REWIND: For decades, the Dallas Underground tunnels remain largely a secret

Buried beneath the ground for nearly 50 years, a piece of Dallas history has remained largely, and literally, overlooked by the people who live and work downtown.
The Dallas Pedestrian Network, or the Dallas Underground, connects many downtown office buildings and is home to several stores and restaurants while providing an escape from weather and traffic on the surface.
If you walk the tunnels today, you will find some stores and eateries, but also plenty of empty space.
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[@creaturafauna]

I worked in Renaissance Tower back in the late 90’s. The tunnels were bustling with businesses and people. Now it’s a ghost town…

[@randomrazr]

why did they close it

[@tytipton6346]

We were blown away when we found an entrance to the tunnels in our apartment building during college. Pretty surreal and exciting. Houston has a cool system too.

[@CharlesPry]

this space has been largely empty for decades, rent these spaces for incredibly cheap to small new businesses and revitalize actual culture. rent the spaces to art students as studios, make a park, i can think of hundreds of things to do with this space. any money made at this point is better than it just being wasted. literally you only have to make enough money to offset the cost of making it, which truthfully is none if you play it right.

[@dirt420]

yeah this is why capitalism sucks nothing gets done efficiently

[@EjTaylor]

Many years ago I somehow found myself accidentally lost in the Dallas tunnels for like an hour. Didn't even know they existed. I'm glad to now have validation that the tunnels are in fact real and I was not in reality trapped in a liminal space hellscape.

[@DocStrangeSelig]

We utilized those tunnels back years ago when I worked downtown. The Blue Front was an amazing German restaurant back in those days! I could walk from my building (now called 1700 Pacific) all of the way down to what is now called Renaissance Tower. There were all types of food available for lunch from burgers to cookies.

[@cj2798]

That's awesome

[@Blaziken36]

They look like the backrooms

[@parkerasel8129]

Was thinking that too lol

[@nolan412]

Why I clicked.

[@esyphillis101]

Possibly an influence.

[@nefelibata636]

ooh that would be amazing to skate in. and it's very spooky in a certain light. a mall done in 80's/90's style would be fabulous. or if they had a few halls just for those who had nowhere else to go that'd be great.

[@rileyhasguns597]

My throughts exactly

[@Rosarium2007]

I used them frequently to beat the heat when I lived in Dallas. Not that hard to find if you look. Not many active businesses in the tunnels circa 2005-2013, mostly a ghost town feel, but at one point before some got closed off I often made it from the parking garage at Main & Lamar to the foodcourt at Plaza of the America at Pearl & Pacific without ever going outside in the heat. Though somewhere east of Thanksgiving Square I would have to switch to the skybridge system.

[@francenastewart8645]

Do you remember the under ground ice skating rink?

[@keisha4620]

Thanks for posting.

[@boomershooter414]

Real life backrooms

[@thomasmcjohnson2284]

My mom use to work for corporate blockbuster in the late 90’s to 2000’s and on her breaks she would have lunch in the so called underground city.

[@cheriebomb158]

I love it. America needs more walkable cities and Dallas certainly isn’t one, so this could be amazing for getting around. If only it was expanded upon more!

[@jonnyhernandez4188]

I thought everyone from Dallas knew about them. Not really a big deal, just some restaurants and stores.

[@agreedboarart3188]

I can't remember if the Reunion Tower was connected to this underground system but I know there were underground tunnels there. It was pretty cool.

[@toddrunyon]

I don't believe Reunion Tower was ever connected to the system.

[@daboys1215]

Come to Montreal if you want to shop underground. There are many stores down there all connect to the metro.

[@toddrunyon]

For those thinking it would be exciting to visit... it's not. After five minutes, you will have seen enough. While technically there are some restaurants in the system, they are located in the lower levels of individual buildings so they mostly serve the people that work in that building.

[@musicmanfelipe]

The annual Tuba Christmas concert still uses the tunnel underneath Thanksgiving Square for staging and rehearsal.

[@marmaly]

Check out the PATH system in Toronto - conceived around the same time. It has become the largest continuous underground tunnel system connecting over 50 buldings.

[@wildphiljohnson5336]

Blues Front was best German Restaurant so sad when they closed down. Crazy Ray had his roasted peanut shop down there. Saw Victoria Principal down there one time filming Dallas.

[@diarilopez8495]

I’ve skated through these! Super cool

[@dannyray137]

Are there security guards?

[@RicketyOldBones]

Well that's different!

[@J71389]

Houston has the same thing except more extensive I believe and completely packed between 7-3 every weekday.. especially during lunch! Haven’t ben since covid though so for bow it may look like Dallas’s system at this point

[@KingAsa5]

Houston's is empty. Went to visit And it's nothing down there

[@lumensauce3199]

@@KingAsa5 That's a delusional statement. That tunnel system is very vital to the business day and full of shops, services and workers. 'Nuff said.

