A tour of McMurdo Station in Antarctica

[@capecodknitter]

Thank you for a great tour! My daughter has been working at McMurdo since the middle of October 2023. I enjoy your videos and posts.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure! This will be exactly what your daughter is seeing :)

[@Hedgy2098]

​@@elsiebert2273wiki has told me it's mostly science things

[@PinchHarmonic69]

Did she get plowed there?

[@Julian-n5l3l]

Can I ask how your daughter got a job doing this ? Is she in school for this or something ? I am just generally interested

[@RedTail1-1]

​@@Julian-n5l3lthe channel owner made an eBook about how to get a job here. Go look at the channel page.

[@Lettuce-and-Tomatoes]

Wow, that Toyota Land Cruiser is ENORMOUS!!! 😲🤯

[@Mattykjordan]

🤯

[@rechoice9010]

Wow you're making, Antarctica less of a mystery and more accessible to us, thank you so much❤

[@Mattykjordan]

It’s my pleasure :)

[@ItsAllSoJuicy74]

Not really. There's still no free roaming there and they'll never ever let you find out what's really past the ice wall into the areas where admiral Byrd went. Antartica IS NOT all ice and baren land

[@ryanbollerud8792]

​@Mattykjordan yes, thank you! Super Cool!

[@CodyChambers-t3p]

​@yahuahisking5483 great to see the crazies coming out in the comments 😂

[@CommonContentArchive]

@@ItsAllSoJuicy74 I hope you're trolling, and not really that delusional

[@travisfischer2607]

I hung the bell in the steeple of Chapel of the Snows. My name is written in pencil above it. I also worked on the 200 series dorms, all three phases of Crary, among many other projects, including a summer at South Pole Station. It was a great experience. It’s not for everyone, but if you have an adventurous spirit, and good work ethic, I highly recommend it.

[@Mattykjordan]

That’s awesome! What a cool set of contributions you’ve made!

[@OAE7477]

It's sad that the original Chapel of the Snows that was next to firehouse burned down years ago. A lot of history was lost. There were ornate, unique plaques the crews made that had the names of all the winter over crews along the chapel walls.

[@generalconsumer9520]

​@@OAE7477wow, chapel burns in Antarctica didn't make the news. Name was supposed to stay forever...

[@gdsstarks]

Travis Gene Starks how have you been all these years. I remember you from the first winter you worked at Mcmurdo

[@generalconsumer9520]

@gdsstarks small world. What's his social btw?

[@roserocks1979]

My nerdly heart loved seeing this. Thank you.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure :)

[@patbowman6723]

I think I have read or seen everything about Antarctica such as Shackelton, Amundsen, Tom Crean, Peery, and Mawson. I found these men to be so interesting and pretty courageous. Their adventures are amazing, especially Shackelton. I love Antarctica and all the adventures I have had about it. I also saw a 5 min. clip on the hut and it just amazed me that so many men survived together in so little room. I love seeing your short clips as well as your videos. I guess I am in the time around the early 1900s from reading so much I just expected a small building or two, but then I thought how would these people exist for long periods of time. I love everything about Antarctica except the COLD. I would never make it there, I froze when I lived upstate N.Y.. Keep the videos coming I love them and I can stay warm in my home when I watch them in Florida. Thank you very much and try to stay warm.

[@Mattykjordan]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the kind words! ☺️ those early explorers were pretty special men! Glad you’re enjoying the videos :)

[@rodneygrice3898]

Lived and worked in Antarctica 82, 85 and 91 at the Ausralian bases and often had social calls from the other countries and wondered what their bases were like. Now I know, not unsimilar to the Australian bases. Thanks for the tour and allowing me to relive some great memories.

[@Brilembi]

I've always wanted to work in Antarctica. Do you have any advice on how?

[@TullyEDMVibe]

Wow, so impressed that one would want to be in such isolated conditions.

