- [Narrator] Have you ever
wondered what it takes to keep certain important locations around the world safe? Well, wonder no more! From prisons to vaults to the White House, we'll take a look at
exactly what precautions are necessary to keep these
places as secure as possible. Here is our list of the Top 10 Most Heavily
Guarded Places on Earth. (swooshing) (snapping) - I'm acting. - [Narrator] Number 10,
ADX Florence Prison. Known as a Supermax prison, ADX Prison is located
in Florence, Colorado and has housed many high profile and very dangerous inmates, including mobsters, members of Al Qaeda and unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. A former warden once described
the high security prison as, "a cleaner version of hell." It's easy to see why. This prison is specifically designed for criminals who have had countless disciplinary problems at other prisons, including killing other
inmates and prison guards. Because of this, the all-male prison is under the highest constant security. ADX has even been included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most secure prison in the world. There are six levels of
security at the prison, from the highest level
to the least restrictive. The least restrictive unit
is for those prisoners in the Step Down program
who are working their way out of the system. Those in the highest level security units have it a bit rougher. Confined to a seven foot by 12 foot cell, these prisoners sleep on
a bed of poured concrete and have just a four inch slice of window to look outside. They're on 24/7 lockdown and the entire prison is surrounded by a 12 foot high razor sharp fence, just in case anyone gets any bright ideas. Number nine, The Parksafe Car Park. Also known as Bold Lane Car Park, this parking garage in Derby, England is one of the safest places
you could ever park your car. They take many precautions including strict entry restrictions, motion sensors and a lockdown
if your car is in danger. The car park was opened in 1974 and was just an ordinary, run
of the mill parking garage. It wasn't until the 1990's, when the large structure became overrun with the homeless and beggars that something needed to be done. In 1997 alone, there were
161 reported crimes committed at the car park, from
robberies to drug deals. At this point, the owners
decided to up their security, and up it they did! Renovations began and the
owners upgraded all the cameras and began to add motion sensors in the ground beneath the car. Drivers are also given
a ticket with a barcode when they enter the car park. This ticket activates all the
security bells and whistles when the driver parks their car and enters their spot number. If there is any movement of their car or even near their car,
an alarm will sound. These upgrades have led
to zero criminal incidents since they were installed and have landed the car park on this list. Number Eight, The
Vatican's Secret Archives. The Vatican Secret Archives feel like a scene out of a movie. Visitors to the archives enter through the Porta Sant'Anna, a gate just outside the Vatican. Those wishing to enter must
first obtain a security card that requires a lengthy
application process. This application is only provided to scientific researchers
and qualified scholars. The archives hold close to 35,000 volumes of records and documents
and is highly monitored. Of those volumes, almost
30,000 have been chipped with a radio frequency identification tag. Security is so tight at the Vatican that it has sparked controversy and conspiracy theories worldwide. Many have criticized how
guarded the documents within the archives are. Since only certain high-qualified clergy and those approved by the
Vatican are gained admittance, there are those who
speculate what the Vatican may be trying to hide within
the centuries old documents. In February of 2017,
Pope Francis announced that he would unseal a
collection of scrolls dating back to 463 AD. The Pope hopes this will
provide greater transparency within the Catholic Church. This move will definitely squash some of the negative theories about what the church has been hiding with their extensive security. Number seven, Fort Knox. You know what they say
about Fort Knox, right? When your name is synonymous
with being heavily guarded, you know it must be
really heavily guarded. This building houses thousands of tons of gold and stores
unbelievably valuable and important historical documents like the Magna Carta and the
Declaration of Independence. Also known as the United
States Bullion Depository, this vault was built in 1936 and is now equipped with the most advanced security systems in the world. Armed officers who were hand selected by Washington officials
are on constant watch in four ground level stations
around the perimeter. These guards are armed with Thomson machine guns, just in case. The windows of Fort Knox
are sealed from the outside, as well as the inside. They're bullet-proof,
fire-proof and blackened so no one can see inside. The 22-ton door makes
it impossible for anyone to make their way inside. It's made of a completely
blast-proof material, so no amount of force is
cracking this door open. The walls of the depository
are 4-foot-thick solid granite and many speculate this
would make it possible for the structure to
withstand an atomic bomb hit. Every square inch of Fort Knox is under surveillance at all times. In addition to all these
precautions on the inside, some of the extra security on the outside include several electric fences
surrounding the building, Number six, The White House. This may seem like an obvious one, but the amount of security and protection at the White House makes it easily one of the most heavily
guarded places in the world. Between the iron fence
surrounding the grounds to the bulletproof windows, to the rumored biometric
screens to gain access, I'd say they know what they're doing in terms of security. But the real secret weapon
is the Secret Service, who are meant to keep the
President safe at all costs. The Secret Service is comprised of the top law enforcement
officers in the world. With over 3200 special agents and another 1300 officers, this unit is one of the
largest and extensively trained security teams in the world. The Secret Service views the
grounds of the White House as three separate security zones. These zones include the
fence surrounding the house, the house itself and the
interior of the house, namely the President. Each zone is designated a special team to focus on a different directive. The agents assigned to the
President's safety alone are known as the President
