A luxury cave lodge once used as a Cold War bomb shelter in a secluded portion of the Ozark National Forest is on the market for $2.75 million, a real estate listing shows.
The 5,500-square-foot residence built into the Beckham Creek Cave in Parthenon has been inhabited for more than 150 years. It was first used as a hideout for outlaws and bootleggers during the Civil War.
The cave was later used to escape the dangers of war when Celestial Seasonings tea company founder John Hay purchased the property in 1989 for $6 million and stockpiled it full of supplies to survive the Cold War.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the property changed hands multiple times as it was transformed into a bordello, club, personal home, event venue and hotel, with rates starting at $1,200 per night.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home utilizes the cave's original walls, which can be seen best in the 2,300-square-foot entry room. The cavern boasts 40-feet-high rock ceilings and a Spanish waterfall formation.
"When you walk in the door, it just blows yours mind," Realtor Rayne Davidson said. "There’s nothing like it in the world."
Renovations in 2007 and 2014 added stainless steel kitchen appliances and geothermal heating and air conditioning units that ensure the environment stays comfortable and dry. However, the cave does drip from a few natural stalactites.
The property sits on 250 acres of land in an undeveloped canyon in the Ozark Mountains near the Buffalo National River. Windows in the home allow guests to look across the valley to tall rock bluffs and natural woods with several creeks, a large pond and more than 30 additional caves that extend for more than 1 mile directly behind the house.
"There’s total seclusion," Davidson said. "You’re at the end of the road surrounded by just beautiful scenery."
The Realtor said several investors from around the world have inquired about the property, which has been on the market for about four months.
"I feel like it’s going to sell pretty rapidly," she said. "What are you going to pay for a cave? What do you pay for that uniqueness? Someone will pay the price."