Former missile silo reborn as a $750K home

If you’re looking for a peaceful country home that can also keep you safe from natural disaster, social upheaval, disease and even zombies, this home is for you.

A decommissioned Cold War-era missile silo, located in the Adirondock Mountains of upstate New York, recently hit the market for $750,000. While it’s not much to look at from the outside, if you go 40 feet below ground, you’ll find a 3,200–square-foot silo home, including one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen and a large living area. (Click here or on a photo to go to a slideshow with more than a dozen pictures of the home.)

“It’s very crazy that when you drive up to this silo you cannot see anything because it is all underground," said Realtor Brian Dominic of Select Sotheby's International Realty. “There is no curb appeal necessary.”

Its only real curb appeal consists of a large steel door embedded in the ground.

Unlike other missile silo homes that have hit the market in places like Maine, Ohio and Indiana, this listing is particularly unique because the owner designed it to remain true to the silo’s original function—holding a massive missile.

“The gentleman who bought it has a thing for all large military objects, and this is one of them,” Dominic said.

The owner didn’t want to change it, and instead opted to restore it. The original silo doors are even in working order—a rarity among missile silos. Each door weighs at least 40 tons and were designed to only ever open to when a missile launched. (Click here or on a photo to go to a slideshow with more than a dozen pictures of the home.)

In restoring and reviving the silo, the owner also added an artistic spin to the style. One particularly interesting room contains a yellow table with construction hats on it in a circle—a rare piece of Cold War-era art kept in the bedroom of the silo home.

That’s not the only artsy addition to that room. The old missile control panel was reconditioned for the bedroom decor as well. It’s close to the bed so the red launch button is only an arm’s length away—perhaps the silo’s version of an alarm clock snooze button.

In the living area, the Launch Control Center has been transformed into a conceptual living room, which also connects to the main silo area. The actual silo area of the home, that once held a missile, is 185 feet deep and a blank canvas for the new owner’s design aesthetic.

But it’s not just the 1960 silo home that’s unique--it’s the location as well.

It’s just an afternoon drive from New York City, Boston, New Jersey and Montreal. The home is fenced in and private with 8.3 acres of surrounding land. Not to mention, it’s in the beautiful area of the Adirondack Mountains. (Click here or on a photo to see what the home looks like along with its lovely surroundings.)

So if you live on the East Coast and you want to “get away from it all,” this is quite literally the place to do it.

“The silence is deafening and peaceful,” Dominic said. “You never know if the weather is rain, snow, or sunshine.”

Ilyce Glink is an award-winning, nationally syndicated real estate columnist, blogger and radio talk show host, and managing editor of the Equifax Finance Blog. Follow her on Twitter @Glink.