When John Sims bought a friend’s house in Tucson, Arizona, he heard a rumor about something unusual buried on the property. Intrigued, he began digging and checking old records, eventually discovering that Whitaker Pools had built a mysterious structure there in 1961.
Wanting to know more, John brought in metal detector experts. They uncovered a metal hatch buried three feet underground. With some effort, he reinforced the entry and added lighting to explore the hidden space.
What he found amazed him—a fully intact Cold War-era nuclear bomb shelter, built during a time when fears of nuclear war were at a peak.
John’s discovery quickly gained attention after he shared it online. The story went viral, and to his surprise, other Tucson residents began reporting similar shelters on their properties.
Inspired by the public interest, John decided to transform the shelter into a small Cold War museum. His goal was to preserve the history and educate others about the fears and preparedness of that era.
The shelter includes original fixtures, food storage areas, and bunk-style sleeping arrangements, offering a rare glimpse into 1960s civil defense planning.
John’s project not only brought a piece of history back to life but also sparked local curiosity about what else might lie buried beneath Tucson’s older homes.
His unexpected find serves as a reminder of a tense time in American history—and the quiet ways families prepared for the unthinkable.