[@KingAsa5]

@@lumensauce3199 maybe now but when I visited it was empty

[@Music.cigars.2024]

As above, so below

[@goochpunchtickles3617]

There are tunnels in Tulsa Oklahoma, used for the same reasons

[@KevinTumlinson]

Houston (you know... the "Bayou City," a city known to flood at near-Noah levels periodically) has a tunnel network nearly identical to this.

[@aaronz1451]

bro its the backrooms

[@AlisaPowerDashaREDV76brigades]

A homeless guy i knew told me about this back in 2014 or 15 he said he was in those tunnels

[@Mohammad-ex7wr]

❤️

[@jaymcdowell214]

Houston has a great underground tunnel system. Most ppl use it for the summer heat and humidity. Lots of shops, banks, doc offices etc. Should look at underground in Houston see why it's popular there.

[@blank_3958]

They should explore ‘The Path’ in Toronto

[@shernitadee]

These tunnels were built in the 1920s, when they moved the Trinity River.

[@rawcado]

It's another underground railroad like the one in Alton Illinois that a guy found under his house.

[@waynerandles6126]

Let the kids with the skateboards have fun under there🤗

[@shannonm75]

I used to go down with a friend to eat lunch.

[@carrowxhex6891]

How you get down there would have been helpful. Where are the entrances?

[@chris98til]

Try entering thru the Renaissance building

[@scottscage6409]

Yes, the homeless would like to know. Lol.

[@toddrunyon]

@@scottscage6409 Don't worry. The homeless know and routinely try to sneak in but are usually reported to security quickly.

[@ablus]

@@toddrunyon imagine reporting someone seeking shelter to security

[@Floydian4everr]

Houston has the same w LOTS of businesses doing well

[@TRIPLEDIGITS]

Crime Stoppers offering $5,000 but didn't pay the last people!!!!

[@tripjet999]

...where Ruby shot Oswald.

[@nolan412]

The Backrooms is real. And in Dallas!

[@mrs.sherry]

It is not hidden and just because it was not known to you guys doesn't mean it is not known to us.

[@disco7128]

How do I rent a space?

[@nickmemphis4812]

The general public Can't deal with the Concept of idea.

[@dianasavannah154]

*the Idea *an Idea *this Idea *that Idea You’re checking the general public but you didn’t spell check lol

[@t.isurvivalist7537]

Great place for A homeless shelter, or A hotel.

[@pattiocon6075]

I went in there b4

[@verynice126]

What was down there

[@pattiocon6075]

@@verynice126 down there was about 1987 right and I was afraid to go down there but I was with someone else so we went down there and we just walked around and was like underground stores just like cafes and little shops you got to remember 1987 that's when it was popping and me everybody was going in and out of there

[@StephenAndrew777]

Downtown Dallas, eh?

[@Salty_Sprinkles]

Those tunnels have zero Rizz.

[@Twintelepathy326]

Only in Dallas?…

[@gilbertestrada7630]

I got lost there a few times. Haha

[@aheimdahl5201]

There are parts of these Tunnels that remind me of The Backrooms, lol

[@Zedeezia]

"Privately managed" 🙄😵

[@lordhelmet9066]

Added to bank robbery notes

[@dianasavannah154]

😂

[@blazecab6950]

I noticed Elm Street on that map. I wonder if this tunnel system played a role in the JFK conspiracy 🚇

[@aetherflow]

It wasnt built until afterwards, but that sure would've added layers to it.

[@sniddler9114]

AAAAAAAHHHHH! I NEEEED A MEDIC BAG!

[@roadsnephew1498]

I thought the same buddy I thought the same when clicking on this vid

[@frankpabon8329]

how about prepping these underground tunnels - IN CASE of a nuclear war? this would fit quit a few people IF PLANNED out very well....

[@morallybankrupt1461]

I know where I’m going when real life fallout 3 happens.

[@Mel16Ish]

What if the building upside of* that place collapses over the tunnel system 4 whichever reason? Like in season 5 “The 100”?

[@elreydecorridos3186]

Bi truth its they did not want to advertise so the homeless wont take over which is bs because I'm sure it's such a site to see

[@dianasavannah154]

These things been there bout 50 years & you think the homeless people downtown don’t know about them? Get. Real.

[@barbarabee3834]

Human trafficking tool?

[@bluedesks6629]

No.

[@empresstaitu7345]

Yes

[@empresstaitu7345]

Universities have them under too

[@ummsalamah7711]

Not true

[@dianasavannah154]

Hi can you specify???

[@ched_chubbs7998]

I need a medic bag!!!!!!?

[@peterhoebarth4234]

Fema - Tunnel - Concept

[@jeffreyedwards767]

Lost in the [] ⁸back ◇ room ⁸ 1977 []