Abandoned Military Base Turned City | Largest Building in Alaska | Destination Adventure.
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Published 2022-08-27
Whittier Alaska, is a strange place with a bit of a strange story. This beautiful little coastal town is home to less than 300 residents, is accessible by boat or through a train tunnel, and most of what remains is remnants of an abandoned cold war military base. When the military abandoned this location, 35 civilians stayed behind to attempt to keep life going as they knew it. Since this town was built as a military base, there are no houses and these is only 97 acres of usable land, most of which owned by the railroad. The only place for the residents to live was the 14 floor apartment building, and they soon formulated a plan to buy it from the Government. 60 years has gone by since that time, and not much has changes in Whittier. The population has grown a lot, but still isn't enough to even fill the apartment building. Most of the other cold war era buildings have been repurposed into stores and businesses, but the largest of them all, the Buckner Building, remains abandoned. This 5 story building has been known since its construction as the "City Under One Roof" because it quite literally had everything a city has. From accommodation to entertainment, the Buckner had it all, and I was able to identify most of the recorded amenities. I was able to find my way to the bowling alley, jail, mess hall, multiple kitchens, shooting range, theatre and much more. To top it all off, I get to share it with all of you.
I want to give a big thank you to Brenda and Dave for their time and information. I also want to give a great big thank you as always to my wonderful Patrons. This channel is my full time job, and it is only possible because of my supporters. If you enjoy this channel, please consider supporting on Patreon: www.patreon.com/DestinationAdventure
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All Comments (21)
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I could listen to Brenda all day, she’s a natural storyteller who knows her town better than anyone
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I’m a roofer, those roofs originally had drains. Long since no longer working. They may have actually contained the water for use but drains are common here in Florida . A lot of roofs have parapet walls so the water doesn’t run down the outside of the building. In this case it proved to be detrimental. Always watching from Panama City Florida, USA. 🇺🇸. No Snow Just Breeze !
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Not going to lie, I was waiting for those zombie things from that movie “I Am Legend” to appear around every corner in that building.
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The people of Alaska are a different breed. Your interviews of the locals gives a refreshing look at life in the places you visit. It's a very unique experience for the viewers and one more thing that makes this channel special. Thanks for letting me adventure vicariously Dustin.
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Thank you for always allowing your guests to speak, uninterrupted. The Mayor and Brenda seem like good, wholesome people who truly love their town. How unfortunate that other residents can't purchase land/property there, though. Wonderfully executed adventure! <3
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Seems like a nice little town, but I'm not living in a housing project.
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I KNOW this is gonna be 30 minutes of being glued to my screen!☺️
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Tear it down and reclaim the land!! The town would definitely be an awesome destination and adventure. Thats a true hidden gem with unlocked potential..
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Dustin, you are so much more than a YouTuber. You are a true filmmaker and storyteller. Well done, sir, well done! 👏 Thank you for sharing your adventures. I may never visit these places, but I can do so vicariously through your videos.
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I was up there in '01, and poked around in the old building. It made me nervous back then (falling debris, etc.)! The locals took a while to warm up to us, but we really enjoyed talking to them! So glad to see and hear more of Whittier! Thank you!
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I love your introductions with locals. Makes it about the community and not you. So rare. Keep up the awesome work.
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Wow Dustin, that first half felt like a documentary! You are a documentary filmmaker!
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The gaps between the building sections are seismic separation joints, built into the building due to the seismicly active nature of the location. Over time and without maintenance, seismic activity and water intrusion have caused the foundations to shift enough the increase the gaps between the building sections. As for the flat roofs, I'm pretty sure they installed roof drains, but by now they are blocked solid. It's amazing to see what nature does to construction when maintenance ceases. Only 50-60 years and it looks like an archeological site.
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In case u wanna know... Flat roofs are for the ease of installing equipment on, i.e. generator, air conditioner, etc, and it's much safer to walk on them when necessary, plus they're cheaper. They're built with a drainage system, and when maintained there's no water build up or problem with that. I was hoping u would find, and unplug the drainage holes, to have fun watching all the water gush off the roof. Another good vid, Justin.
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Amazing old building, thanks for the tour through. I find it amazing that it was said no young people were living there, at one time and the population is so small. But I can not believe all the graffiti throughout the entire building being so isolated. Enjoy your trip we sure do
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The government should be forced to clean that building up.
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Awesome video, and a great look at the not so distant past. . . . that being said I noticed on a few of the pipes still had the old insulation on them.The buildings, especially military buildings back in that time frame had tons of asbestos . . . . .be safe
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Scary old building, there is no way I would have went in there alone.
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Lived in Alaska for 9 years. Explored the old base in Whittier one day and had a blast!
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The Buckner Building has a real "Alien meets Silent Hill" vibe. Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It definitely appears to be well past the state where rehab is possible. Great video Uncle D!
