Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant - haunting!
On the outskirts of Kansas City lies a gargantuan former US Army ammunition plant. In it's heyday, it was the largest smokeless powder factory in the world...it was one of the engines of the US WW2 effort. Over 12,000 people worked at the 10,000 acre facility at the time. Over the years, it went in and out of operation depending on the US engagement in major conflicts, until 1998 when it was declared excess to Army needs. Since then, the site has slowly decayed and/or been demolished, but apparently, there are several businesses that operate within the site, including a large tilapia farm!
Although there is no public access to the site, you can still catch a glimpse of several buildings and the iconic water towers from outside the fence. I'd wanted to head out and have a look at it since I stumbled across it on Google maps (check it out, just south of DeSoto KS) - finally got around to it today! I'm holding out hope that the current owners (apparently the site was transferred to Johnson County a few years back), will hold tours like the US Army did in years gone by. It would make a wonderful photography opportunity!
Here are a few pics I had a bit of fun with in post processing:
The 'Follow the Road to Safety' sign is just bizarre (ironically placed on a road that leads directly to a highly contaminated military industrial site)...I can't seem to find confirmation anywhere on what it's for or from, but there is a chance it was from a proposed Wizard of Oz theme park...
