This 8-Acre Steel Skeleton in Silicon Valley Was Stripped Bare After Leaking Deadly Chemicals for Decades

Hangar One, California

You can spot Hangar One from miles away, rising from the flat South Bay like some art deco fever dream.

It’s where the Navy once parked airships the size of cruise ships, where Hollywood shot sci-fi movies, and where decades of fuel leaks created an environmental nightmare. Here’s what happened.

A Home for the USS Macon

Navy officials commissioned the USS Macon, built in Goodyear’s Ohio facility for $2.45 million. This rigid airship stretched 785 feet long with a 132-foot width, and they needed a home big enough for it.

That eventually became Hangar One. After the hanger was completed, the Macon flew across the country in October 1933 to reach its new California home.

A Marvel of Engineering

Hangar One stretches 1,133 feet from end to end. Its width spans 308 feet with a height of 198 feet, and six football fields would fit inside with room to spare.

Walls curve upward then bend inward to form an elongated dome. This aerodynamic shape allows winds to flow around rather than buffet the structure.

The Massive ‘Orange Peel’ Doors

Both ends of the hangar feature enormous “orange peel” doors. Engineers designed these clam-shell portals to minimize wind turbulence during airship movements.

Each door rises 120 feet high and spans 150 feet across, weighing 500 tons apiece.

Operators control these giants through electrical panels, a system that represented cutting-edge technology for the 1930s.

Its Own Indoor Weather

The interior space encompasses such vast volume that fog frequently forms near the ceiling when conditions align.

Cold fronts passing through the region cause condensation high above, and workers below experience indoor rain showers falling from the structure.

From Airship Base to Army to Navy

Military officials initially named the facility Airbase Sunnyvale CAL, then renamed it Moffett Field in September 1933.

The new name honored Rear Admiral William A. Moffett who died when another Navy airship, the USS Akron, crashed during an Atlantic storm.

Army personnel took control after the Macon’s 1935 destruction, during which they converted the facility to house conventional aircraft for training purposes.

After that, Navy officials reclaimed the base in 1942 during World War II and the facility operated as Naval Air Station Moffett Field for over fifty years.

Environmental Concerns Emerge

NASA officials discovered a serious problem in 1997. Routine water tests revealed toxic chemicals in drainage from the hangar area.

Scientists identified polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Aroclor 1260 and 1268, while further investigation in 2002 traced these hazardous materials to the building itself.

The corrugated siding contained not just PCBs but asbestos and lead, and rain washed these toxins into nearby wetlands feeding San Francisco Bay.

Early attempts to seal the contaminants failed.

The Fight to Save Hangar One

Navy officials proposed demolition in 2005, an announcement that sparked immediate outrage throughout Silicon Valley.

Lenny Siegel, later elected Mountain View mayor, rallied community support. He organized local residents determined to save the landmark.

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo championed what she called “Operation Tenacious,” while the Save Hangar One Committee united preservationists and veterans.

Navy leaders ultimately decided to remove the toxic skin rather than the entire structure.

The Bare Steel Skeleton

Workers began removing the contaminated exterior in April 2011, a massive undertaking required unprecedented scaffolding/

Crews stripped away all siding, windows, doors, and interior materials. Only the steel skeleton remained when work finished in mid-2012.

The exposed framework stood for over a decade, and workers coated the steel with protective epoxy to prevent further contamination.

The bare bones of Hangar One became a strange new landmark. Silicon Valley residents grew accustomed to the skeletal giant overlooking their communities.

Google to the Rescue

Tech giant Google entered the picture in 2014. Their subsidiary Planetary Ventures won a 60-year lease for Moffett Field.

NASA and federal officials finalized the agreement in November, since Google emerged as the only company willing to tackle the expensive restoration.

The lease requires payments totaling $1.16 billion over six decades, and this arrangement saves taxpayers approximately $6.3 million annually in maintenance costs.

Visiting Hangar One

Hangar One stands at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, California. Security restrictions limit public access to the structure itself during restoration.

The best viewing spot is along Bayshore Freeway (Highway 101). The hangar sits visible from the roadway between Mountain View and Sunnyvale exits.

Moffett Field Historical Society Museum does offer exhibits about Hangar One and the USS Macon. The museum opens Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 3pm.

Museum visitors must enter through the Ellis Street Gate with photo ID.

Read More from This Brand:

• SR-71, A-12 Blackbirds, and Rare U-2D Spy Aircraft Now Rest at This Free California Airpark
• In This California Museum, B-17 Bombers That Flew Over Nazi Germany Sit Beside Hitler’s Mercedes
• The Bay Area’s Hidden Cold War Relic Sits Just Minutes From Golden Gate Bridge