10 Secret Places You're Not Meant to Find
#10: Mount Weather, VA
If the world goes up in flames, America’s elite won’t be in the chaos with the rest of us: they’ll be at Mount Weather. Officially, this heavily fortified Virginia facility is the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center. The government calls it a "key site" for FEMA’s disaster response. Unofficially? It’s rumored to be the government’s top secret doomsday bunker. During national crises, high-ranking officials are reportedly evacuated here. Deep inside this mountain base, they'd be safe from nuclear fallout or whatever else the apocalypse has in store. Declassified documents confirm its use during 9/11, but much of what goes on underground remains classified. True or not, one thing’s certain: if Mount Weather is activated, regular folks are not on the guest list.
#9: Plum Island
The Plum Island Animal Disease Center, off the coast of Long Island, is officially the home of government research into animal diseases. Given its high-security status and history of biological research, however, speculation runs wild. Some theorists believe it has ties to Cold War bioweapon experiments. Local legends claim that bizarre, mutated creatures - like the so-called "Montauk Monster" - have washed ashore nearby. Adding to the intrigue is Camp Hero, a short ferry ride away. Hero is a now-decommissioned military base that's a magnet for conspiracy theories. Some claim it was the site of secret psychological experiments, time travel tests, or even government-sanctioned mind control programs. Plum Island began the decommissioning process in 2023, but speculation about both Plum Island and Camp Hero will undoubtedly continue.
#8: Camp Peary [aka ‘The Farm’]
Officially listed as a run-of-the-mill U.S. military reservation, Camp Peary is anything but ordinary. People at the CIA know it as The Farm. Despite its name, there’s no farming happening in this slice of pastoral Virginia. Allegedly the Agency's heavily restricted covert training facility, the CIA has never confirmed this open secret. Still, former intelligence officers and investigative reports have described the specialized training that goes on there. Agents learn espionage, surveillance, and even interrogation techniques. It's rumored to house advanced simulation environments, preparing CIA operatives for real-world fieldwork. With its massive, off-limits territory and an almost total lack of public information, Camp Peary remains one of America’s most shadowy locations.
#7: Jiangsu National Security Education Museum
Have you ever wanted to step inside a real-life spy thriller? Well, unless you have a Chinese passport, you may be out of luck if you're visiting the Jiangsu National Security Education Museum. A highly restricted espionage exhibit, it is completely off-limits to foreigners. It’s filled with classified gadgets, declassified missions, and Cold War-era spy tools straight out of a Bond movie. The secrecy surrounding this museum is intense. Chinese authorities claim it contains sensitive national security information, despite much of its collection being from decades past. What exactly are they hiding? That’s a mystery only Chinese citizens are allowed to explore.
#6: Metro-2, Russia
Moscow’s subway system is impressive, considered one of the most modern and beautiful in the world. The real intrigue, though, lies beneath it. Metro-2 is a supposed hidden underground railway, built during the Cold War to shuttle Soviet elites to safety in the event of nuclear war. Stretching beneath Moscow, this classified metro network allegedly connects the Kremlin, government bunkers, and even a hidden underground city. The Russian government has never confirmed its existence, but leaked documents, urban explorers, and even former Soviet officials claim it’s very real. Unlike the grand, chandelier-lit public metro, Metro-2 is said to be a purely functional, no-frills survival network. Whether it’s still in use - or if it ever truly existed - remains a well-guarded state secret.
#5: The Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity,
Tucked away in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity sounds like a boring government facility. In reality, it’s rumored to be a top secret training ground. The military and federal agencies like the FBI and ATF are purported to train their elite special operators there. Officially, Harvey Point is a military testing site. Over the years, leaks and declassified documents have confirmed that Navy SEALs trained here for the bin Laden raid. Other reports claim that CIA operatives have used it to prepare for top tier missions. The government doesn’t talk about it much, so what happens at Harvey Point usually stays at Harvey Point.
#4: Dulce, NM
If you believe the legends, Dulce Base isn’t just another government facility but a hidden underground lab. It's staffed, 'they' say, with both U.S. government personnel and extraterrestrials conducting joint experiments. Located beneath the Archuleta Mesa in New Mexico, the base was first brought into the spotlight in the late 1970s by businessman Paul Bennewitz. Bennewitz claimed to have uncovered secret communications between the military and aliens. Rumors about genetic experiments, alien technology, and even human-animal hybrids spread like wildfire ever since. Dulce is now a staple of UFO lore. Despite numerous investigations, no concrete evidence has ever surfaced to prove the base’s existence. Officially, there’s no such thing as Dulce Base. But if it were real, would the government actually admit it?
#3: S-4
Everyone knows Area 51, the world’s most famous top secret military base. Officially, it’s a testing ground for experimental aircraft. Unofficially? It’s the holy grail of UFO conspiracy theories. But if you really want to talk about deep, dark secrets, you need to shift your focus to S-4. This supposed secret facility may make the infamous Area 51 look downright ordinary. Brought to public attention by Bob Lazar, S-4 is allegedly a hidden complex near Papoose Lake. There, Lazar claims, the U.S. government is hard at work, reverse engineering alien spacecraft. Lazar claimed he worked on recovered extraterrestrial technology there, describing propulsion systems that defied modern physics.
#2: Mezhgorye, Russia
Most towns don’t require military permission just to visit, but Mezhgorye isn’t your average town. This highly restricted, closed Russian city sits in the Ural Mountains, shrouded in secrecy. The citizens of Mezhgorye reportedly staff and support the classified Russian base at Mount Yamantau. Rumors talk about a massive underground complex. Is it a nuclear bunker, weapons facility, or doomsday command center? It all depends on who you ask. The U.S. has repeatedly questioned Russia about Mezhgorye’s true purpose, especially since Yamantau translates to ‘Evil Mountain.' Russia claims that it’s a harmless mining operation. Given its fortified security, air defense units, and off-limits status, that explanation falls a bit short.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
North Brother Island
Once a Typhoid Hospital, North Brother Island Is Now an Abandoned, Restricted Ruin
Mercury, NV
This Home for Nuclear Testing Staff Is Now a Secret, Closed Town
Camp Century, Greenland
This Secret Cold War U.S. Base Was Abandoned Due to Shifting Icecaps
#1: Eight NSA Spy Hubs Hidden in Plain Sight
You don’t need to traverse a remote desert or trek through the mountains to find a top secret government facility. Sometimes they’re just hiding in plain sight. According to leaked documents, the NSA operates eight clandestine surveillance hubs across major U.S. cities. Quietly tucked inside AT&T buildings, these sites are collectively known as “NSA Fairview.” With AT&T's help, the NSA reportedly intercepts and monitors vast amounts of internet traffic. Cities including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles house these Orwellian listening posts. Officially, the government denies illegal surveillance, but the evidence suggests otherwise. If you’ve ever wondered if someone’s watching, the answer is likely yes; and they may just well be aided by your internet provider.
Are there other top secret facilities and bases that have been renditioned from our list? Let us know in the comments below.