Mr. Sims was not the only homeowner in Tucson with a bomb shelter in his backyard. After reaching out on Reddit, he found others in the area have them in various conditions.
It’s believed that 3% of American families built underground nuclear fallout shelters. However, due to Tucson’s military history and its 18 Titan Twos, Tucson fallout shelters built for personal use are more prevalent. Morris told KGUN9 that fears were high in the city. Not only was Tucson a nuclear launch site, but also it was “already a target because of the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.” Because of these reasons, she said, people feared Tucson was high on the Soviet Union’s target list.
Repairing the Damage
Even though it was in great condition, structurally, the underground structure needed some TLC. The dome area of the chamber was not in good shape.
Shards of fiberglass hung from the ceiling threatening to fall. Safety hazards existed. The entire dome would have to be redone.
Breathing the Air of the Cold War Conflict
Looking around his backyard basement, his imagination was flooded with Cold War history. He was thinking about people of that era, the fears they held. He wondered who had actually been in this old cavern. He wondered if such a bomb shelter would even protect people.
Yvonne Morris at the Titan Missile Museum was a US Air Force Officer and part of the crew responsible for launching the nuclear warheads in Tucson. “We existed to prevent WWIII from ever happening,” she told KGUN9 news. When asked if she thought bomb shelters were nuke-proof, she pointed out that a fallout shelter would not survive a direct hit, and there would have to be sufficient food, water and fresh air.
Exploring the Cavern
It was a lot of awesome to take in. Surveying this clandestine area of his property had him thinking beyond its historical value, and into his own. “A lot of people said I should turn it into a wine cellar or a cigar bar,” Mr. Sims informed KGUN9.
“I thought it would be cool to host some poker games down here. I think it would be a unique buy-in.” The possibilities seemed endless. He just stood there contemplating.
The Final Touches on Mr. Sims' Man Cave Museum
When he began researching his project, reaching out to Go Fund Me, he said, “My plans are to clean up the interior, repaint it and turn it into a really cool man cave, HAM shack and Civil Defense Museum.” Upon completion, on Reddit, he shared some final touches. He said the images he posted show “a few artifacts that I have acquired to outfit the shelter.” He displayed pictures of cans of water and radiation detection equipment.
Another benefit to his man cave museum is that it is a cool place to chill during the summers. Underground temperatures in the area hover around 72 degrees, offering a great respite to the outdoor heat. Now that the Cold War is behind us, relics like fallout shelters create nostalgia and go down into the halls of history. The Titan Two missile sites in Tucson are no longer hidden in a secret location. In fact, you can tour the missile site, as it is now a National Historical Landmark.