[@Biglake92]

Thank you for this particular video. It’s incredible how much science work all of you are doing !! Never thought of McMurdo station being such a huge operation!!!

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure :) glad you enjoyed it :)

[@gecko-sb1kp]

Excellent tour. I had no idea McMurdo was that big. It's huge...

[@brieanastraiton3665]

I came very close to working down there for a 6 mo spin. Would've been working in civil engineering type things. Shortly after i put in the initial application i was diagnosed with MS so i had to pass it up. What i wouldnt do to have had one more year before that shit storm hit my life. Antarctica fascinates me. Love the tour!

[@Mattykjordan]

Aww I’m so sorry to hear that :( what a bummer

[@claybowser698]

That was a cool video and very informative. My daughter is there now. She just came in not too long ago on the US Coast Guard ship The Polar Star. This is her second time at McMurdo.

[@Mattykjordan]

That’s awesome! I just put up a post of the polar star :)

[@claybowser698]

@@Mattykjordan I just watched and liked that a little bit ago! I shared your video with my family.

[@OAE7477]

I was there when the Star made its maiden voyage to the ice. Did a bit of supply liaison with it. Tell your daughter the Coasties have terrible coffee. 😂

[@Mattykjordan]

@@OAE7477 thats awesome!

[@panjimartiandaru3081]

Gerbil gym! I van the Terra buss! 😂😂😂 I love the naming sense. Thank you for the tour! Very interesting!

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rickburke9876]

Thanks for posting! My son works at the fire department.

[@Mattykjordan]

That’s awesome! What’s his name?

[@Julian-n5l3l]

That's awesome how did he get a job doing that

[@GC0444]

Thank you for the video. That's what I missed about McMurdo. For me it is one of the most interesting places on earth. I wish, I could be there one time.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure. It’s a great place to

[@Othlon]

This is awesome I’ll have to show my dad, he was there in the late 90s and early 2000s to help build a telescope. It was some of the best times he has had as an astrophysicist.

[@cbells__]

Thanks for the tour! I find it funny how a lot of people think Antarctica is desolate with like 0 people kind of looking like the Antarctica map from Overwatch but in reality its much more lively.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure! Yep there is more happening here than people realise

[@kelleywyskiel3478]

Fun! I got to watch this with a commentary from my husband who pointed things out right before you did. And noted the changes. He really loved this. I think Antarctica was his favorite deployment even though it was also his most traumatic. But that’s a whole different story.

[@Mattykjordan]

I’m really glad you both enjoyed it!

[@Richborg44]

Thanks for this video. Brings back memories. I lived at Willy in the early 90s.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure. So cool to be able to show you what it’s like now

[@ashleyyellick5827]

Thank you for the tour! I was there astral summer 2011 and it was great to see the station again. Brought back some great memories. Cheers!

[@hunt101447]

The vehicle at the 8:24 mark is (was?) one of the airfield crash/fire/rescue vehicles. On my first trip to the ice (91/92 season) it was known as Crash 2. I have a picture of me posing in front of it in full bunker gear.

[@Mattykjordan]

Thanks for that info! 😊

[@BNSF_101]

That rig there is Crash 1, theres more of them like the one infront of the fire station. They are identical so I get the mixup.

[@prof.badfellow9868]

This is an awesome, zero b.s. tour around a place most of us will never see. Thanks for sharing

[@OAE7477]

Thanks for the memories. It's really grown since I was there in the '70's. On the back corner of 155, next to laundry, used to be a small library. One of my collateral duty winter over tasks was to sort through and Dewey decimal all the books that had been accumulating there since '57 IGY. All books had been donated from kind people in U.S. and N.Z. I found several valuable collectable books and shipped them back to U.S. where the Navy donated them to good causes. I checked out books to many Scott Base personnel. I lived in the Firehouse my 2 winters. Great view of sound and range. Occasionally a dog or 2 from the Scott Base dog team would break free and meander over the hill to the firehouse. We had great food and were generous. But radioed Scott Base to come get their pups each time, after it's stomach was full of course. 😂

[@Mattykjordan]

That’s amazing you’ve got some great stories! Would you be interested in talking about your experiences on my podcast? It’s called Everything Antarctica and we talk to people who have been south about their experiences?

