Family Fallout Shelter Goes on Display

Ken Zwick and Carol Hollar-Zwick bought a home in Neenah, Wisconsin in 1999. They knew there was a fallout shelter on the property, but didn't explore it for years. When they did, it was like opening a time capsule. The shelter was fully stocked with supplies bought fifty years ago!

When the Zwicks unlocked the heavy, metal hatch, they found watertight Army surplus boxes floating in 5 feet of water that had seeped into the shelter. The contents of the boxes, though, were in pristine condition.

A few of the boxes bore labels suggesting they might contain explosives, so agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to investigate, but nothing dangerous was inside.

“It was Hawaiian Punch,” Hollar-Zwick said. “It was all of what you would expect to find in a 1960s fallout shelter. It was food, clothing, medical supplies, tools, flashlights, batteries — items that you would want to have in a shelter if you planned to live there for two weeks.”

The Zwicks donated the supplies to the Neenah Historical Society, which is putting them on display as part of an exhibit called “Take Cover Neenah! Backyard Family Fallout Shelters in Cold War America.” Read more about Cold War fallout shelters at the Post Crescent. Link -via mental_floss


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When we were looking to buy a house way back when, we saw one with a bomb shelter dug in the backyard by the previous homeowner. It was intriguing, but we imagined snakes and other creepy crawlies in there. Let's just say it didn't add to the property value for potential buyers :)
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