The Abandoned Alvira Bunkers

History, Travel 3 Minutes

I enjoy reading websites about my home state of Pennsylvania and this website—PABucketlist.com—always has great articles.  This article, by Rusty Glessner, is all about eminent domain claiming a small town and then abandoning it.

Exploring the Abandoned Alvira Bunkers in Union County

By

Rusty Glessner

The abandoned Alvira bunkers are remnants of the American WWII war effort, as well as reminders of what lengths the federal government will go to to seize private property for “the greater good”.

Brief History of Alvira

In the case of Alvira (originally founded as Wisetown in 1825), the federal government used the courts and eminent domain to force residents to accept buyouts of their homes, so that their entire town could be leveled and turned into a TNT manufacturing plant and storage facility known as the Pennsylvania Ordnance Works.

But just 11 months after the Pennsylvania Ordnance Works started manufacturing TNT, it was closed down due to a lack of need for the TNT being made and stored there.

And while the residents had been promised that they could buy back their land after the war, that promise was broken.

The federal government instead kept the land and gradually divvied it up, giving 4,000 acres to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to construct Allenwood Prison, and giving 3,000 acres to the state of Pennsylvania (including the land where the bunkers sit) which became State Game Lands 252.

Today, the 149 dome-shaped concrete bunkers that once housed explosives for the US military are gradually being reclaimed by nature.

Designed to explode upwards in case of accidental detonation, and spaced far enough apart to prevent a chain-reaction spreading to other bunkers, these concrete igloos, nearly 80 years old now, have fared remarkably well on the inside.

The official PA Game Commission map of SGL 252 shows the location of all the bunkers – all that is required of modern explorers is to do the bushwhacking!

Abandoned Alvira Bunkers FAQs

Where exactly are the abandoned Alvira bunkers located?

The Alvira bunkers are located in the Union County portion of State Game Lands 252, approximately 7 miles south of Williamsport.

Can I navigate to the Alvira bunkers by GPS?

Yes – use GPS coordinates 41.13618, -76.95924 to navigate to the first of several parking lots along Alvira Road.

Are any of the Alvira bunkers roadside and easy to reach?

Yes – in fact you can literally park right next to several of the bunkers along Alvira Road.

How many of the bunkers are you able to enter?

On a recent visit (Summer 2020) I was able to find and enter several dozenwithin a 2-hour time period.
Please note – I have never tried to find all the bunkers, or get an exact count of how many are still accessible.

Are any of the bunkers still locked?

Yes, but again I have not attempted to determine an exact count of how many are locked/unlocked.

Are you able to see inside the bunkers without a flashlight?

The interiors of most of the unlocked bunkers are dimly lit by a small hole in the center of the roofs, but I would strongly recommend taking a flashlight along.

Are most of the bunkers full of trash and graffiti?

No – although none of the bunkers I’ve personally entered are in pristine condition, the further away you get from Alvira Road, the less vandalized the bunkers generally become.

What else is there to see at Alvira?

Several cemeteries still stand on Game Lands 252 (see map above), including many Civil War-era graves.

Final Thoughts on the Alvira Bunkers

The abandoned Alvira munitions bunkers are an interesting architectural relic of WWII-era America.

They are also a cautionary tale for what can happen to private individuals when the government decides it wants your property.

Or in the case of Alvira, wants your ENTIRE TOWN.

And what was once a thriving little hamlet in Union County, followed by a TNT factory and munitions depot, is now slowly being reabsorbed by nature and the elements.

The abandoned Alvira bunkers – go see them while you can!

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Published by pat frederick

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193 thoughts on “The Abandoned Alvira Bunkers”

    2. hmmmm…elementary school but shooter was a teenager?
      and the door was unlocked that “she” went thru?
      FTA
      Police say the shooter entered the building through a side door before climbing stairs to the second floor, where she then opened fire.

      snip

      Covenant School is a private Christian institution for students up to 6th grade, according to its website.

      https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/breaking-school-shooting-at-christian-academy-in-tennessee/

      Liked by 1 person

    4. this can’t be right, can it? 28 (!) yr old female???

      ClivusMultrum
      March 27, 2023 2:20 pm

      Deceased Nashville Christian school shooter not IDed by name yet, but was reportedly a heavily armed 28 year old FEMALE.

      Liked by 1 person


  3. “More than 2,000 mummified ram heads and a palatial Old Kingdom structure have been uncovered by archaeologists at the King Ramses II Temple of Abydos… The Ram was the symbol associated with the god Marduk who reigned during the age -or period- of Aries…”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. neither!
      cleaning up after a really good dinner…chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and biscuits.
      we ate junk all weekend…i needed decent food!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

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    1. they are…we haven’t been there yet…but dang! the gov’t can seize an entire town and then renege on it’s word to let the town get their property back and then put a large prison there. bet the neighboring towns weren’t thrilled (or had a say) in that

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Ummmm I had no idea what it means

    Charlamagne Tha God DEFENDS white Mississippi anchor FIRED for reciting Snoop Dogg lyrics ‘Fo s****le, my n***le’ because ‘she might not even know what it means’
    Barbie Bassett, was swiftly removed from the show after the incident on March 8
    But she was defended by the radio host who said she may not have been aware
    She had been plugging the Cali Wine Collection by Snoop Dogg

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11908429/Charlamagne-Tha-God-DEFENDS-white-Mississippi-anchor-FIRED-reciting-Snoop-Dogg-lyrics.html

    Liked by 1 person

    1. i really don’t think this was as cool as most of her others. the candles and the cake pedestal were cake–but the cake was just cake…I don’t get the big deal…LOL

      Liked by 1 person

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