7. A 90-Ton Cylinder Protects the Gold Vault Inside The Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Extreme lengths are taken to ensure that gold is secured after it is transported from street level to the vault. Firstly, massive steel-reinforced concrete walls surround the space, which is monitored on a 24-hour basis by security cameras and motion sensors. Beyond that, the vault is continuously looked after by the armed Federal Reserve police force.

However, one of the most notable features of the New York Fed’s multilayered security system is its nine-foot-tall and 90-ton steel cylinder that protects the only entry into the vault. Sitting within a 140-ton steel-and-concrete frame, the cylinder rotates 90 degrees to form an entryway. When closed, it also drops two centimeters to form a watertight and airtight seal. The effect is similar to pushing a wine cork down into its bottle. The shuttered vault is so secure that if a person were to be trapped inside, he or she would only have enough air to survive for 72 hours (or so we’re told). This, of course, is only theorized as no one (luckily) has been trapped inside yet.