[@OAE7477]

@@Mattykjordan Sure. What would be timing/logistic's of that? I'm in central U.S.

[@rachelebandy8405]

Thank you for this comprehensive tour! It really helps me picture it. I have a friend who is currently working at the McMurdo Station for the 2nd time.

[@bridmills]

I would love to see inside the Chapel. Thanks for this video!

[@Mattykjordan]

I’ve done a short showing the inside :)

[@falsemaria1926]

Wonderful video; Chapel of the Snows looks lovely, and the name is beautiful ♥️ Thank you for sharing!

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure. It’s one of the most unique buildings at McMurdo!

[@rwford56]

Wow, thanks for the tour. I was there with the Navy 82-88. I worked in Terminal Operations, which used to be right across the street from Bldg. 155 in "Hill Cargo". What a wonderful trip down memory lane. Thanks for the video

[@daviddavis2648]

I worked in McMurdo and various other stations during the Austral summers of 1975 through 1978 and I’ll have to say it has changed a bit. I was a carpenter on the construction crew. The carpenter shop and the Mammoth Mountain Inn were a few of the structures we built, which were done with some pretty marginal equipment. My first two seasons we stayed in a Jamesway, which is basically a quonset hut sheathed in insulated blankets rather than metal cladding. It was strictly a bunkhouse type of berthing facility and a good night’s sleep was rare. My final season I got my own “ room” which came with my seniority. Looks as if there are many newer buildings and I see a lot of cranes, snorkel lifts, scissor lifts and various equipment that definitely would have made our life easier( although we did have one funky old lattice- boom crane). Anyway it was a great experience for a young man in his mid twenties. Since then I’ve traveled the world a fair bit, but always in my mind return to the Antarctic as the most fascinating place I’ve been to.

[@Mattykjordan]

What a great story and such a cool experience

[@dogoof-r1e]

Wow this is much bigger then I thought I was thinking 30 people max there

[@sandiedrew4086]

Absolutely amazing.!

[@Mattykjordan]

Thanks :)

[@judymorgan7051]

I’ve been corresponding with someone that claims to be stationed there but hasn’t ever talked about how much there is to do there… makes me wonder if he is truly who he says he is … only talks about how busy he is with paperwork! Told me is is with NASA and ask me to help him get vacation time, I emailed the headquarters and they said I would have to send money for his replacement for the time he is gone. My guess is that he is not who he says he is!! Really enjoyed watching your podcast and looking forward to seeing more❤

[@childofcascadia]

@judymorgan7051 Thats a scam, hands down. Antarctic expeditions are financed entirely by the governments that send them there. No worker down there "needs money sent" to come back.

[@MorphMixologyReptiles]

I’m an air traffic controller. While the work would probably be very boring, I think a turn here as a controller would be a hell of an experience

[@Mattykjordan]

It sure would be! You should do it

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

It would be a well earned vacation. I can't imagine working under that much stress.

[@OAE7477]

I still remember towing the mobile control tower onto a snow berm at Willy's field in '74 as I watched the last C130 Herc flight of the summer season fade in the distance and we began to settle in for the coming winter. Read the story of the rogue commercial airliner that crashed into the side of Mt. Erebus.

[@JB28057]

Cool! Would love to see a video of your base too!

[@Mattykjordan]

Yep I’ll do that soon!

[@classeketer9855]

Nice and cool video, I’m really interested in Antarctica and the research nation (like the Italian-French Concordia or the Mario Zucchelli) but this is the first time I see a complete tour of one of it, so thank you really much for this video.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure I’m glad you like it

[@cheryllucius8084]

Very cool! Thank you for sharing. 😊❤

[@alyrios]

Great video. You should get together with Kristin, the store clerk at McMurdo. She is currently there and also uploads into YT. 🙂

[@Mattykjordan]

Thanks 🙏

[@John_Pither]

I'm envious, brother. I've wanted to to be able to go down there.

