A luxury lodge carved into the side of a mountain has had many lives — first as a fallout shelter and, later, as a nightclub, resort and private residence.

Courtesy of Arkansas Diamond Realty

Beckham Creek Cave, a 5,572 square-foot cave house in Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains, recently hit the market for $2.75 million. The cavernous property bears the design of a shelter or a hideout from the rest of the world. In 1983, Celestial Tea founder John Hay bought the cave for $146,000 and spent nearly $2 million turning into a fallout shelter for use in the case of nuclear disaster.

Courtesy of Arkansas Diamond Realty

But as time passed and the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union dimmed, the four-bedroom, four-bathroom property took on other uses. The next owner tried to use the space as a hip nightclub while later renovations (the latest one in 2014) turned it into a luxury lodge.

https://instagram.com/p/BUMz11FFZFa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_control

Arkansas Diamond Realty’s Rayne Davidson is the agent trying to find a buyer for the $2.75 million listing. These days, Beckham Creek Cave is used primarily as a resort, which can fetch up to $1,600 a night during the summer season.

Courtesy of Arkansas Diamond Realty

The cavern was truly designed with escape in mind — it sits on 253 acres of land and has its own indoor waterfall and geothermal heating system.

Courtesy of Arkansas Diamond Realty

Inside, the house boasts a wooden kitchen bar, an indoor movie theater and bathrooms with built-in rain showers.

Courtesy of Arkansas Diamond Realty

At the same time, it has never lost its cavernous touch —  inside, the walls are laden with stalactites and stalagmites.

Email Veronika Bondarenko

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×