An expansive gold warehouse, holding reserves exceeding 6,000 tons with a total value in the hundreds of billions of dollars, is situated underground at a depth of nearly 25 meters. It is open to visitors for exploration and firsthand experience, although photography is strictly prohibited.
The “fortress” encompasses an extensive collection of underground gold bullion. Not far from Wall Street in New York City (USA), the world’s largest gold repository is situated below ground at a depth of nearly 25 meters, housing reserves exceeding 6,000 tons with a total value in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
This location, often referred to as a “fortress” by the global media, is positioned at 33 Liberty Street in the financial district and stands as one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks in the United States.
The entrance to the gold vault is marked by a door weighing 900 tons.
The gold vault is situated in the basement of the primary office building in Manhattan. It was established during the construction of the building in the early 1920s.
The majority of the gold within the vaults arrived during and after World War II, as many countries sought a secure location to safeguard their gold reserves. Stock ownership continued to increase, reaching its peak in 1973.
The world’s largest gold warehouse, housing 6,000 tons underground, is open to welcome guests. At its zenith, the warehouse held more than 12,000 tons of gold. However, since then, there has been a slowdown in both gold deposits and withdrawals, resulting in a gradual yet steady decline in overall holdings. Nevertheless, to this day, it remains the largest gold depository in the world.
As of 2019, the three-storey gold warehouse comprises 497,000 gold bars with a total weight of approximately 6,190 tons. This bunker is capable of withstanding such substantial weight due to its location on the stone floor of Manhattan, situated 24.2 meters below the road and 15 meters above sea level.
An interesting aspect is that this gold does not exclusively belong to the US government; it is also the property of 36 foreign governments, other national central banks, and official international organizations. No individual or private entity is permitted to store gold in the vault.
The largest amount of stored gold in the world is situated in an underground basement (Artwork).
Access to the cellar is limited to a single entry point, secured by a 90-ton steel door that rotates in a cylindrical motion to open the entrance. Whenever any compartment inside the gold vault is accessed, at least three employees of the Fed (the US Federal Reserve) are present to ensure the safety of the gold.
Gold bars are transported by elevator from the building to the basement location of the warehouse. Within, there are 122 gold compartments, each of which corresponds to an account. Before storage, each gold bar is weighed and tested for fineness (purity) for record-keeping purposes. This step is crucial as the Fed will return the exact gold bars that the account holder previously deposited when they wish to withdraw.
Subsequently, the Fed staff will use the old-fashioned scale to determine the price. Each ingot is stored in individually numbered lockers and protected by three locks. These lockers are all numbered rather than named to maintain account holder confidentiality. Although accounts are free to store gold here, there is a fee for Fed staff to move each gold bar.
Visitors are welcome to explore the gold warehouse, but the strict policy prohibits the taking of photographs.
Presently, the gold warehouse is accessible to visitors who can marvel at the displayed gold. To visit New York City and the warehouse, tourists have the option to enroll in a tour package accompanied by a guide.
Upon entering the building, visitors must undergo a rigorous security check, leaving personal items outside and refraining from taking pictures inside.
Strict security measures are enforced before visitors are allowed entry.
The security staff on-site are equipped with arms, and to date, there have been no successful gold robbery attempts.