Good luck getting into these restricted places. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for areas around the world that are closed off to travelers and locals due to dangerous conditions or exclusive access.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for areas around the world
00:12that are closed off to travelers and locals due to dangerous conditions or exclusive access.
00:24Number 30.
00:25Surtsey, Iceland.
00:26Even in the most barren places, life seems to find a way.
00:30The volcanic island of Surtsey first became visible in the early 1960s after an eruption
00:35caused it to form and rise above sea level.
00:38While the other islands were washed away again by the ocean within a few months, lava started
00:42to flow on Surtsey.
00:45Despite the harsh conditions, various life forms, including native plants, birds and
00:49marine animals, managed to find a way to thrive.
00:52While they may have found a home on Surtsey, that option isn't available to humans.
00:57Only about 100 people have been allowed to set foot on Surtsey so far – scientists
01:02and reporters.
01:03The only proof that they've been there at all is a small hut, where scientists stay
01:07while studying the volatile landform.
01:10Given the fact that it is slowly sinking back into the sea, it's only a matter of time
01:14before this relatively young discovery returns back to whence it came.
01:18Number 29.
01:19Plum Island, New York, the United States of America
01:22Considering how tourist-heavy the rest of New York is, it's hard to fathom not being
01:27able to visit any part of it.
01:32While visitors used to be allowed to come and explore Plum Island for themselves, they
01:36eventually had to stop once it started being used for riskier purposes.
01:40It became the leading site for research into animal diseases, with the intention of learning
01:45more about them and subsequently helping farmers across the country.
01:56At one point, it was home to several deadly sicknesses, including swine flu.
02:01Even after the facility was relocated, the island was left in a permanent state of limbo.
02:06As no one can visit, its flora and fauna are allowed to thrive untouched.
02:11Number 28.
02:12Plutonian Adhiropolis, aka Pluto's Gate, Turkey
02:16It's no wonder this used to be known as the gate to the underworld.
02:26The entrance to the building emits gas, giving the impression of fire burning below.
02:31For someone living in ancient times, it's clear to see why they believed it was more
02:35insidious.
02:36However, in the present day, we have a clear reason not to get close.
02:39The cave was built on a seismic fault, causing it to emit those toxic fumes.
02:50They were reported as being so dangerous that all living organisms would succumb to them.
02:55Although the temple was destroyed generations ago, it's sectioned off due to the fumes still
03:00being threatening.
03:01Although, if you happen to pass by, you may see them escape from below yourself.
03:06Number 27.
03:07Morgan Island, South Carolina, United States of America
03:11A whole island full of monkeys sounds like every child's dream come to life.
03:19However, as fun as it would be to visit them, there's a very good reason they're completely
03:24isolated off the coast of South Carolina.
03:26They came to the island after several primates in Puerto Rico were discovered with various
03:30infections that eventually began to infect the human population as well.
03:34The monkeys are owned by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, but the
03:40animals themselves are managed by a company known as the Charles River Laboratories.
03:44Worried, the government ended up shipping over 1,000 of the infected animals to what
03:49is now known as Morgan Island.
03:51In the decades since, their population has only grown, and they've essentially claimed
03:55the land as their own.
03:57The only way most people can even come close to seeing them is by photograph.
04:02Number 26.
04:03El Castillo, Chichen Itza, Mexico
04:06While it's undoubtedly one of the most iconic structures in the world, it's also completely
04:10shut off to sightseers.
04:18Built atop a sinkhole by the Maya civilization, the huge structure served as a place of worship
04:23and sacrifice.
04:24It was also an impressive feat of architecture as well, and was proof of the society having
04:29an understanding of how sinkholes worked.
04:31Up until 2006, people were able to climb the stairs and even enter the inner chambers of
04:36the temple.
04:37However, after someone fell to their death, the majority of the structure was quickly
04:46and permanently closed off.
04:48The response is entirely understandable.
04:51However, considering what lies inside, many are hoping that one day it will be reopened
04:56for appreciation once more.
04:58Number 25.
05:00Club 33, Disneyland, California, the United States of America
05:04While Disney parks are public places, some locations have a members-only private club.