[@Hchris101]

Very nice 👍

[@uoldboat]

I wintered over there in '82. Some areas recognizable some not.

[@Mattykjordan]

That’s awesome 🙌🏼 must have been a. Different place back then

[@theemilyelizabeth]

I am loving your channel! Thank you for all the interesting videos!

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure 🙏

[@kmonnier]

There is an insane variety of equipment to maintain

[@wb7ond]

Made 9 trips (summer support) to MacTown in '70s and 80s when the Navy did support. I worked in bldg 155 electronics maintenance, first floor, mainly did PMEL and electronics test equip repair, some 2-way vehicle radio repair, and a little HF transmitter site work up on transmitter hill, first tour. Suspect you have cell phone towers there now. I was there the tragic year the NZ airline crashed into Mt. E, terrible, sad year that one was. Then later on my 2nd tour ran the electronics maintenance section, left in '83 to greener pastures... Boy it sure has changed, it is way bigger now. Probably don't have the HF transmitter site anymore with the big conical monopoles, and horizontal wire antennas strung on the towers. We had first installation of tv studio and translators around the station. Short wave radio on the 7 megger. We did the first experimental satellite communications with UHF manpack to ATS satellites... Did the first vhf repeater/hf radio link to Pole... It is the experience of a lifetime... Phone patches on hf radio were the order of the day. Thanks for the tour...

[@chris.lovesdogs]

Thank you for making this video

[@Mattykjordan]

It’s my pleasure :)

[@LeeM-vv5gl]

Another great video 👍🏻 imagine being able to marry in the Chapel of the Snows. Can you please share the inside of this lovely Chapel if you are able 💕

[@Mattykjordan]

I’ve done a short showing the inside! A few people have been married in the chapel :)

[@whybother9396]

Renovating Mcmurdo? Oh the broken atm for 10yrs finally be fixed lol.

[@Mattykjordan]

🤣

[@Citrus_Fruits]

This is interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure :)

[@judithstuart9631]

Thanks!

[@ryanbollerud8792]

That was a great tour of the area! I had no idea we had that much over there! That's a full-fledged city. And here I thought it was supposed to stay fairly primitive via the Treaty. They definitely have everything they need and then some...

[@superwonderfulworld1529]

Superb!

[@dimetilldeath]

Live and worked in McMurdo last year. Moved many of those containers around

[@Mattykjordan]

Nice!

[@scottsmith7061]

Someone told me they were being housed at mcmurdo without a bed to sleep in. Is there anyway thar this could be true?

[@amirthakateasan2957]

Thank you sir for this useful vedieo making,take care....a.v.pillai from chennai

[@valerieannshort7109]

Very interesting! I never would have guessed there was so much to see.

[@Mattykjordan]

There’s a bit around for sure!

[@psilovecybin5940]

I was under the impression its just a few shipping containers, until I took a look on Google earth and damn theres 3 cottages around my town with less area. that's whole town in Antarctica very informative thx buddy

[@noahhyatt]

My uncle works there, at that exact station! Last year he overwintered at the South Pole station as well. He's back in the States at the moment, but he's going back again this year.

[@Nyctophora]

Thank you!

[@ivanflores-ramirez8105]

It just occurred to me that is a scientific outpost in real life

[@theresabrents6402]

Thank you so much for opening up the mystery box a little. I would love to experience that for a bit. Just to say I did it. I’m too old now but it would have been a great experience. Good for you!! Thanks for the posts. From Louisiana in the USA

[@Mattykjordan]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the kind words! ☺️

[@robbiemoore7128]

thanks for this awesome video .. cheers from Prince Edward Island .. Canada

[@martinclayton7260]

I'd love to visit there, it looks amazing.

