John Hay had no reason to be scared. Why? Because this multimillionaire had made an herbal blend business from scratch, which is thriving till today. It turns out, even rich folks find trouble at times too. He struck gold during the Cold War, under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Because he feared that the end was nearing, John ended up constructing a remarkable site...
John Hay was a man who basically had anything a man could ever want. Just like Coca-Cola, Hay lived a glorious life, with his million-dollar company Celestial Seasonings, selling approximately $100,000,000 worth of herbal teas each year. He had other business ventures too. Hay had a knack for entrepreneurship.
However, there was a reason why this millionaire businessman would stay awake all night. He had this constant fear, a feeling that he had to run far away so that nothing would catch hold of him. Hay was a busy man who was running a successful business but would occasionally catch himself feeling so afraid. He needed to act really soon.
This was back in the year 1983 when Ronald Reagan was the president of America. There was a clash of power between the U.S. and Soviet leaders. This fell during the conservative president’s leadership. John Hay had this growing concern that there was going to be something tragic happening. Both sides were capable of monstrous disaster.
He was not just concerned about his business. Hay had already made a lot of money after he sold a Colorado ranch to Phillips Petroleum for twice the amount he bought it for. He feared for his personal safety, actually. Everything that was happening showed signs that a nuclear holocaust was coming...
One day, John Hay was among millions of Americans tuned in to ABC’s nuclear annihilation film 'The Day After'. Fear was instilled in him, that a nuclear war would eradicate him and all that he was. Since he heard about the United States and the Soviet Union both stockpiling weapons and getting troops from across the globe, his fear grew. He relied on the American government until a friend informed him about something...
Not only did 'The Day After' scare John Hay, but his friend also gave him another news that would send him over the edge. This was no ordinary friend. He was someone, working under the U.S. government. A source had informed him that the Soviet military had a plan to overthrow the government, which would lead to disaster. Hay needed to act fast.
If the Soviets would attack America first, John Hay firmly believed that there would be very little that the United States government would be able to do, to protect its citizens. But Hay was one who did not fear taking safety steps by himself. Hay being an ex-marine, the businessman-survivalist found a company, Celestial Seasonings, picking herbs from the Rocky Mountains. He was hands-on that way, so of course, he could go the extra mile to ensure safety.
If the Soviets actually did decide to attack, the best place to go would be miles away from America’s major cities. Why not try the woods? John Hay had this exact idea. He knew he would be way safer way up in the mountains. He needed to do some research though. That was when he decided that the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas came to his mind. He purchased 240 acres of land, nearly 150 miles northwest of Arkansas at $140,000. So what now?
So would Hay be living alone in the middle of nowhere, deep in the woods waiting for the nuclear war to end?. Well, the potential apocalypse had driven him to be a lot more innovative, much more than one would ever expect. He decided that constructing a bomb shelter would be wise. But wait, this would not be your run of the mill bomb shelter...
John Hay made it his mission to construct something worthwhile in the giant Arkansas cave. He took in 20 laborers to get rid of 250 million years worth of silt formed in the cave. He apparently worked “one wheelbarrow at a time.” There were so many concrete blocks and concrete walls, costing Hay over $2 million to bring his vision to life.
John Hay’s plan ended up becoming a 5,500-square-foot, blast-proof shelter which was majorly self-sustainable. The cave had everything you would expect a multimillionaire would have in his doomsday man cave. The bunker later called Beckham Creek Cave, even included an internal freshwater spring and hydroelectric power supply. But very soon, Hay realized that he would not necessarily need this after all since the political climate was changing.
So when in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev got elected to lead the Soviet Union, Hay had reasons to question the need for his cave. In Gorbachev, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and European powers now found a leader who was willing to have friendly negotiations with to fix the relation between the world’s two superpowers. So then, what would Hay do with what he had built over the past few months?
So John Hay’s bunker's relevance died down since the Soviet and America started becoming cordial. “When Gorbachev came in, I really began to lighten up,” Hay explained to interviewers that time. By October, the Celestial Seasonings co-founder was certain he would not need his bunker after all. He needed another plan now. So what would he do with his extravagant $2 million man cave?
Though Hay's need for a bunker flew out the window, since he was a businessman, he knew what he had to do next. He had to adapt to the changes and so he did. He decided to convert the cave from a place to find safety to a place of pleasure. He wanted it to be a party house or even a vacation loft. He had to plan this and make it a reality...
So as the heat of the Cold War began to subside, John Hay made up his mind to convert his bunker into a luxury cavern that would be up for sale soon. He made a few tweaks to it, adding a “Fred Astaire dance floor” in the great room. “I didn’t know what to do, so I thought I would make it into a Hollywood home, and see if I couldn’t sell it for a decent price,” he was quoted explaining...
