Unless you have superpowers or have super connections to some of the world’s most powerful individuals (even then that’s still not a guarantee), there’s no way you’re getting in any of these places.
Here are 8 of the most heavily guarded facilities in the world:
1. Bank Of England Gold Vault
More than 4,600 tons of gold are safeguarded in the Bank of England gold vault, UK’s largest gold vault. Its walls are bombproof and the security system is so intricate that it involves voice recognition, 3 foot keys, and other security measures that aren’t even published.
2. Fort Knox
Fort Knox is home to the US Bullion Depository where it not only stores thousands of tons of gold, but is also said to house important historical documents such as the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence. Its impenetrable layers of protection include: solid granite wall perimeter, squadrons of machine-gun wielding guards and armed military, and a 22-ton vault blast door held shut by a lock so intricate that it requires a 10-person team to unlock.
3. The Doomsday Seed Vault
Officially known as the Svalbard International Seed Vault, this one-of-a-kind facility is designed to store a wide assortment of seeds in an effort to preserve crop diversity and assure humans will have a source of food no matter what earthly disasters occur. It is located in Svalbard — one of the remotest places on the planet that’s still fairly accessible. The storage compound is a large, barren rock island in the Arctic Circle, and the vault is situated inside an old copper mine. Aside from its isolated landscape, Svalbard is defended with blast-proof doors, motion sensors, airlocks, and one meter thick steel reinforced concrete. The unique climate and position should keep the seeds safe from any disaster, man-made or otherwise, for centuries.
4. ADX Prison
The Administrative Maximum Facility or ADX, is a supermax prison for men in Colorado. The prison houses the most dangerous cons in the US which earned the prison the nickname “Alcatraz of the Rockies.” Security measures at ADX include attack dogs guarding the area between the prison walls and 12 ft. high razor wire fences, 1,400 remotely controlled steel doors, motion detecting laser beams, pressure pads and cameras. One former ADX warden described it as “a cleaner version of hell”.
5. Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank in New York has a security so tight that it’s entrusted with more U.S. gold bullion than the famous Fort Knox. Men aren’t even allowed to enter the bank’s vault since pallets are moved around by a team of robots. To top it off, a Jason Bourne level protection force watch its perimeter. Their shooting range scores are so goo they’re even better than marksmen. The bank’s security systems are so trusted that even foreign governments use it for gold storage.
6. Area 51
Located in Nevada, this top secret air force base is so well guarded that no one can get in, even flying over it is forbidden. Area 51 is covered in motion sensors and is heavily patrolled by all sorts of vehicles. It is the home of anything pertaining to UFOs and alien conspiracies.
7. White Mountain
This retired limestone mine houses 1.7 million square feet worth of vaults, 200 feet below the ground. The US government is the biggest tenant, and the identities of 95% of vault owners are confidential but we do know that Warner Brothers, the Smithsonian Institution, and Corbis all have vaults there. Thousands of historic master recordings, photo negatives, and original film reels live here as well as the charred remains of Flight 93, the original photo of Einstein sticking out his tongue, and Edison’s patent for the light bulb. Iron Mountain is also home to Room 48, a data center backing up some of America’s biggest companies. Two waves of armed guards protect the entrance, and it’s said they inspect guests so thoroughly that even the TSA would be embarrassed.
8. Haven Co Limited
This data-protection company is located in the North Sea off the coast of Britain. The only people ever allowed in Haven Co were authorized personnel, investors, and members of Britain’s royal family. It was allegedly shut down in 2008 with no clear explanation as to why and what data was stored here.
