I just spent the weekend in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1925, construction in Cincinnati began on a state-of-the-art subway system for the rapidly expanding city. Three years later, money ran out and the seven miles of completed subway were abandoned. Since then, this surreal underworld has faded into the city’s secret history, with awareness peaking every so often when a new plan for the tunnels is proposed: a fall-out shelter, a wind tunnel for the university’s engineering students, a venue for a music festival. Back in high school, several of my friends accessed the cavernous stations for a few exciting evenings of urban spelunking. Now though, legit tours are occasionally offered. According to this recent piece on NPR’s All Things Considered, the waiting list is 2,000 people long. Link
