Top Five Most Secure Locations In The United States

ADX Florence Supermax Prison

This Colorado based prison holds some of the most ruthless criminals and terrorists alive today. All prisoners are kept in solitary confinement for nearly 24 hours a day, their entire cells are made of concrete and the small windows are designed so that only the sky can be seen and location within the prison cannot be determined. The facility is rigged with motion detectors, cameras and lasers. The 1400 steel doors are remote controlled and pressure pads line the walls. There are guard dogs, armed security guards and of course a twelve foot high barbed wire fence.

The United States Bullion Depository

Also known as Fort Knox, the United States Gold Bullion Depository is one of the most famous secure loctations on this list. Over 4500 tons of gold are stored at the location and it has housed several important documents including original copies of th U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Magna Carta. The gold vault, which is housed under the fort, is protected by a 22 ton blast proof door. No single person knows the combination of the vault; several individuals each know a portion of the combination. If someone did happen to make it into the main vault, they would still need to get into the smaller vaults which house the gold. The facility is fenced in and monitored by armed guards and alarms and security cameras are located througout the premises.

Area 51

No one knows exactly what goes on in this "secret" military base in Nevada, though conspiracy theorists speculate is has something to do with aliens. Regardless of what you believe, or what actually goes on in Area 51, you can be sure of one thing: the location is very secure. The area is patrolled by a subcontracted security company, riding around in camouflage Humvees and armed with M-16s. There are motion sensors in the ground and numerous security cameras, some with night vision. Though it isn't difficult to spot the location if you are in the area, you can't find it on any U.S. government map.

Cheyenne Mountain

The Cheyenne Mountain Complex was until recently home to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The location was developed during the Cold War to monitor any potential missile or nuclear threats against the United States and Canada. The complex is built into the side of a solid granite mountain and designed to handle large explosions; there are two 25 ton blast doors which can survive a 30 megaton blast from over a mile away. The complex contains a 4.5 acre underground grid of tunnels and several freestanding steel plated buildings on springs which allow the complex to move an entire foot in either direction should there be an earthquake or large blast.

Federal Reserve Bank Of New York

The only location on this list housed in a big city, the Federal Reserve Bank Of New York holds even more gold than Fort Knox. The vault, which contains over $270 billion worth of gold, is located 80 feet under street level at the bottom of a three story bunker. Just like Fort Knox, no single person knows the combination of the vault, and three separate security teams monitor it. Closed circuit cameras and detectors sound off when the vault is opened and several locks are on time delay. To top it off, the vault is air and water tight.