ABOUT

In September 2011, the public fallout shelter in the United States turned 50.

It had been 50 years since the federal government began surveying buildings throughout the country for their suitability as fallout shelters and subsequently marking them with the ubiquitous black and yellow fallout shelter sign.

Today, many signs remain on and inside buildings throughout the country.  However, as renovations on these buildings are completed and time goes on, the signs are being removed. Some buildings that were once marked now have no sign of ever having been a public fallout shelter. Some people remember the signs being put up, and the importance of knowing where the closest shelter was located. Many people, though, see them and have no clue what they are or what purpose they ever served.

It is the purpose of this page to chronicle the public fallout shelter; included will be pictures of remaining signs, a comprehensive list of known shelters, the status of signs in and outside these buildings, with running updates and discussion.

This page and most of the content is based in and around Boston, Massachusetts. However, submissions and information from anywhere will be accepted.

Fallout shelters may seem today like a silly or far-fetched idea; however, at the time of their creation, they were of utmost importance to a scared public who wanted to know they might be safe if the bomb ever fell.