By October 1987, John Hay knew his luxury cave was not needed. He actually wanted to sell it for $4.5 million which would be about $10 million today. However, he was advised by his real estate broker advised him to reduce the price to a million dollars less. There was a potential buyer. He was a California biotech executive who seemed keen. In the year 2017, the Census Bureau Survey of the Median Price per Square Foot showed price on the market per square foot of a house would be $95.35 to about $148.45.
His real estate broker was right to have asked Hay to reduce his asking price. Listing agent Rayne Davidson revealed that Hay ended up selling his save to a rich Missouri man under the alias “Mr. Richardson” in 1988. So then the cave that he put so much effort and money to build was now the property of a billionaire mysterious called “Mr. Richardson.”
It turns out Mr. Richardson was quite the party freak. After he bought the cave from John Hay, he flipped it into a full-fledged nightclub with a helipad for his VIP guests. This had never happened before and so it was truly a real estate revolution. So John Hay cave went on to become a hot spot where there were alleged celebrity visits too.
The bunker-turned-party-house soon became a very hip and happening place where celebs would occasionally drop in. So under Mr. Richardson’s tenure, the place was nicknamed “the mullet.” The housekeeper named Sherill Ricketts even revealed in 2007, “It looked all business in front but it was a party in the back.” The luxury cavern underwent one more revamping soon after, and now the cave is a resort...
If you would like to spend a night here, you would need to shell out $1,600 each night to stay. The cave has four bedrooms and it is indeed a hefty price to pay for one to enjoy the full caveman experience. The cave is full of high-end gadgets so it would not be a primitive experience. But what is the reason behind it being so costly to stay?
If you want to stay at the Beckham Creek Cave Lodge, you can enjoy experiences one cannot get in this modern world. Guests can indulge in the perks that this high-end resort has to offer. Their bathrooms are a standout as they literally use the cave walls. All the amenities you find in regulars high-end hotels, you will find in this cave. Special, right?
We cannot forget that this shelter had been made for a millionaire. Hence the facilitates inside would indeed be top notch. A rich man would not live regularly even if the world is potentially about to end right? In this cave, there is a 75-inch LED television kept on the wall. There was another addition that would blow your mind...
Anyone who is hungry while staying in this cave has nothing to worry about. This kitchen can help prepare the best meals one could ever hope for. You can literally cook anything your heart/stomach desires here. This magnificent cave does not just carry food and drinks. There is so much more to it than one would expect...
John Hay was the one to build the Beckham Creek Cave Lodge as a means to escape disaster and destruction, but the cave has become so much more. People who stay here have the perks of interacting with the wildlife too as it is situated in the middle of the woods. On the topic of wildlife, animal lovers who stay here have indeed had their fair share of fun.
There is a concern about wild animals entering the cave since many of them live around it. Well, since this cave is a little secluded, there have been a few groundkeepers reporting the sightings of wild bats at the lodge. However, these has rarely happened in this multimillionaire recluse. It is still a very safe space to spend time in.
The Cold War got over and there is no need for the shelter but you never know right? Even if this cavern is not used as a shelter, the mere fact that it is there as a vacation spot is something truly rare. If you have safety concerns, you would be happy to learn that the site has a concrete block to seal any and every opening inside the cave.
If you happen to be a rich person willing to spend some cash on a luxurious cave just to escape from the hectic everyday life, you will be glad. This cave meant to be a shelter has gone back in the market for the price of $2.75 million. You get to own this site that has so much history behind it. It has gone from a potential bunker to a nightclub to a resort!
John Hay was definitely not the only person to be fearful of the clash between the United States and the Soviet Union. During the 1940s and ’50s, and even in the ’80s, thousands of Americans were afraid that the worst would happen. It was terrifying for both average citizens and wealthy ones. Hence even the other bomb shelters were incredible.
Besides the Cold War, even 9/11, and the 2009 financial crisis have led to some folks panicking, looking for safety and security. These people fear both political and economic crisis that could end up eradicating so many people. Even the rich cannot escape this doom so there have been a number of folks who end up building spectacular sites.
The singer who gained fame for his song “Sandy,” who also came out back in 1959, is quite alarmed about an apocalypse taking place. In 2008, he bought himself a Cold War-era missile silo in Kansas City for $300,000. He then spent $20 million to create something amazing. He built an apartment complex that could keep anyone safe from bomb blasts.
The Oppidum, situated in an ex-military base in the Czech Republic, is the biggest, most luxurious doomsday complex you will ever find. The 323,000 square foot structure offers a swimming pool, there is a spa, a wine cellar, library filled with books and so much more. A family would have to spend $21,000 to enjoy staying here in case any unwanted disaster takes place.
A total of 575 steel and underground doomsday bunkers have been built in South Dakota. This was initially used as a U.S. Army base. This can fit around 5,000 people if ever the life of humans get threatened on a large scale. The lease for these bunkers would cause a single person around $1,400 a year and $34,000 as a down payment. Let us hope they never need to be in use though...