Forbidden Places
What's the wildest, weirdest place you've ever been to as a tourist? Maybe you're the type who would rather not complicate things and visit the usual destinations: Paris, Rome, Punta Cana, Hawaii… But some people enjoy getting to know about more unorthodox, bizarre places.
However, many of those are usually closed to the public: for some of them, there are very specific reasons why they shouldn't be stepped into, such as them being dangerous; but for others, it's just forbidden by the authorities to visit them, and the reasons why remain a secret. Let's check some of those places.
Snake Island
Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as "Snake Island", is located near the coast of Brazil. It's known for hosting multiple endangered species of snakes, most of which could be very dangerous if any human came close.
The island is thus closed to the public for two reasons: to protect the endangered species and to protect the humans. Only authorized researchers can set their feet on the island for a limited time.
North Sentinel
North Sentinel Island is situated near the Bay of Bengal, and it's home to one of the last groups of people who have never come into contact with any modern civilization. The Sentinelese are known to be very hostile to any foreigners, and even neighbor islanders are afraid of them.
Every time a western researcher or missionary has tried to set their feet on North Sentinel, they have received a rather aggressive and violent welcome from the island's inhabitants.
Doomsday Vault
Svalbard Global Seed Vault, also known as "Doomsday Vault", is located in Norway, and it's the scientists' preventive response to a potential future apocalypse.
It's a special facility designed to store millions of seeds from different vegetal species, in case humanity needs to restore the planet's vegetation after some apocalyptic event leads to its demise. It can withstand earthquakes and explosions, and no one can enter without authorization.
Surtsey Island
Surtsey Island is Icelandic territory; it emerged from a volcanic eruption lasting from 1963 to 1967, which makes it one of the youngest islands in the world.
Currently, no one is allowed to set their feet on the island, as it's being used to do scientific research with the goal of observing how ecosystems develop without human interference.
Bhangarh Fort
The Bhangarh Fort is a 16th-century fort built in the Rajasthan state of India. According to the local legends, it was built by either a monk or a wizard adept in black magic.
However, what is certain is that no one is legally allowed to visit the fort after sunset; the locals say that everyone who has done so has disappeared in mysterious circumstances.
Club 33
Club 33 is a selective lounge and club located in Disneyland and only open to members. It's one of the most exclusive spots on Earth: the joining fee is about $25,000, and after that, you'll have to pay a $10,000 yearly fee.
But that's not all: the waiting list for joining is literally decades long. Also, it's not allowed to speak publicly about what goes on in the club.
Spy Hubs
There are eight buildings across the country known as "spy hubs"; they are fortified, window-less skyscrapers managed by the NSA (National Security Agency).
It sounds like something straight out of a James Bond movie, and the design of these buildings is something quite spectacular too. Naturally, the ordinary citizen would have a hard time trying to get inside one of those.
Area 51
Area 51 has been the object of dozens of theories for ages. As you probably know, the most popular one says that it's used to store UFOs and even bodies of extraterrestrial beings.
According to the military, it's just a "flight testing facility". Well, there's no way anyone can confirm that: no civilian is allowed to visit Area 51.
Room 39
North Korea is known to be the world's most secretive country; so when it comes to Room 39, which is known as the North-Korean equivalent of Area 51, you're talking about a whole different level of secretiveness.
According to defectors from the regime, the room is used for "counterfeiting, insurance scams, and drug production, along with some legal endeavors, are estimated to make the country between $500 million and $2 billion."
Bohemian Grove
The Bohemian Grove Men's Club is a 2,700-acre campground in Monte Rio, California. According to reports, it's used as an exclusive recreational club for the world's elite: bankers, politicians, media stars…
But many rumors suggest that what goes on in there is way more disturbing than what one could imagine. Some people say the club's members join there to celebrate weird, orgiastic, pagan rituals and that they form some sort of cult.
Mormon Vault
In 1956, the Mormon Church built this humongous vault in the middle of Granite Mountain, Utah. The massive vault stores and preserves the church's records, which include 3.5 billion images on microfilm and digital media.
As is to be expected, the facility is closed to all members of the public: only a few members of the Mormon Church can visit it.
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is an impenetrable fortified military base used to protect the country's gold reserves. It's guarded by minefields, barbed wire, electric fences, armed guards, and cameras.
Ever since it was founded, the vault has only been opened once: in 1974, some reporters and some members of Congress were allowed to visit it. But other than that, no one has seen its interior since then.
Marshall Islands
From 1946 to 1962, in the first years of the Cold War, the government used the Marshall Islands as a testing ground for nuclear weapons on more than 60 occasions.
The area was so devastated by nuclear fallout that some areas have been deemed unfit for any human. Even the natives of the islands were forbidden from returning to their homeland.
Google Data Center
Google's data center, located in Douglas County, Georgia, is one of the most secure places in the U.S.
The complex is completely closed to everyone except for some top level Google employees who are in charge of it. Security is as tight as it can be to make sure that no one enters there without authorization.