JFK Bunker Museum Preserved in 3D

Florida Historical Attraction Preserved In Virtual Reality

3D Model of JFK Bunker will preserve the museum for future visitors.
Immersive Spaces, a property imaging company based in West Palm Beach, FL, recently 3D scanned the historic John F. Kennedy Atomic Bomb Shelter & Command Post, locally known as the “Kennedy Bunker.” The bunker, which houses a collection of Kennedy era artifacts, managed by the Palm Beach Maritime Museum, was permanently closed on October 22nd.

Immersive Spaces, an authorized service provider of Matterport’s 3D scanning technology, has been operating in South Florida since 2016. This revolutionary technology which is primarily used in the real estate industry has found a new niche in the preservation of historically significant spaces. Immersive Spaces hopes that by preserving the JFK bunker it will remain accessible to the public for future generations, even if it is only “virtually” available.

Immersive Spaces
Cold Era Bunker would have served as a military command center in the event of a nuclear attack.
► Explore 3D Space
President John F. Kennedy Atomic Bomb Shelter & Command Post

Using proprietary software, the 3D scan will be used to create an immersive experience for the interior of the historic bunker. Nearly 100 scan locations were conducted to create a 3D map of its interior. The resulting three-dimensional digital “tour” allows locals and tourists alike to virtually “walk through” the bunker from anywhere in the world using a web browser or virtual reality headset.

“It was an honor to capture and digitize this piece of South Florida history for the public,” says Adrian Wilcox, owner of Immersive Spaces. “This technology will serve as a powerful medium to showcase historically significant spaces to the entire world.”

In addition to being part of a future free global access program for historical spaces curated by Mr. Wilcox, the virtual tour produced by Immersive Spaces will be implemented into a new virtual reality exhibit at the Palm Beach Maritime Museum in Currie Park with the help of the Kennedy family.

The bunker itself was meant to be used by former President John F. Kennedy in the event of a nuclear strike against the United States when he was in residence at his Palm Beach County, FL home during the Cold War. The Port of Palm Beach, who owns the property, was in a longtime lease with Maritime Business, which runs the Kennedy Bunker, boathouse and Coast Guard building. They have decided not to renew the lease with the museum when it expires October 31st.