Once home to the largest intercontinental ballistic missile ever deployed by the US Air Force – the Titan II – this decommissioned nuclear silo was sold last year for $420,000 (£333k). Rusted and forgotten, this military superstructure can still inspire awe and reveals a glimpse into the recent past. Let's take a look around...

Located in Southern Arizona, the bunker structure is set within a 12-acre plot complete with tunnels, huge steel doors, living quarters and other original features. 

A fascinating relic from the Cold War, the underground facility was finished in the 1960s and is built to withstand a nuclear attack. It stayed in operation for 24 years and was once monitored by military personnel around the clock. Here you can see how the different subterranean areas are cleverly linked via underground passages and staircases. 

Designed to remain hidden from sight, the discreet escape hatches are all that give the location away above ground. The last owner bought the complex in 2003 with plans to convert it into a data storage facility, but his plans faltered with the economic recession. Interested buyers had many ideas for the bunker's next life, with suggestions ranging from a destination restaurant or Hollywood film location to a greenhouse for medical marijuana!

Not your average real estate viewing, those interested in buying the property first had to prove that they had sufficient funds and sign a liability waiver before they could even view it. To gain access, you need to climb through one of three entrances and descend to the chambers below. Not for anyone with a fear of heights! 

Currently, the silo is only accessible by an extendable ladder and involves a 40-foot descent. Perhaps a modern lift or sensible staircase might be a good idea when the time comes to renovate...

Well, that's one way to keep people out! The bunker has several blast doors to ensure only military personnel were able to gain entry – this one weighs 6,000lb (or 2.7 metric tons) but thanks to some amazing engineering, it can still be closed with one hand. 

Once you've made it down the ladder and through the blast door, you'll see the entrance to the missile access tunnel to one side. After the Titan sites were decommissioned in 1984, the US government had most of the access points backfilled with soil and rubble and sealed with concrete, so it's now blocked. However, leading off in the other direction is this low metal tunnel. 

From the tunnel, you'll gain access to the original control room. A space with few luxuries, the basic shell of the room shows the metal staircases that lead upstairs and downstairs.

You can even see the original command console, which certainly looks the business. Some components seen here were actually added during a recent film shoot but you can clearly appreciate what this space would have looked like in action.

Here in the control room, you'll also notice more original equipment such as the floor-to-ceiling springs, which were used to isolate each level of the basement from seismic shocks. 

We'd advise anyone venturing down here to watch their step, as the rusty metal staircases that spider off the control centre leave a lot to be desired. Health and safety inspectors would have a field day...

In the event that the main exit collapsed, this hatch – which leads to a vertical escape shaft – is how workers would get out safely. With enemy nuclear strikes thought likely during the time Titan II was active, a back-up exit plan was something of a necessity. 

You might notice there are several burn marks on the walls in this area. Interestingly, these are not from the time Titan II was active, but actually marks left from when the metal salvage crew came through.

Some of the authentic apparatus still lingers in the bunker, such as the gauge that's mounted on the underside of the equipment level staircase.

During its time as an active nuclear bunker, the silo was home to military personnel who not only worked here but lived, cooked and slept here. On the top floor (one level up from the control room) you'll find this area, which was originally the kitchen. To the right of the image, you can see where the stove used to be.

This area would have been the pantry, where bunker workers would store food and provisions. The new buyer certainly won't be short of storage space, should they actually want to move in here permanently, but this space is going to need huge amounts of work if the idea is to transform it into a luxury bunker home. 

No fancy ensuite bathrooms here – the crew shared this communal latrine. You can still see the holes in the floor where the pipes from the sink, shower and toilet passed through to the lower levels.

And so to bed! This is the bunk room, where the crew would bed down for the night. A sign on the wall prohibits smoking in bed and warns there will be a punishment for such a violation. You have been warned!

Here in the bunk room, you'll notice glue marks on the walls, where acoustic tiles were stuck to achieve better sound insulation. Any refurbishment work will not be easy; it'll take more than a lick of paint to make this space habitable.

This rundown spot was once the living room for military workers. You can see the circular shape of the curved walls and rusted metal walls, typical of a military underground bunker.

With such a captivating former life, the bunker would be a truly unique home with a little imagination. We wonder what the new buyer's plans are...

With military-grade enforcements, the new buyer can count on utter privacy and extreme security. Thanks to these heavy doors, they'll be as well defended as Fort Knox! Whatever the future holds for the bunker, you can't beat its beautiful location in the middle of the desert. We can't wait to see what they do with the place!

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