Protection Detail, or PPD. Agents assigned to
protecting the White House as a whole are known as the
Emergency Response Team, or ERT. Surrounding the White House
fence are uniformed officers, counter snipers and K-9 units who are responsible
for jumping into action quickly if trouble arises. The actual number of Secret Service agents on the premises at any time is classified. The bottom line is, the
President is well protected. Number five, The Federal Reserve Bank. This vault is located way
down beneath the streets of Manhattan with security
that is so impenetrable that foreign countries rent out space to keep their gold there, as well. There are currently 12
federal reserve banks in the United States,
but the New York location is considered the best of the best. The vault sits 80 feet below street level and contains 10% of all
the gold in the world. Only three people can
grant access to the vault, and they must all be
present at the same time for gold to be deposited into the vault. Two of those people are members of the New York Federal Gold Vault staff and one is a member of the New York Federal internal audit staff. The location itself is
extremely reinforced with a 90-ton cylinder that, when closed, forms an airtight seal. Once the cylinder is
closed there are four rods made of steel that are inserted into the cylinder engaging a time clock which locks the vault until
the next business day. Other precautions taken to maintain the security of the vault
are steel reinforced concrete walls around the vault and 24-hour surveillance
of the outside and inside of the vault using security cameras. These precautions help
ensure this location is one of the most heavily guarded places on earth and that it stays that way. Number four, The Korean
Demilitarized Zone. Did you know there is a thin strip of land separating North Korea and South Korea? This strip of land is called the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ. It's considered one of the
most heavily secured borders on earth and for very good reason. Tensions run extremely high between North and South Korea. In 1950, the Korean War saw North Korea invade South Korea and
they quickly took over much of the country. The United States intervened and tried to defend South Korea, causing a strain between the
US and North Korea, as well. The wedge between the North and South was driven even further with the Cold War. There has been a lot of animosity between the two nations since and for this reason the
border marked by the DMZ is heavily protected. Besides a barb wired fence making its way up and down the border, there is also an active minefield, stopping those who are not welcome, or who are not allowed to
leave, right in their tracks. Security at the border
of the DMZ is two-fold. On one hand, armed guards
serve to defend North Korea from invasion from outside forces. And on the other hand, they also serve to keep North Koreans from
trying to flee to South Korea. Experts think as much as 60% of North Korea's artillery is kept only a few kilometers
from the DMZ at all times. If this is true, North Korea would be able to unload
500,000 rounds of bullets in just the first hour
if a war were to begin. Another place nearby where North Koreans are known to guard the border at all costs is the Tumen River. This shallow river has become a gateway between North Korea, China and Russia. North Koreans guarding the borders take their jobs very seriously. This river seems to serve one purpose and that is for North Koreans to flee across the Chinese border. Almost none make it safely across. Number three, The Zurich Vaults. Vaults located in Zurich, Switzerland, are known for being some of
the most heavily guarded vaults in the world. There's a reason why every spy movie refers to the villain
having a Swiss bank account. The safety deposit boxes
in the Zurich vaults require three keys to open and the vaults themselves
are seriously reinforced. Armed guards and
state-of-the-art surveillance help keep the fortunes kept within secure. The benefit of keeping your
fortune in a Swiss vault is also confidentiality. Swiss bankers aren't allowed
to discuss the existence of your account with anyone
without your consent. It's the most private place
you can keep your money. Many people keep their
fortune in Swiss accounts as a safety net, if they are sued anywhere else in the world, the money they have stashed
in a Swiss account is safe because nobody will ever know it's there. Number two, Iron Mountain. Iron Mountain was once a limestone mine, located in Pennsylvania, but now acts as a secure facility where many national treasures are stored in 1.7 million square feet of vaults. From original photos of Albert Einstein to Thomas Edison's
patent for the light bulb to the remains of Flight 93, millions of historical relics are kept in this hidden bunker that is now owned by Bill
Gates' company, Corbis. To maintain these priceless artifacts, the area is temperature
controlled by pumps that use water from underground lakes to keep the air cool
and the facility itself is located 220 feet below ground to help guard against
environmental hazards. Security is extremely tight, with around the clock surveillance, and the former mine is reinforced
with fire-safe materials. Two sets of armed guards
protect the entrance of the facility and have the job of thoroughly inspecting
all those who come and go. Number one, The Granite
Mountain Records Vault. Also known as the Mormon
Church's secret vaults, this location contains
countless historical documents that are priceless to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, or Mormons. Not only is the temperature
controlled by constant monitors, but every inch is protected
by heat and motion sensors. The records contained in these
vaults date back centuries and mostly include family history records and genealogy reports. Public access to the vault is prohibited, although the church has
made most of the records within available online. To protect the documents within the vault, the church has spared no expense. The vault is buried under
700 feet of mountain rock. The entrance doors to the vault weigh nine to 14 tons and are rumored to be able to withstand a nuclear blast. The church has made it almost impossible for anything to happen to these records by maintaining the temperature, keeping out the public
and securing the vault. Which location do you think is the most heavily guarded on our list? If you could visit any one of these places without getting arrested,
which would it be? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching!
