$150 million missile silo hits the real estate market in Central Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Built to withstand a nuclear blast, 500 mph winds and any conceivable disaster, the Rolling Hills Missile Silo in Central Kansas - owned by BTB Ranch LLC - is on the market with a price tag of $1.3 million.

As one of 12 intercontinental ballistic missile sites near the old Schilling Air Force Base in Salina, Landry Brewer, author of Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains 43 (2020), said Kansas was chosen as the home for this site as it was out of range of Soviet missiles launched from submarines positioned off either U.S. coast.

Realtors said the silo originally housed missiles meant to protect both the missiles and launch crew from nuclear fallout and to allow for a quick response. With enough concrete to construct a 20-foot-side highway and a massive steel rebar crib framework attached to the walls, the structure acts as an oversized shock absorber.

Brewer noted that this silo remained in operation until June 1965. As the silos were decommissioned some were sold to private landowners and others to school districts and universities. This site is one of a handful that still remains intact and is now available for purchase.

With 9 acres, a control room, plus an 18-story silo - property ideas for the site are endless. According to BTB, the possibilities include a “safe house,” an underground home, a private club, an RV or tiny home park, an apartment complex complete with a gym, market, pool, meeting space and living space, a helipad or a survivor-themed hotel.

Built entirely underground, owners said the only visible part of the structure is a secure, steel entrance door that leads to the massive hidden space below. A 40-foot tunnel leads from what used to be the control center through blast-proof doors to the 182-foot silo.

BTB indicated that the property is also surrounded by an 8-foot barbed-wire fence and includes electric power, metered water from the rural water district, two sewer systems, a humidity control system and plenty of room. The property boasts ideal conditions and space for the installation of wind turbines as well as a great agricultural climate and plenty of land for gardening or animal grazing. Wildlife also includes deer, coyotes, pheasant, geese, quail and more.

According to realtors, the site was recently cleaned and the underground areas were prepared as a blank canvas for potential buyers. The white walls and vast areas launch as a starting point for buyers to finish the space in any configuration they wish. The property’s location remains undisclosed to the general public.

For more information about the silo’s history or to inquire about a potential sale, click HERE.