05:19You can find Club 33 inside several Disney parks around the globe, but the most prominent
05:23is at Disneyland in California.
05:26Clubs give people access to a high-class dining experience and alcohol in an exclusive environment.
05:31The price of lunch is a flat rate of $95, making it the most expensive meal I've ever
05:36had at a Disney park, but very much well worth it.
05:40However, this elite option isn't open to everyone.
05:43The waitlist is long, and even had to be shut down for years due to there being too much
05:48interest.
05:49With a minimum $60,000 initiation cost and a renewal fee of up to $20,000, this remains
05:56an establishment that, indeed, most people are not allowed to visit.
06:06Number 24.
06:07Pravčická Brána, Czech Republic
06:09Sometimes, all you need to do is look at a location to understand why it's been deemed
06:13off-limits, even if it was once open to all.
06:17Pravčická Brána is the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, and it's as hazardous as
06:27it is beautiful.
06:29While it used to be a widely-visited location, the sheer amount of walking done on it has
06:33caused it to erode.
06:39It's been off-limits since the 1980s, with the hopes that the damage will be mitigated.
06:44Unfortunately, it's still disintegrating, and soon, it could collapse entirely.
06:50Number 23.
06:51Bohemian Grove, California, United States of America
06:54A meeting place for some of the most prominent and important men in the world is understandably
06:59also one of the most exclusive.
07:08Considering how much power and money are accumulated by the members, it only makes
07:13sense that they'd want somewhere completely reclusive to meet.
07:16Bohemian Grove in Monterreo, California, became the home of these infamous meetings.
07:35There are several different traditions that take place, including a musical play.
07:50While it sounds like a fun event to visit, membership is completely limited to men with
07:55excess funds and clout.
07:57Number 22.
07:58Ni Hao, Hawaii, United States of America
08:02Most of Hawaii is open to people to inhabit and visit, but one island is privately owned
08:06and not open to the general public.
08:09And as a result, the so-called Forbidden Island has captured the imaginations of many avid
08:14travelers.
08:15Ni Hao is off-limits to all visitors, save for a few groups, the descendants of those
08:19who bought it, government officials, and military personnel.
08:23Other than that, the only residents are the remaining few native islanders, whose population
08:27has been estimated to be less than 50.
08:30And with no stores on Ni Hao, residents rely on a weekly barge of goods that are sent to
08:34them from Kaui.
08:35The lack of any major human intervention means that many species have flourished, particularly
08:40avians like the Hawaiian stilt and plants like Brighamia insignis.
08:45While there are limited tourist activities to take part in, for the most part, there's
08:49no way for most people to access the Forbidden Isle.
08:53Number 21.
08:54Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway
08:56It seems like something out of an apocalypse movie.
08:59The global seed vault in Norway has become one of the world's coolest and most important
09:03resources in modern times.
09:05American Dr. Carey Fowler is walking me up to the so-called Doomsday Vault, inspired
09:11by his vision and funded by the Norwegian government.
09:15It houses hundreds of thousands of different seeds, keeping them viable in case they ever
09:20need to be reintroduced following an environmental disaster.
09:23The project started in the mid-1980s, and by the 2000s, it had swelled into a worldwide
09:30The vault was opened in 2008, and since then, has remained tucked away in the mountains
09:34of Svalbard.
09:35Here, frozen in time, lie samples of 870,000 different crop varieties, with each sample
09:44having up to 500 seeds.
09:46Understandably, the area is completely unavailable to anyone besides those with employee clearance.
09:52While it's a fantastic idea, we can only hope there will never be a situation that requires
09:57them to be removed from their place.
10:15Despite only being a mile long, it's the final resting place of over one million people.
10:21The graves date back to the Civil War, and they house the only permanent residence of
10:25this New York Isle.
10:27Shortly after the war, in 1869, the city formally established the northern tip of the island
10:32as a cemetery, where they would bury bodies of New Yorkers who had no family members to
10:37organize burials for them.
10:39It was initially owned by the Department of Corrections, who had strict rules about who
10:43could travel there.
