Random Historic Landmarks That Actually Have Secret Rooms (12 items)

(#1) The Apartment At The Top Of The Eiffel Tower

When the Eiffel Tower was completed on March 31, 1889, it was a major accomplishment both in terms of architecture and science. The unusual iron structure was double the height of the previous world's tallest object, the Washington Monument. It was also a kind of research laboratory and eventually a radio tower.

The Eiffel Tower was completed ahead of schedule in just over two years, in time for the Paris World's Fair. That was enough to provide designer Gustave Eiffel some serious perks, like an apartment for himself at the top of the tower. It offered Eiffel one of the best views of the city.

Eiffel constantly declined offers to rent his pad, and rarely invited anyone up, but currently the apartment is viewable to the public.
(#3) The Movie Theater And Restaurant In The Paris Catacombs

In 2004, French authorities discovered what was described as a small movie theater and restaurant in the catacombs underneath the city. Even stranger, writings and symbols on the walls speculated it was under the operation of some kind of secret society.

That actually turned out to be the case. In 2011, a representative of a group called UX, or Urban eXperiences, took credit for the site. The group claimed to have 100 members who were working in small groups to turn Paris's unused urban spaces into "a theater for new experiences."
(#11) The Room In The Torch Of The Statue Of Liberty

Currently, the crown of New York City's Statue of Liberty is the highest point accessible to the public. But the actual highest point is located in the torch, which has been closed to the public since 1916.

That year, an American shipment of military stores detonated in the city's harbor, an incident that became known as the Black Tom explosion. The shipment was meant for Britain's use in World War I, and it was later determined German agents were responsible.

The explosion itself was so massive shrapnel damaged the Statue of Liberty's torch. The city closed the torch for precautionary reasons and hasn't reopened it since.
(#12) The Tennis Court At Grand Central Station

Since 2011, visitors willing to fork over between $100 and $250 an hour have been able to play tennis inside New York City's Grand Central Station. But tennis courts have existed in the station, in one form or another, for decades.

Hungarian entrepreneur Geza A. Gazdag founded the Vanderbilt Tennis Club in the 1960s, naming it after Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad tycoon who built the first railroad depot on the site in 1871. The club eventually fell into disrepair until 1984, when Donald Trump purchased it and turned it into an exclusive club for the wealthy.

Trump sold it in 2009, and it was relocated to its current location two years later.
(#5) The Tiny Police Station In A Light Post At Trafalgar Square

In 1926, miners across the UK went on strike to protest against an involuntary 13% wage cut, as well as an increase in weekly labor. This led to the general strike, when workers in other industries refused to work in solidarity. The stoppage lasted nine days.

Protests were common throughout that year, especially in London's Trafalgar Square. Police wanted to build a temporary police station in the square to monitor protesters, but public outcry forced them to drop the project. Instead, the police used one of the square's large light posts to house a tiny police station, hiding it in plain sight. It's currently used for custodial storage.
(#8) The Basement Under The Lincoln Memorial

Beneath the Lincoln Memorial is a 43,800-square-foot vault called the Undercroft. Despite the fancy name, it was more like an unfinished basement than a chamber of secrets - until recently.

The massive monument was built in 1914 on a flood plain that had recently been created from the Potomac River. The muddy site forced the builders to dig a foundation 40 feet deep, where they built large concrete pillars supporting the monument. With no other purpose, the Undercroft was abandoned and forgotten until 1975.

The only historical significance to the Undercroft is it's also a site of authentic 1914 graffiti drawn by the builders. As of 2020, Washington, DC, was planning to renovate the Undercroft to turn it into a museum and visitor center.