
If this story rings a bell for you, that’s probably because Curious Nashville first brought you the history of Tennessee’s Cold War-era fallout shelter in summer 2019. The secretive 1950s facility had rarely made the news for decades, but an observant Nashvillian prompted WPLN News to go digging for the story.
But what only a few hundred people got to see at the time was the live-on-stage version of this tale. It debuted at Podcast Party 2019, which celebrated and reimagined Nashville Public Radio’s suite of podcasts.
Now we’re dipping into the archives to share this favorite. Watch below to learn the fascinating origins of the state’s fallout shelter, as well as its more recent history in the possession of a local businessman.
Credits: Tony Gonzalez produced this story and video. The shadow puppeteers are Dana Samborski, Dan Fields, Jayme LaRosa and Jen Samborski. The live performance was recorded by videographer Michael Trebing.