Mystery: Know 9 secret floors of buildings around the world

Secret places and buildings can spark the imagination of many people. As much for formulating conspiracy theories as for creating macabre stories or for successful film productions. In fiction, there are many cases of hidden places or floors in buildings, but what few know is that there are also places, some famous ones, that have secret floors that few or no people have access to.

Based on a Mental Floss publication, check out 9 secret floors of buildings around the world:

1. The Empire State Building, New York, USA

The Empire State is one of the most famous buildings in the world and is located on New York's Manhattan Island. It was once considered the largest structure on the planet and receives thousands of tourists daily. Visitors to the Empire State have the choice of going to the 86th floor observation deck or the 102nd deck. However, when everyone thinks they are at the top when they reach the highest floor, few know that there is a secret level just above, the 103rd.

Originally designed to receive tourists aboard airships through platforms, the plan was never implemented. Since it has no safety feature, such as glass or railings, the floor remains sealed and useless.

2. The fifth floor of Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

Aside from the fact that North Korea itself is an almost entirely secret country in the world, there is a mysterious detail that some adventurers bravado in one of the buildings in the capital Pyongyang. This is the fifth floor of the Yanggakdo hotel, which does not exist in the elevator of the building. As a result, the group of travel blog Monsoon Diaries, passing through the site, decided to go up to the sixth floor and down the stairs.

On the hidden floor they found many locked doors and walls covered with government propaganda posters and seemingly military messages such as "Let's get ready to defeat the invaders." There were no people in the place. Check out some of what they found there in the video above.

3. The Greenbrier Resort, West Virginia, USA

Beneath the luxurious Greenbrier resort is a 10, 000-square-foot Cold War-era complex designed to house every congressman in the country in the event of a nuclear attack on Washington. The Greek Island project, as it was called, did not need to be used and remained hidden until 1992, when the Washington Post revealed its existence to the public. Since then, the hotel has offered a secret site visitation tour for its guests.

The construction of the complex had some impressive facts. Featuring 25-ton security doors, the Greek Island project is under a building that was built adjacent to the hotel. Seeking to disguise the work, the entire amount of land displaced was used to produce an entire golf course. The military involved in the construction was presented as employees of an audiovisual company and was supposed to be there to maintain the resort's more than 1, 000 television sets. Water purification equipment, food that can accommodate six months' stay of all government representatives, decontamination chambers and even an in-house hospital are some of the things that could be found on site.

4. The attic of a house, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The house looks pretty old, but apparently ordinary. However, a fake wall in the living room gives access to a spiral staircase leading to the residence's attic, where you can see a marble altar, seating for 150 people and elaborate gilded decoration. Dating from the 17th century, this secret hall is a church built at the time of persecution of Catholics in the Netherlands. Currently, the residence acts as a museum.

5. The New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, USA

The New Yorker Hotel was one of the most technologically advanced buildings in the world when it opened in 1930. With 2, 500 rooms, the establishment had a barber shop to cater for 50 people, its own radio station, press and dining room. with retractable ice rink for skating. To have enough power for this entire structure, there was a giant power plant located below the lobby, more than 24 meters above ground level. Remaining to this day, the plant and its components, which were able to feed a city of 35, 000 inhabitants, are unusable.

6. Walt Disney World, Florida, USA

The millions of visitors to Walt Disney's enchanted world often don't even dream of the whole underground structure that makes the park work. Built to give access to the most varied attractions, the 9 acres of built area act as the backstage of the site, where employees, objects transport, maintenance teams, among others circulate. According to the story, the idea was to make this compartment from Walt Disney himself, who, seeing a cowboy walking around between two attractions at the original Disneyland in California, thought it might end the fantasy spell. for visiting children.

7. John Hancock Center, Chicago, USA

The John Hancock Center building, opened in 1969, has also been considered one of the largest in the world. It has residential areas from the 45th floor to the 92th, but is restricted to residents only on the 44th floor. That's because on this floor there is a complex structure to cater for residents, which has a nearly 500 square meter supermarket, concierge, library, gym, lounge and large event rooms, laundry facilities and the highest pool in the United States. In election times, the floor receives its own polling station.

8. Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, USA

One of the most historic churches in the United States also has a secret floor that can be accessed through a wall behind the organ. The hidden hall is underground, a dry place with dusty chambers, brick arches and tunnels. All of this was intended to house the escaping slaves and prisoners. The mentor of this structure was the minister and abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher, who presided over the place and promised to help as many slaves as possible. Currently, the church continues to function, and the secret area is open for visitation.

9. St. Thomas Church, London, England

Formerly part of the old St. Thomas hospital, today the roof of the church of the same name houses one of the most incredible ancient structures still in existence. It is an operating theater where 19th-century medical students could watch live surgeries to learn from the professionals in charge. In the attic of this amphitheater is an ancient herbal apothecary and a garden where they were stored and cultivated. This structure was sealed when the hospital was relocated and the place became a religious temple. Rediscovered in the 1960s, it now houses a museum and welcomes visitors who can check out surgical equipment such as saws and bone blades from over 100 years ago.

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