This Once-Thriving Midwest Missile Base Was Abandoned And Transformed Into A Historic Site

What looks like a weathered military compound near Wheeler, Indiana, was once part of a nationwide defense system to stave off Cold War threats. Sitting just beyond the Indiana Dunes — one of the Midwest beaches that could pass for the Caribbean — the Nike Missile Site C-47 is an intact missile control and launch site that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You hardly have to worry about a missile being fired off here, as the site's been closed since 1972, but numerous industrial-looking concrete buildings create a Cold War-era landscape near the Lake Michigan shore. A portion of the site is accessible to visitors and partly operates as a paintball arena.

Site C-47 was part of a national matrix of bases for Nike missiles, which were radar-guided and intended to deter enemies from attacking U.S. cities. C-47 was one of around 20 such sites encircling Chicago in its defense, six of them in Indiana, and it was the first Nike base in Indiana added to the National Register. Its historical significance lies in the fact that it contained all three components of the Nike defense system: radar towers for tracking targets, a multi-missile launch base, and an administrative unit to approve launches. The launch area is closed off from public access, but you can still visit the grounds of the administrative area and see the radar towers.

At the administrative area that's visitable within Nike Missile Site C-47, there are some intact radar towers, barracks, and other buildings. As the site had staff on duty 24 hours a day when it was active, it included facilities like a barbershop in the administrative building and a mess hall. They stand as a single-story concrete buildings, largely overgrown. There's also a fallout shelter at the base, a reflection of the nuclear fears that underlay the whole operation.

If you want to transport yourself into a video gamelike military setting, Blastcamp has repurposed part of the administrative area into its paintball and airsoft park. The Blastcamp playing field includes 13 of the original military structures. Reviewers have been particularly impressed by the park's pro shop. If you're interested in a paintball or airsoft game, Blastcamp is regularly open on weekends.

The missile site's neighboring town of Wheeler is very small (with under 100 residents) and doesn't offer much to do for travelers, but getting to Nike Missile Site C-47 is a fairly easy trip from other nearby hubs. The drive is doable for a day trip from towns closer to Indiana's coast, like Portage, a beachy Midwest escape with diverse restaurants and shopping that's 10 minutes away by car. You could also drive to the site in just over an hour from Chicago Midway International Airport. If you're coming from Chicago and want to make a weekend trip of abandoned stops in Indiana, you could also add the eerie, dune-filled ghost town of City West to your itinerary.