[@danakibby627]

Excellent video

[@Emily_Charley]

Wow i can't believe how big it is. That place is heaps bigger than alot of Aussie towns

[@sgtsquank]

This is super fascinating. Many thanks for a peak into a world most of us will never see. Antarctica is on my bucket list, the cold is my jam, but I also realize logistically that the folks going there should probably have a purpose other than "tourist".

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure :) you could apply to work there?

[@sgtsquank]

@@Mattykjordan Not opposed to it. Maybe life will throw me down there at some point and I've learned to never say never. Thanks for the reply, sorry it took me two months to notice it!

[@Vidz0022]

Must have been one hell of a drive to get all the way out there.

[@Mattykjordan]

🤣🤣 sure was

[@antiquefrk]

Thank you for the great tour. Our daughter is there now.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure :) glad you liked it

[@t-a2057]

Here because I just watched Santa visit here on an online Santa tracker 😂

[@jbh1983]

So interesting! Thanks for posting, I had no idea it was so big.

[@Mattykjordan]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the kind words! ☺️

[@carolpierce4140]

I noticed a lot of transmission lines. Does Antartica have its own grid, or are they connected. If so, where?

[@Mattykjordan]

Yes there is a share grid between Scott base and McMurdo station

[@elteescat]

Wow! I had no idea McMurdo was so huge! All of that for only 1000 people?

[@Mattykjordan]

Yeah it’s pretty big! Yep 1,000 people but lots of different functions. There’s everything you need to run a small town

[@elteescat]

@@Mattykjordan sounds like everybody's a jack of all trades!

[@jasonallen1532]

Super interesting video, thanks.

[@Mattykjordan]

My pleasure, thanks :)

[@goutvols103]

Thanks for the upload. Somewhat off topic, but is there one (1) person in charge at McMurdo? I am curious as to if or when a crime takes place what are the procedures or process?

[@fredvaladez3542]

When the weather is really bad, how do people get around from work areas, dining, dorms, etc. I never knew the station was so big and spread out. Very interesting video.

[@danielfetys1813]

exciting vidéo

[@Mattykjordan]

Thank you :)

[@frankprit3320]

where's the building that caught on fire when the Alian creature attacked Kurt Russel? 😂 the GREATEST movie ever made. 👍😁

[@Mori-ey8wj]

Did you find the mountains of madness yet?

[@ElenaKato25or6to4]

New subsciber here ❤ I am loving your content

[@Mattykjordan]

Thank you!

[@boltingmars]

Here because I randomly found this place on Google Earth lol

[@arned2493]

No rush hour traffic. No rush hour. No traffic. No rush.

[@drift1618]

“Ivan the terra bus”🤣

[@deplorablecovfefe9489]

Wheres the Bar?

[@northsouth1316]

Behind 155: Gallagers and Southern Exposure.

[@nibrasge6375]

Very cool! What time of day was this filmed? Didnt see a lot of activity... Was everyone asleep?

[@Mattykjordan]

It was late in the evening about 9pm

[@nibrasge6375]

@@Mattykjordan That explains it, thank you!

[@lobotomyLIVE]

Idk try using a sundial

[@nibrasge6375]

@@lobotomyLIVE 😀

[@xr4ti548]

Watch out for the Thing, I heard it is still lurking about around that station.

[@edithtorres4025]

Yes! That’s where my husband worked! He worked in the VMF as the Foreman!!! By the way, my husband knows you! His name is Isaac Villegas.

[@Mattykjordan]

Awesome! Hi Isaac 👋

[@i.am.allei1223]

As always...a huge thank you for touring us around through your lense.❤ I have a question though...since there are a lot of buildings and activities going on in there, will it affect the environment of Antarctica negatively?

