Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum And Exhibit Hall
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum and Exhibit Hall
Der Mensch bezwingt den Kosmos (The Potsdam Mosaic)
De Tijdtrap
Qadian rooftop, Minaratul Masih, and Masjid Mubarak.
Aqsa Mosque
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
about 3 hours ago
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
about 24 hours ago
Museum of Friends
The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free
1 day ago
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Connecticut Glastonbury Nike Missile Site HA-26

Nike Missile Site HA-26

Inside a state forest, the forgotten remains of a Cold War defensive installation.

Glastonbury, Connecticut

Added By
missingfilm
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  TheKopasClan / Atlas Obscura User
  TheKopasClan / Atlas Obscura User
  KALPhotography / Atlas Obscura User
  KALPhotography / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance (from the road) to path leading to the site   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  TheKopasClan / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Unbeknownst to many Connecticut residents, the small state was home to no less than 12 Nike Missile sites during the Cold War. Designed to protect the United States from Russia, the installations were constructed in two parts: a control/radar site and a launch site. The HA-26 launch site is located in Glastonbury, with its control/radar site Portland. Both are easily accessible on a long road in Meshomasic State Forest.

The HA-26 site was in operation from 1956 to 1963 and housed Ajax missiles. On May 18, 1957, the United States Army hosted an open house inaugurating the site. 

The launch site housed a guard station, barracks, missile battery area, and a medical office. The control site also housed guard stations, barracks, and a large metal tank suspected to hold water.

All that remains at both sites today are foundations, concrete stairs, floor tiles, hatchways leading underground, and scraps of metal equipment.

Related Tags

Cold War Military Abandoned

Know Before You Go

Meshomasic State Forest is open to the public until sunset. The sites can be reached from Del Reeves road, and are marked by yellow gates. Google Maps will be your friend for finding them. Be on the lookout as this forest is home to rattlesnakes.

Community Contributors

Added By

missingfilm

Edited By

e1savage, Samir S Patel, TheKopasClan, KALPhotography

  • e1savage
  • Samir S Patel
  • TheKopasClan
  • KALPhotography

Published

July 6, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://coldwar-ct.com/Nike_HA-26_Portland.html
Nike Missile Site HA-26
Glastonbury, Connecticut, 06073
United States
41.639105, -72.544824

Nearby Places

Snake Rock

Marlborough, Connecticut

miles away

Glacial Lake Hitchcock Sediment Dam

Rocky Hill, Connecticut

miles away

Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry

Rocky Hill, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Connecticut

Connecticut

United States

Places 161
Stories 11

Nearby Places

Snake Rock

Marlborough, Connecticut

miles away

Glacial Lake Hitchcock Sediment Dam

Rocky Hill, Connecticut

miles away

Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry

Rocky Hill, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Connecticut

Connecticut

United States

Places 161
Stories 11

Related Places

  • Bratislava, Slovakia

    Devinska Kobyla Missile Base

    A relic of the Cold War tucked away in the forested hills above Bratislava.

  • Bunkers in Staatswald

    Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany

    Bunkers in Staatswald

    These abandoned Cold War-era bunkers are now a designated refuge for endangered bat species.

  • New Orleans, Louisiana

    Civil Defense Control Center

    An abandoned underground bunker not far from downtown New Orleans.

  • Richmond, California

    Nike Missile Radar Site

    An abandoned Cold War missile radar site.

  • The parking lot and entrance.

    Portland, Oregon

    Kelly Butte Civil Defense Center

    Portland had a unique approach to Cold War-era protections.

  • The abandoned PACBAR III site

    Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

    Abandoned Pacific Barrier Radar III

    This abandoned radar site is slowly being taken back by the jungle, its mission cut short by the end of the Cold War.

  • Constructing the nuclear reactor.

    Greenland

    Camp Century (Project Iceworm)

    A Cold War atomic camp buried under the ice is now emerging because of global warming.

  • Mt. Umunhum Cube

    Los Gatos, California

    Mt. Umunhum Cube

    An ominous concrete cube cuts a dystopian silhouette atop this California mountain.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.