The Greenbrier Bunker Tour is hands-down one of the most interesting tours I’ve ever been on.
Learning about how the Eisenhower administration and Greenbrier executives collaborated on how to hide a football field-sized nuclear fallout shelter 720 feet below a massive resort in West Virginia was fascinating, to say the least.
Every little detail had my jaw dropping on the floor. The bunker was ready to operate at a moment’s notice, stocked with food, clothing, and even prescription drugs for each member of Congress in the case of nuclear war.
The Greenbrier nuclear bunker was kept a secret for over 30 years until a journalist exposed it in 1992. The US government decommissioned the bunker and now it is open for public tours.
If you’re thinking of booking the Greenbrier Bunker Tour and are looking for a little more information, you’ve come to the right place!
My husband and I did this tour as part of a larger West Virginia road trip, and the Greenbrier bunker tour was easily our favorite part of the whole trip. I’d highly recommend it!
How to Get to the Greenbrier Resort
The Greenbrier Resort is located in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. You will have to drive here, either in your own vehicle or a rented one.
It’s right off of I-64, so you can’t miss it.
There aren’t any major airports nearby (the closest one is Charleston Yeager International Airport, about 2 hours away).
If you live near Charlotte, you might be able to snag a direct flight to the Greenbrier Valley Regional Airport in Lewisburg on Contour Airlines. American Airlines does have connecting flights to the Greenbrier Valley Airport, but you will have to go through Charlotte and the flights can be quite expensive.
My suggestion?
Do the Greenbrier bunker tour as part of a larger, West Virginia road trip instead!
Fly into Charleston, DC, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, or Columbus (depending on your budget for airfare) if you’re too far away to drive.
What to Expect on the Greenbrier Bunker Tour
The Greenbrier bunker tour is a 90-minute group tour led by a tour guide. You’ll start with a brief overview of the Greenbrier Resort and then walk through different parts of the bunker and learn about its history.
You’ll immediately notice the bright colors and patterns used all around the resort. Famous designer Dorothy Draper was hired to design the resort in 1946, and her style is still reflected throughout the resort today.
Today, the Greenbrier resort sits on 11,000 acres, has over 700 rooms, 20 restaurants, a spa, golf course, casino, and many more activities. 28 US Presidents have stayed at the resort!
The bunker is located behind a 25-ton blast door hidden in plain sight behind some eye-catching yellow wallpaper.
Some parts of the bunker have museum-like displays explaining what life would have been like had the bunker needed to be used.
The tour will explain how all of this was accomplished and kept secret for so long. You’ll learn a ton of details about everything from the cover company poised to take command of the bunker at a moment’s notice to why there was an optical illusion in the cafeteria floor.
You’ll also hear about how the bunker’s secret was revealed to the public and why the US government chose White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia as the fallout shelter location.
I could seriously go on and on about how freaking cool (and a little eerie) this nuclear bunker was and all of the effort that went into building and maintaining it. However, I won’t give away too much so I won’t ruin the tour for you!
9 Things to Know Before You Go on the Greenbrier Bunker Tour
Before you go on the Greenbrier Bunker Tour, here are 9 essential things you need to know.
1. You Can Only Go into the Bunker on a Guided Tour
The only way to get inside the bunker is through a public tour. You unfortunately can’t wander around by yourself.
You have to call and book your tour here (currently there are no online reservations). At the time of writing, tours are $40/person for adults and $20 for kids 10 – 18 years of age.
2. You Can Go on the Tour Even If You Don’t Stay at the Resort
It’s a common misconception that you have to be a guest of the resort to explore it and go on the bunker tour. You can do all of these things without being a guest.
The Greenbrier also does not charge an entrance fee to get into the resort, unlike other luxury resorts. You can go on the bunker tour and explore the hotel and resort grounds for free!
Plus, most of the people on our tour weren’t staying at the resort (including us!).
3. Parking at the Resort is Free
Valet parking is $30 per night, but you can self park for free. There were plenty of spots and we had no trouble finding parking.
When we made it to the Greenbrier, I was expecting to pay for parking but that wasn’t the case. We did have to go through a security gate though. We simply told the guard that we were on a scheduled tour and he let us right in to park our vehicle.
4. You Cannot Take Phones, Bags, or Cameras on the Tour
Before you enter the bunker, you’ll be instructed to leave your bags, phones, cameras, smartwatches, and any other electronics in a locker. You’ll take the key to the locker with you on the tour, so I felt safe doing this.
If this makes you uncomfortable, feel free to leave your stuff locked in your car before going on the tour.
You can take photos of the resort, but not inside the bunker.
The Greenbrier bunker is declassified, but a private company rents server space inside it, so that company doesn’t want anyone taking photos. Maybe a bit extreme, but Fortune 500 company security is no joke.
5. You Will be on Your Feet for the Whole 90 Minute Tour
There aren’t any opportunities to sit down during the tour, so wear comfortable walking shoes that you’ll be able to stand in for 90 minutes.
