Exploring DC's Underground Trolley Tracks

Each day, thousands of residents, commuters and visitors traverse Washington DC's Dupont Circle, one of the most historic and iconic neighborhoods in the nation's capital. Below its well-traveled streets, however, lies a secret unknown to many who pass above: 75,000 square feet of abandoned tunnels that have remained inaccessible for most of the last 50 years.
Built in the 1940s to alleviate traffic concerns in the growing metropolis above, the tunnels allowed for trolley cars to pass under Dupont Circle and pick up passengers at two below ground stations. Following the closure of the DC's trolley system in the early 1960s, the tunnels were abruptly abandoned. Apart from a brief, unsuccessful venture in the mid-1990s to install a food court on the western side of the tracks, the space below Dupont has been largely forgotten by the world above. In the mid-2000s, a new organization called the Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground was formed to pursue a new use for the space as a cultural destination. After years of petitioning, the Arts Coalition signed a 5-year lease with the city in late 2014 that will provide an opportunity to test out possible future uses for the space.
For more information about the development of the Dupont Underground, visit dupontunderground.org
Video by Raymond Schillinger

[@VanquisherUSMC]

So many possibilities! I've always been fascinated with these types of spaces. I would love to be invited to explore that place! And yes, I would have been the type to go to just a food court down there lol!

[@rockvilleraven]

I'd like to see a Washington, DC transit museum built there, similar to New York.

[@keithfulkerson]

These are featured in the game Fallout 3. It's really cool to see for real.

[@jamisonatanasoff3890]

Great place for an underground house music event 💯 there are some amazing House DJs in DC 🔥

[@You_took_my_crutches_away]

Sad they changed it

[@hrmsmk]

what you dont see in this story. is the art work that is painted in the tunnel now, yes they give tours and hold events there as well

[@thavvolf9157]

To prevent the restoration of the trolly system a law was pass in dc preventing to restoration of the over heard wires

[@MrBluebirds22]

How comes the DC Streetcar has overhead wires then?

[@Oldgustav]

It didn't stop them. Trolleys pulled down their polls and picked up their power via and under the track conduit.

[@Someone_EFD]

around 3:28, CHUD according to urban dictionary stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller......

[@KeithElliott]

I'm glad someone else besides me remembers that movie...

[@drewjacob2514]

those tunnels might as well just belong to the swarms of cockroaches and rats

[@queenbee6706]

They are called lizards aka illuminati

[@queenrhianna6131]

Underground bunkers for the illuminati

[@queenbee6706]

Yep. There is building at Dupont Circle 1666 Connecticut Ave NW

[@Bnguyen276]

Yup they are a bunch of these tunnels under dc it’s like a whole new world almost.

[@bobbie3064]

They should turn it into an apartment complex with some shops and a small market. Maybe even add a gym and a bar.

[@truth.is.hella.bitter8985]

I wouldn't want to live Underground. Sounds Creepy and Depressing.

[@johnnykapolot8520]

@@truth.is.hella.bitter8985 honely

[@aaronsaura6746]

This is a perfect place to turn into a Data Centre.

[@wesbulltex]

Wow Snoopes said D.C. Didn't have tunnels ! PizzaGate

[@shadow.banned]

Take your pills.

[@marilynlonsdale6424]

90% of Federal buildings in DC have tunnels & there's a bunker under the Pentagon.

[@AJAY-mn9qb]

@@marilynlonsdale6424 Funny thing is that most of the people who live here don't know a lot about any of that stuff.

[@IS-BE-yt7jk]

@@shadow.banned perhaps you should. Unless you like it that way?

[@Amakhar]

Berlin-style techno club, obviously. ;-)

[@gothmedli]

i love it here :-)

[@shadow.banned]

Could easily be a mall, museum or even data center.
Put an Apple store down there, that'll get some foot traffic.

[@rockvilleraven]

Or a DC Transit museum, similar to New York’s

[@qolspony]

Create a streetcar system and make this the terminal.

[@localarlo]

How do I get in there where’s the entrance

[@alexphillips8248]

Indoor running track?

[@hockeypuckshotthepuck6048]

How’d I you get into here

[@sedney2889]

Theres a big subway underground multilevel mall at 30th Philadelphia. It was closed because some homeless people tried to attack my mother and me. She called the cops and they shut it down.

[@Loagun]

They probably abandoned it because they built the better underground structure somewhere else after they stole that pneumonic transit systems that were inside.

[@thedcbroker7264]

There’s tunnels under the us capitol, White House, all over dc

[@YoriSch5179]

The pedophile tunnels

[@christianfreedom-seeker934]

Bring back the 🚊 but have a private company manage it.

[@cowboygeologist7772]

Nice old woman hairdo agnus.

[@andremartin5535]

Rats like crazy

[@joepesci3644]

For Nuke war