10:44They even limited the ferries, which were the only way to access the site.
10:49In the mid-2010s, they loosened their regulations by allowing relatives to visit once a month,
10:54as long as they requested permission first.
11:04When the Department of Parks and Recreation took over in 2021, many were hopeful that
11:08the restrictions would be dropped.
11:10However, as of 2024, their policies haven't changed, leaving Heart Island in perpetual
11:16semi-isolation.
11:18Number 19, Mishgorya, Russia.
11:21Mishgorya might have a welcome sign at the town entrance, but that doesn't mean you
11:24can just wander in.
11:26First founded in the 1970s in Russia's southern Ural Mountains, the town is home to some 7,000
11:31residents, at least according to a 2010 census.
11:35You can't visit, however, without official government permission.
11:38Described as Russia's Area 51, Mishgorya is a closed town rumored to have once stored
11:44nuclear warheads.
11:45Supposedly, it's the site of a vast subterranean bunker with its own highways and railroads,
11:51large enough to house 60,000 people.
11:53No one is quite sure, however, because the Russians are keeping their cards close to
11:57their chest.
11:58Number 18, the RAAF Womera Range Complex, Australia.
12:03Covering an area of over 47,000 square miles, the RAAF Womera Range Complex in South Australia
12:10encompasses one of the largest no-go zones in the world.
12:13The military and aerospace site is run by the Royal Australian Air Force and serves
12:18as a test site for rockets, drones, surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank missiles, and anti-submarine
12:24missiles.
12:25The Womera Range Complex was the brainchild of the British, whose desire to establish
12:28a rocket testing program on home soil following World War II was stymied by their population
12:33density, so they turned to Australia.
12:36Together, they formed the Anglo-Australian Joint Project in 1946.
12:40The Womera Range Complex has been closed to the public since 1947.
12:45Number 17, Heard Island and Macdonald Islands, Australia.
12:50An external territory of Australia, the Heard and Macdonald Islands are uninhabited and
12:54remote, surrounded by rough seas and covered by mountains and glaciers.
12:59As if that wasn't enough to deter you, they're also home to two active volcanoes.
13:03The closest thing to civilization is 280 miles away, namely the Kerguelen Islands, home to
13:09a few French soldiers, scientists, and researchers.
13:13Travelers cannot visit Heard Island and Macdonald Islands without being part of a scientific
13:17expedition.
13:18Regardless, with no permanent base or settlement to speak of, actually getting there and finding
13:22shelter is unlikely to say the least.
13:25Number 16, The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China.
13:30China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, unified China and helped build the Great Wall.
13:35When he died in 210 BC, he was laid to rest in a gigantic tomb, protected by a garrison
13:41of 8,000 terracotta warriors.
13:43For years, the burial complex remained hidden from the world, until in 1974, farmers stumbled
13:49over fragments of terracotta.
13:50While the terracotta warriors have been excavated, the tomb itself remains buried.
13:55Officials fear that archaeological work will damage the tomb.
13:58Deep inside is an elaborate underground palace, said to have been filled with treasures and
14:02surrounded by rivers of mercury.
14:05But at least for now, it remains off-limits and shrouded in mystery.
14:09Number 15, Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, Virginia, United States.
14:14Tucked away in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center
14:19is just a 48-mile drive from Washington, D.C.
14:22That's no coincidence, as the center serves as a relocation site for the nation's top
14:26civilian and military personnel in the event of a nuclear war or national disaster.
14:32Built by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the facility is a way of ensuring that the
14:36government will continue to function regardless of what's happening outside its presumably
14:40very thick walls.
14:41Despite the fact that it's a civilian command facility, visits from us regular folk are
14:46prohibited.
14:47Number 14, Chapel of the Tablet, Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, Ethiopia.
14:53Located in the town of Aksum, the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion is said to house the
14:58Ark of the Covenant, the biblical chest that contains the original stone tablets with the
15:02Ten Commandments.
15:03The story goes that the Ark was brought to Ethiopia by its first emperor, Menelik I,
15:08and there are those that believe it never left.
15:10The Ark is protected by a monk who dedicates his life to praying before it in the Chapel
15:14of the Tablet.
