4. Columbia University Steam Tunnels
Columbia University‘s steam tunnel system dates back to the campus’ time as the Bloomingdale insane asylum The tunnels are very labyrinth-like, with some appearing well maintained while others seem to be seldom used. The walls are scrawled with graffiti that includes molecular structures, Latin quotes, poetry, Bible passages, ahd pop culture references. At one time the tunnels lead to the abandoned basement of Pupin Hall, where early research for the Manhattan Project took place. An abandoned cyclotron could be found here until 2008 when it was removed and presumed destroyed.
Today, students face disciplinary repercussions if they are caught in the forbidden passageways beneath their college. However, this does not stop the curious explorer from venturing below the streets of Morningside Heights. The tunnels are also a draw for photographers and performance artists such as Miru Kim, a Columbia graduate whose photo series Naked City Spleen emphasizes the contrast between the human form and the man-made industrial structures that surround us.