I wore sandals and was totally fine, but more supportive tennis shoes might be best for some!
6. Kids Under 10 Years Old Aren’t Allowed
Bunker tours are only available for kids older than 10 years of age. Since it is a pretty long tour and you’re on your feet the whole time, young kids would probably not do very well.
7. The Tour Often Sells Out, So Book Ahead of Time
Since the Greenbrier Resort is in the middle of nowhere, the bunker tour is one of the most popular activities for guests of the resort and others passing through to do.
Because of that, the Greenbrier Bunker Tour often sells out. Since there are limited spots on the tour (25 people max per tour), it’s important to book as soon as you can.
You can still book a tour the day of if there are spots open though!
8. You Can Book a Private Bunker Tour
The $40 tour will buy you a spot on the group tour, but private tours are offered as well.
A private tour will cost you though, since you basically have to buy out an entire tour time slot. The private tour rates are different for different times of the day.
Greenbrier Bunker Tour Private Tour Rates:
- Before 5:00 pm: $875 per private tour + $30 gratuity
- 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm: $1,245 per private tour + $100 gratuity
- 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: $1,245 per private tour + $150 gratuity
You unfortunately will not save money by booking a private tour, even if you max out the group size at 25 people. The numbers shown above are before tax and the historic preservation fee, so it’s likely you’ll pay more per person on a private tour vs. a group tour, especially if you schedule a private tour after 5:00 pm.
9. You Can Dress Casually (But Not Too Casual!)
The Greenbrier Resort does have a dress code, but it’s nothing too formal. Resort attire is expected when walking around the lobby before 7:00 pm and business casual is expected after 7:00 pm.
If you do the bunker tour during the day, nice jeans and a button down/polo/nice blouse are fine. I wore a casual dress and sandals and didn’t feel out of place.
We found that people on the bunker tour dressed more casually than resort guests, and no one had a problem with it!
You can read more about the dress code at the Greenbrier here.
Other Attractions Near the Greenbrier Resort
If hanging out at the Greenbrier Resort doesn’t fit your travel plans or budget, I highly recommend doing the bunker tour as part of a longer West Virginia road trip through the Appalachians.
I wrote a whole blog post on the ultimate 7-day West Virginia road trip itinerary to help you plan your trip.
If you don’t have time for an entire week-long trip, but are still looking for other things to do around the Greenbrier, here are my suggestions:
New River Gorge National Park
Explore the USA’s newest National Park full of amazing scenery of the New River Gorge, the longest single-span arch bridge in the US, and amazing coal mining history.
New River Gorge is about an hour away from the Greenbrier and there are a ton of great hikes and outdoor adventures to explore.
Related: How to Spend 1, 2, or 3 Days in New River Gorge National Park
Snowshoe Mountain Resort
Snowshoe Mountain Resort is a ski resort that is open all year round. Located an hour and a half north of Greenbrier, it is a great place to stay the day before or after your bunker tour.
We stayed here the night before our tour in September and were pleasantly surprised at the dining options. If you go in the summer or fall, you can ride mountain bikes down the ski trails.
If skiing or mountain biking aren’t your thing (they aren’t ours either), Snowshoe is still an affordable place to stay with great dining options and views of the mountains.
Snowshoe is also super close to the next 2 activities listed below. You could spend a day or two here before or after your Greenbrier bunker tour. Check out lodging info for Snowshoe Mountain Resort here.
Green Bank Observatory and the National Radio Quiet Zone
The Green Bank Observatory is located in a 13,000 square mile “radio quiet zone” and is home to the world’s largest steerable radio telescope. There are no radio waves, cell phone towers, or internet signals to ensure no interference with the research going on.
You can do a guided bus tour and get up close to the telescope, or just explore the museum and watch the informative video. We didn’t have enough time for the full tour, but the museum was really cool and we would have loved to do the bus tour.
Tickets can be bought at the visitor’s center or online ahead of time here.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park takes you back in time when steam locomotives were commonly used to haul goods across the country. The Cass railroad was built in 1901 and was used to haul logs from the mountains to the mill in Cass.
You can take a ride on this railroad yourself!
There are trips ranging from 2 hours to overnight. This is also something I recommend booking in advance (book your trip here), as the rides often sell out during peak season and on weekends.
Summarizing the Greenbrier Bunker Tour
I hope this post helped you understand what to expect on the Greenbrier bunker tour and ideas of things to do near the Greenbrier!
I highly recommend adding this tour to your West Virginia vacation. It was well worth the $40 and 90 minutes.
Have you done or are you planning to do the Greenbrier bunker tour? Let me know if you have any more questions about the tour in the comments below!
-Megan
Is the bunker tour wheelchair accessible?
The tour itself is accessible, but you will have to navigate down stairs to get to the basement where the tour starts. I’d call the resort to make sure there is an elevator (I’m sure there is), but other than that you should be good!