Beneath the bustling streets of modern American cities lie forgotten worlds-entire neighborhoods, storefronts, and sidewalks buried by time, disaster, or deliberate construction. From Seattle's subterranean passages to Savannah's colonial vaults, these underground cities offer a fascinating glimpse into America's layered past, and many are open for exploration today.
America's urban landscape holds secrets beneath its foundations-entire city blocks buried and forgotten, preserved accidentally by fire, flood, or progress itself. These aren't ancient ruins in the archaeological sense, but relatively recent histories layered beneath modern pavement. From Seattle's underground storefronts to Galveston's raised streets, these subterranean spaces tell stories of resilience, reinvention, and the relentless march of urban development.
What makes these underground cities particularly compelling is their accessibility. Unlike the buried cities of ancient civilizations, many American underground spaces are open for tours, offering visitors the chance to walk streets that once bustled with daily life. Let's explore ten remarkable US cities where you can descend beneath the surface and discover the buried past.
Seattle, Washington: Pioneer Square Underground
Perhaps the most famous underground city in America, Seattle's Underground was created following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. After the fire destroyed 25 city blocks, city planners decided to rebuild at a higher elevation to solve chronic flooding problems from Puget Sound tides. Business owners, eager to reopen, built at street level while the city gradually raised the streets-sometimes by as much as 22 feet-creating a bizarre situation where ground-floor entrances became second stories.
The original sidewalks and storefronts were eventually abandoned and covered over, creating an entire underground network of passages, shops, and banks. For decades, these spaces served various purposes-some became storage areas, others housed more illicit activities during Prohibition. Today, the Bill Speidel's Underground Tour takes visitors through three blocks of underground passages, showcasing preserved storefronts, antique fixtures, and even old sidewalks with glass prisms that once allowed light to filter down from the streets above.
Chicago, Illinois: Pedway and Freight Tunnels
Chicago boasts not one but two underground systems. The modern Pedway is a 5-mile network of underground walkways connecting more than 50 blocks in downtown Chicago, primarily used during harsh winters. But beneath even that lies something more fascinating-the Chicago Tunnel Company's freight tunnel system, built between 1899 and 1906.
This 60-mile network of narrow-gauge railway tunnels ran 40 feet below street level, connecting buildings throughout the Loop and facilitating the movement of coal, freight, and mail between major buildings and railroad terminals. The system operated until 1959, when trucks made it obsolete. Most tunnels remain intact but inaccessible to the public, though they made headlines in 1992 when a construction accident caused the Great Chicago Flood, sending millions of gallons of river water rushing through the forgotten passages and flooding basements throughout downtown.
Savannah, Georgia: Underground Factors Walk
Savannah's unique topography created an unusual urban structure. Built on a 40-foot bluff above the Savannah River, the city's waterfront district features a double-level street system. When the city was laid out in 1733, the steep riverbanks were eventually built up with ballast stones from ships, creating Factors Walk-a series of iron walkways connecting the upper and lower levels.
Below street level, the area features brick-vaulted storage spaces and passages that once served as warehouses for cotton factors (brokers). Today, many of these atmospheric underground spaces house restaurants, galleries, and shops. The Pirates' House restaurant features underground tunnels rumored to have been used for shanghaiing unsuspecting sailors-drugging them and dragging them through tunnels to waiting ships. While some of these tales are embellished, the underground spaces are authentic colonial-era structures.
Portland, Oregon: Shanghai Tunnels
Portland's Shanghai Tunnels (also called the Portland Underground) are a network of passages connecting basements of hotels, saloons, and businesses to the waterfront. Built in the 1850s, these tunnels served legitimate purposes-moving goods from ships to basements and providing a way to avoid muddy streets. However, they gained infamy for allegedly facilitating the practice of shanghaiing-kidnapping men to serve as forced labor on ships.
The extent of shanghaiing through these tunnels is debated by historians, but the passages themselves are real. Today, the Portland Shanghai Tunnels Tour takes visitors through portions of the underground network, showcasing trapdoors, holding cells, and explaining both the documented history and the colorful legends. The underground spaces feature brick archways, old fixtures, and atmospheric lighting that evoke Portland's rough-and-tumble past.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Underground Concourse
Oklahoma City's downtown features an extensive underground pedestrian tunnel system connecting buildings, parking garages, restaurants, and shops. While not an "older buried city" in the traditional sense, it represents a mid-20th-century vision of urban planning that created a parallel city beneath the streets.
The system developed organically starting in the 1930s as building owners created underground connections, eventually growing into a network spanning more than 30 city blocks. The tunnels feature tile work and design elements reflecting different eras of construction. During tornado warnings, these passages serve as shelters, and they remain popular during Oklahoma's hot summers and unpredictable weather, creating an alternative urban experience where workers and visitors can traverse downtown entirely underground.