15:15Near the end of his life, the monk appoints a successor.
15:18As such, the only way you're getting into this chapel is by becoming an extremely dedicated
15:23Ethiopian monk.
15:24Number 13, Poveglia, Italy.
15:27A tiny island an hour south of Venice, Poveglia is home to a dark past.
15:31Over the centuries, the island has served many purposes.
15:34It was a refuge for civilians fleeing barbarian invasions in the 5th century, a strategic
15:39Venetian fort in the 17th century, a quarantine zone for those suffering from the plague in
15:44the 18th century, and finally an asylum for the mentally ill in the 20th century.
15:49It's said that a doctor performed horrific experiments on his patients.
15:52Today, it's rumored to be haunted by their tortured souls and remains off-limits to
15:57locals and tourists.
15:59Number 12, Metro 2, Moscow, Russia.
16:02It might not have been officially confirmed, but speculation abounds around Moscow's secret
16:07underground metro system, separate to the city's public metro.
16:10Thought to have been built during Stalin's era, it's said to consist of four lines that
16:14connect the Kremlin to various other government buildings and institutions.
16:18Over the years, a number of people have admitted its existence in some form or another, including
16:22Vladimir Shevchenko, a former advisor to Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin.
16:28Shevchenko claimed that reports were exaggerated, however, and that the tunnels have begun to
16:33decay.
16:34If Metro 2 is indeed real, it goes without saying that civilians are prohibited.
16:38And if it's not, well, then you obviously can't go there.
16:42Number 11, North Brother Island, New York, United States.
16:46Like our other entry, Poveglia, North Brother Island has been used for a number of diverse
16:50purposes.
16:51Located in New York City's East River, it started as a quarantine zone for smallpox
16:55victims in the 19th century, but later grew to house those suffering from a number of
16:59quarantinable diseases.
17:00Over the years, it's also hosted housing for war veterans, and in the 1950s, a shady rehabilitation
17:06center for drug addicts.
17:07Today, the island is considered a protected area and bird sanctuary, with access limited
17:12to those who apply for specialized visits.
17:14There has been talk of allowing visitors back to the island, but for now, it is closed
17:19to the public.
17:20Number 10, Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island, Brazil.
17:25You probably wouldn't want to visit this island even if you were allowed.
17:29Located off the coast of Sao Paulo, the Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island,
17:34is crawling with golden lancehead pit vipers, about one per square meter.
17:39Its venom is thought to be five times more potent than that of any mainland viper, and
17:44capable of melting human flesh.
17:46So yeah, not exactly a tropical island paradise.
17:50Civilians are not allowed to visit the island, and scientists are only allowed trips if they
17:54receive special permission.
18:05Number 9, Ise Grand Shrine, Japan.
18:07One of the holiest places in Japan, this Shinto shrine complex is thought to have been built
18:12in the year 4 BC.
18:14Parts of the shrine are rebuilt every 20 years to symbolize the cycle of life, death, and
18:18renewal.
18:19Dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, the site is a popular pilgrimage site, with over
18:24nine million Japanese tourists visiting it in 2013 alone.
18:28However, access to the shrine itself remains strictly prohibited to commoners, with only
18:33priests and priestesses allowed to enter its hallowed walls.
18:37As such, those who make the trek to the Ise Grand Shrine can expect to see only its wooden
18:41fences and thatched roofs.
18:44Number 8, The Catacombs, Paris, France.
18:46Dug out over centuries, these tunnels in France's capital were converted into a vast underground
18:51ossuary to deal with Paris's overflowing cemeteries.
18:55They're now home to the bones of some 6 million people, giving them their nickname, the world's
19:00largest grave.
19:01Thanks to human curiosity, a small part of the catacombs was opened to visitation in
19:05the 19th century, and they've since become part of the 14 city of Paris museums.
19:10However, what interests us here are the miles and miles of tunnels that have been sealed
19:14off from the public.
19:15It is illegal to venture into them, but a subculture of cataphiles have made it their
19:20mission to explore the tunnels and make them their own.
19:23Number 7, Pine Gap, Australia.