[@Mattykjordan]

Ultimately without this infrastructure we wouldn’t be able to do important climate science. All activities follow strict environmental guidelines to minimise impact as much as possible

[@raymiemiller1455]

Can you do a video about the life inhabiting Antarctica? How often are wild animals seen? Plants? Fungi?

[@robharris8844U]

Great video of tour mate,even if it was from the wrong side of road.🫡

[@Mattykjordan]

Thanks! I thought the same 🤣

[@robharris8844U]

@@Mattykjordan 😆

[@ivarlarsen6045]

The quonset hut at min 3:52 is the coffie house? How long has it been there? Any chance of a tour? Also thank you for the video

[@Mattykjordan]

The coffee house has been around for quite a while. I believe it is the oldest building at mcmurdo

[@ivarlarsen6045]

It is very special, captures the imagination & inspires a feeling of adventure@@Mattykjordan

[@northsouth1316]

There was also a bowling alley next to the coffee house that was torn down. It all gets fuzzy, but quite a few of the older structures were torn down during my 2006-2007 season. The old nuclear power plant that housed broken down washers and dryers.

[@blanetaa]

Looks like this video was taken in September. Or at least before I got there in early October. It’s crazy to see how much has changed in the few months I’ve been here

[@Mattykjordan]

Yep! It was taken in September, at around 9pm. Nice to see that there’s progress being made!

[@DarkerThanBlack88]

Incredible video tour man. I have always wondered what mcmurdo station looked like after it was mentioned so many time on Stargate Sg-1 I find it fascinating to see how many vehicles there but you really didn’t see any people outside. Only one person outside walking around in the video. I’m wondering how cold it is outside there.

[@Mattykjordan]

Thanks. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. The video was taken at the end of winter when the population is lower hence not many people. It was also -40 outside 🤣

[@Enpointe4]

Very interesting to see! My thought, seeing those intersections - does that make Antarctica the only continent without traffic lights?

[@tommyboy2260]

Are there any Pets on this far south continent camp furry cat or dog? How about a bird.... Just a crazy thought about real connections over virtual. really enjoyed this tour, Thank you

[@PakistanIcecream000]

It's a complete city, in my opinion.

[@Andrewbert109]

How much scorpion waste? I heard Amundsen-Scott is overrun with it

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

I wish I could use streetview on Mcmurdo, looks like there's a lot to explore.

[@tmbg132]

I've been in a hagland meny times at christchurch antarctic center nz

[@Mattykjordan]

Awesome I love that place

[@Sunshineannatx]

Is it true you can’t go to Antarctica if you have an appendix? Because the risk of an emergency?

[@kelleywyskiel3478]

No. But there are a pretty extensive set of requirements to get there. My husband spent quite some time working there and still has all of his body parts. He does have a story about a dentist who had to become a field surgeon in an emergency because there isn’t always an immediate way off the ice.

[@Mattykjordan]

Thats not true. I actually don’t know anyone who has had theirs removed

[@sophyagroves4213]

How do you get a job or start a career in a field like this ? How did you end up doing what you do ? A dream of mine, this is beautiful

[@Fraccy]

Hey i just moved to New Zealand and im planning to study GIS, i was curious if you know if GIS is needed in Antarctica? Also, have you ever done any work at Scotts Base?

[@DerexArchives]

cool!!

[@PnarOzdag-xb1bb]

I wish u can go anrartica pyramit❤

[@johnfromm1974]

Where do you keep THE THING?

[@Mattykjordan]

Frozen o

[@RockyFoxxowo]

Its very impressive, but also ive never seen so many ford super duty's in one place

[@Razziquet]

I’ve been wanting to move to Antarctica for quite a long time, I haven’t found much about just regular civilians though. McMurdo station seems like a pretty great place though, don’t know if I could even go though- let alone afford it

[@Mattykjordan]

You can only stay at McMurdo if you are working there. I’ve written an E-Book about how to get a job in Antarctica! You can get a free copy at the link in my bio or at mattykjordan.com/ebook. I hope you enjoy it!