As if Alaska wasn’t already wonderfully creepy enough (a minimum of zero hours of sunlight in winter= perfect for vampires), it’s also home to an abandoned igloo hotel. Located 20 miles from the nearest town of Cantwell (population: 222), along the George Parks Highway, this unexpected four-story structure has become a bit of a road-side attraction over the years. The igloo is visible from airplanes at 30,000 feet
The igloo hotel was built in the 1970s although the hotel never actually opened because of building code violations. After the failed launch, the empty igloo had a few different owners who used the site as a gas station and a gift shop, cashing in on passer-byers intrigued by the bizarre roadside scenery. But the igloo itself has never been opened for business.
The gas station and gift shop are now long gone and the padlocked doors of the igloo have been trespassed by vandals. The interiors are quite a mess and a few of the windows are crumbling away. Nevertheless, for a building that never opened or did business, it’s still a tourist attraction.
I found this video that shows a few of the locals are making use of the igloo as an occasional bike ramp!
Images via here, here and here
UPDATE!
Current owner Brad Fisher has recently listed the igloo for sale again at a value of $300,000. The unusual property has no running electricity, the nearest town is 20 minutes away and installing a utility substation was estimated to cost around $1.3 million, but as Mr. Fisher says, “If you had the money to get it going, I have no doubt that you could make money there just because of where it is. I mean, everybody stops and looks at it.”
The property listing is not yet available, but if you’re legitimately interested and want to get ahead of the pack, I suggest you make some enquiries via the local estate agent.