19:26Located just south of Alice Springs in central Australia, Pine Gap, or the Joint Defense
19:31Facility Pine Gap as it is officially called, is a satellite tracking station operated by
19:35both the US and Australia.
19:37While the facility was initially used for space research, or at least that's what they
19:41told the public, it's now a key cog in the spy machines of both the CIA and NSA, controlling
19:47satellites as they pass over Russia, China, and the Middle East.
19:50Its remote location helps prevent anyone intercepting the flow of information.
19:54Needless to say, the facility, which employs over 800 people, is strictly off-limits to
19:59the public.
20:00Number 6, the Jiangsu National Security Education Museum, Nanjing, China.
20:06Nothing gets the conspiracy juices flowing like a Chinese spy museum that bars foreigners
20:10from entering.
20:11The items in the museum, which range from espionage documents to tiny pistols and miniature
20:16cameras, are from as far back as 1927, and as recent as the 1980s.
20:21Some believe the museum is a propaganda tool, with US Army intelligence officer Matthew
20:26Brazile claiming, quote, the regime appears to be accelerating counterintelligence efforts
20:31in response to fear of spies.
20:33However, ask the museum's director and you will get a different response.
20:38According to her, quote, we don't want such sensitive spy information to be exposed to
20:41foreigners, so they are not allowed to enter.
20:45Number 5, Lascaux, France.
20:47Lascaux is home to some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art in the world.
20:51The cave paintings are estimated to be more than 17,000 years old, and mostly depict large
20:56animals.
20:57The Lascaux caves have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the public has been
21:02banned since 1963, primarily because any human presence in the cave could potentially
21:07be destructive.
21:08Currently, only a handful of scientists are allowed to enter the caves, though a replica
21:12of them, called Lascaux 2, was opened to the public in 1983.
21:17Number 4, RAF Menwith Hill, England.
21:21Described as the world's biggest electronic monitoring station, this Royal Air Force station
21:25provides intelligence support service to the US and UK.
21:28It was originally set up to intercept messages between the Soviet Union and its allies during
21:32the Cold War, but the station is still in full operation today.
21:35In fact, several of the satellites are controlled directly by the American NSA, something that's
21:40been criticized in recent years after the Snowden leaks.
21:43Its most infamous program is ECHELON, a surveillance program for the interception of private and
21:48commercial communications.
21:50Number 3, North Sentinel Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.
21:55The North Sentinel Island is home to the Sentinelese, a group of indigenous people
21:59with a population of somewhere between 50 and 400.
22:02They're one of the last peoples in the world to remain untouched by modern civilization
22:06and refuse any contact with outsiders.
22:09In 2006, they killed two local fishermen and in 2018, killed an American missionary who
22:15snuck onto the island to convert them to Christianity.
22:18While peaceful contact was made during the early 1990s, the Indian government stopped
22:22sending people to the island in 1997.
22:26Number 2, The Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican City.
22:29Next to the Vatican Library, the Vatican Secret Archives houses the acts promulgated by the
22:34Holy See, as well as state papers, papal account books, and other important historical documents.
22:39The name is a bit misleading, however.
22:42It should perhaps be called the Vatican Private Archives because its existence and the documents
22:47within are not actually secret.
22:49That doesn't mean you just wander in, however.
22:51Only qualified researchers can apply for an entry card and request to examine a document,
22:56and many things dated after 1939 are off-limits.
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23:16Number 1, Area 51, Nevada, United States.
23:20Nevada's Area 51 has been a hotbed for criticism and speculation for decades.
23:25While the base's primary purpose is unknown to the public, evidence suggests it's been
23:29used to develop and test weapons.
23:31All research in Area 51 is considered top secret, which has made it a frequent subject
23:36of UFO folklore.
23:38Many people believe that the base is home to alien spacecraft and even alien species,
23:42while others suggest that scientists are working on time travel or teleportation devices.
23:47Because the base is closed to the public, speculation about the U.S. Air Force facility
23:51only continues to grow.
23:54Which banned location do you think seems the most fun to explore?
23:57Let us know in the comments below.
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