Urban explorers and history buffs have once again flocked to a secluded stretch of eroding beach within the Gateway National Recreation Area, where two World War II era concrete structures hidden in the dunes have seen a spike in popularity just in time for peak summer exploration. An updated entry on travel sites and the reappearance of a few old videos this month have helped put this mysterious piece of forgotten coastal infrastructure back into the public eye, but the real draw has always been the strange murals found deep within the two Voodoo Bunkers on this desolate stretch of beach.
The bunkers themselves were built to be invisible, as reinforced concrete storage units for dynamite and other ordnance for the coastal defense batteries that once dotted the entrance of Sandy Hook from a then-urgent need to protect the nearby harbor and New York City from German U-Boats. They were largely constructed to be buried, and for this purpose, the two large concrete blocks were placed strategically along the dunes as to best conceal their presence from prying eyes.
Decades of shifting sands and relentless tides have so far proven successful against this attempt at concealment, as the bunker-like structures now stand fully exposed on the shoreline of Sandy Hook Bay, taking the brunt of every wave that comes crashing onto the beach. The same tides and shifting sands that unearthed the bunker complex from its self-imposed exile from the world, now threaten to swallow it whole as erosion begins to claim the concrete structures as well.
What has proved considerably more interesting to both urban explorers and the general public alike has not been the bunker’s purpose or its long history of serving as storage for the ordnance of the U.S. military, but rather the strange murals found by early explorers who first stumbled across the bunkers. Covering the walls of both structures in spray paint are large-scale drawings that bear a striking resemblance to the works of pre-Columbian tribes, with six foot long depictions of winged human beings taking up much of the square footage. Said humanoid figures are accompanied by a large-scale drawing of a chicken-man hybrid and a horse with an abundance of human faces drawn into its stomach; the latter is more or less the first thing most people describe upon talking about the murals within the bunker. Despite the sheer size and detail of the work, no artist has ever formally claimed responsibility for any part of the mural, which has been a subject of considerable debate since its discovery.
This particular mystery has aided the bunker in its reputation as the Voodoo Bunkers, as some of the earlier reported finds within the structure pointed to the possibility that it may have once been a place of dark practice. Some of the reported finds within the inner sanctums of the bunker include remnants of ritual slaughter consistent with the practice of Santeria. Whether or not this was the case, the moniker has since cemented these structures as a place steeped in mystery and intrigue, and is one partly responsible for the popularity of the bunker’s appearances in popular media. This reputation has been further solidified by the presence of a long series of weirdnj.com coverage, which has served as the primary source of information for anyone curious about the strange and mysterious bunkers complex, for as long as the website has existed.
Though the bunker has certainly been able to withstand the passage of time, it is less equipped to deal with the tides that have so kindly unearthed it in the first place. The concrete floorboards within the structure have cracked, and now serve to impede the passage of those seeking to see the strange displays of mankind’s early artistic endeavors that have drawn so many to the complex in recent months. High tides have begun to flood the complex entirely, turning a simple journey inside the complex into a treacherous endeavor through knee-deep water while navigating the broken concrete floor. The National Park Service manages the trail that leads to the bunker complex, but the structures themselves are unfortunately considered outside the jurisdiction of the Service, left to weather the storm of encroaching tides on their own. The same currents that revealed the Voodoo Bunkers, will inevitably reclaim them in due time.
Despite the tides that threaten to swallow the strange murals within the bunker complex, they have so far held strong enough to continue fueling the intrigue and wonder so many feel towards the mysterious complex. It should be noted that this recent wave of popularity has in turn helped reinvigorate the status of the Voodoo Bunkers in modern mystery culture. Whether or not the site will retain the same appeal and mystique despite the tides reclaiming the structures will be up for debate, but only time will tell if the Voodoo Bunkers will survive to see another day.
