.
#2: Area 51
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USA
Are there aliens in Area 51? Probably not, but it’s certainly fun to speculate! Area 51 is the quintessential “secret place.” It belongs to the United States Air Force, is officially known as Homey Airport, and can be found in the desert of Nevada. But aside from that, little is known about the area. It has long been speculated that the base is used to test high tech weaponry and aircraft, but everything that occurs within Area 51 is officially classified. The surrounding area is heavily patrolled, and in 2019 a man was killed while trying to enter the base. This place doesn’t mess around, and it has fueled conspiracy theories and fierce debate for decades.
#1: Room 39
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North Korea
There are three main organizations that keep North Korea running. Those are Office 38, which handles finances, Office 35, which oversees intelligence, and Room 39, which is tasked with raising money for the regime. The secretive organization makes its money through a variety of illicit manners, including insurance fraud and drug manufacturing. The party is supposedly named after its location, which is thought to be inside the headquarters of the Workers' Party of Korea. It’s essentially the most secretive room in the world. It’s under layers upon layers of protection, and unauthorized visitors will be either kidnapped or killed long before they find it. That is, if it’s even in the building. We don’t really know.