Cincinnati, Ohio: Abandoned Subway System
Cincinnati holds the dubious distinction of having the largest abandoned subway system in the United States-a never-completed project that left miles of tunnels beneath the city. Construction began in 1920 on what was to be a 16-mile rapid transit loop, but the project was abandoned in 1928 due to cost overruns and political changes, with only 2.2 miles of tunnels actually completed.
These tunnels and several unfinished subway stations remain intact beneath the streets of Cincinnati, complete with platforms, staircases, and the basic infrastructure for a subway that never carried a single passenger. The spaces are typically closed to the public for safety reasons, but the Cincinnati Museum Center occasionally offers special tours of select sections. The abandoned subway represents one of America's most significant infrastructure failures and a fascinating example of an underground space frozen in time.
Galveston, Texas: Raised City Streets
Following the catastrophic 1900 Galveston Hurricane-America's deadliest natural disaster, which killed an estimated 8,000 people-the city undertook an extraordinary engineering project. Officials decided to raise the entire city by as much as 17 feet to prevent future storm surge damage. This massive effort took seven years and involved lifting over 2,100 buildings on jacks while pumping millions of cubic yards of sand beneath them.
The result created an unusual situation where the original ground-level floors of buildings became basements. Many of these spaces remain preserved beneath the modern street level. The historic Strand district features buildings where you can still see the original first-floor windows and entrances now below street level. Some buildings offer access to these lower levels, where original storefronts and architectural details remain visible, creating a tangible connection to the pre-1900 city.
Rochester, New York: Abandoned Subway
Like Cincinnati, Rochester has its own abandoned subway system, though this one actually operated for decades. The Rochester subway ran from 1927 to 1956, built largely in a repurposed section of the old Erie Canal bed. When the system was deemed obsolete, it was simply abandoned rather than filled in, leaving miles of tunnels and stations beneath the city.
The Broad Street Aqueduct section is the most impressive surviving portion-a massive stone structure that once carried the Erie Canal over the Genesee River and later housed subway tracks. While most of the tunnel is inaccessible, portions can be viewed from various access points around the city. Local organizations occasionally offer special tours of accessible sections, showcasing the beautiful stone archways and the eerie beauty of this abandoned transportation system.
Atlanta, Georgia: Underground City
Underground Atlanta was created by similar circumstances to Seattle's underground. In the 1920s, a series of viaducts were built to elevate railroad tracks and ease downtown traffic congestion. These viaducts effectively created a second street level, leaving the original storefronts and sidewalks beneath.
By the 1960s, these underground spaces were largely abandoned and deteriorating. In 1969, the area was redeveloped as Underground Atlanta, a shopping and entertainment district that preserved the historic storefronts and atmospheric underground passages. The district features sections of the original 1869 cobblestone streets, building facades with vintage signage, and even portions of the original railroad tracks. While Underground Atlanta has faced various economic challenges over the decades, it remains a fascinating example of adaptive reuse and urban archaeology.
Sacramento, California: Old Sacramento Underground
Similar to Galveston, Sacramento faced chronic flooding from the Sacramento and American Rivers. Between 1862 and 1873, the city undertook a massive project to raise the downtown streets by 10 to 15 feet. Building owners had to choose whether to raise their structures or have them become de facto basements.
The result left many original ground-floor spaces beneath the modern street level, particularly in the historic Old Sacramento district. Today, several businesses and museums in Old Sacramento offer access to these underground spaces. The Sacramento History Museum runs underground tours that take visitors through original sidewalks, into old storefronts, and through basement passages, with skylights from above still visible. These tours provide a tangible sense of what the city looked like before the raising project transformed the urban landscape.
Planning Your Underground Exploration
Visiting these underground cities requires some planning, as access is typically limited to organized tours. Most underground spaces are not universally accessible-expect stairs, uneven surfaces, and varying temperature and humidity levels. Here are some practical tips:
Book tours in advance, especially during peak tourist seasons. Popular tours like Seattle's Underground and Old Sacramento can sell out weeks ahead. Check accessibility requirements carefully if you have mobility concerns-most underground spaces involve stairs and uneven historic surfaces. Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes with good traction, as underground surfaces can be slippery or uneven.
Temperature underground typically stays cooler than surface level, so bring a light jacket even in summer. Photography policies vary-some tours allow it freely while others restrict flash or prohibit photos in certain areas. Many cities offer combination tickets or passes that include both underground tours and related historic sites, potentially saving money if you're exploring multiple attractions.
The best times to visit vary by location. Winter months are often less crowded for underground tours, though some cities (like Chicago) see more underground pedestrian traffic during cold weather. Spring and fall typically offer the best combination of comfortable above-ground weather and manageable tour crowds.
