A student at Northern Arizona University says she found an underground tunnel beneath campus. As it turns out, such tunnels have played a fascinating role in Flagstaff's history.
@hannie.rb/TikTokA Northern Arizona University student and TikToker, Hannie (@hannie.rb), found a tunnel under campus.
While walking around her campus at night, a Northern Arizona University student made a strange discovery: She stumbled upon a hidden tunnel that exists right under students’ feet.
In her TikTok video, which currently has over 5.6 million views, astrogeology student Hannie spots a small gap beneath a sidewalk. Looking a bit more closely, she sees that within this gap is a hole — and through this hole, a brightly lit tunnel is visible.
“I know you see that,” she says, placing the camera as close to the hole as possible. While no one enters the frame over the course of the video, it’s clear that the tunnel is in active use.
While multiple viewers encouraged Hannie to alert the police, she posted a follow-up video stating that this “maintenance tunnel” is relatively new, having been built during her time at the university. She also explained that she’s reported the hole to the school, as it could be a “safety issue.”
However, Flagstaff — where Northern Arizona University is located — does have a long and eerie history when it comes to mysterious tunnels.
Taking A Trip Under Flagstaff
According to the Northern Arizona University student publication The Lumberjack, there have long been legends surrounding the development of the tunnels beneath both the school and Flagstaff in general.
Some of these myths are difficult to confirm. For example, commonly accepted lore states that a number of tunnels were built by Chinese residents in the 19th century as a means of escape after they were blamed for a destructive fire in 1886. However, actual evidence for this claim is limited.
@hannie.rb/TikTokA screenshot from Hannie’s video showing a tiny spot of light glowing from beneath a sidewalk at Northern Arizona University.
However, other uses for these passages were well-documented. Historically, the tunnels under Flagstaff were used for both legitimate and nefarious purposes. For instance, some businesses dug underground tunnels between buildings to transport goods during inclement weather. To offer a more criminal example, tunnels were a favorite method of hiding and escape for gamblers fleeing police raids.
Today, however, most of these historic passages have been closed. The tunnels that still exist — and the ones that have recently been constructed — serve a largely practical purpose. According to the university, many of these tunnels simply support the institution’s hot water infrastructure.
Of course, Flagstaff is just one of countless cities throughout history that have utilized tunnels for various purposes.
A Brief History Of Hidden Tunnels
Trying to find the earliest example of a “hidden tunnel” requires one to get fairly strict with their definition of “tunnel.”
ValerioMei/Adobe StockThe Park of the Aqueducts in Rome.
Under a broad definition, the earliest “tunnel” can likely be traced back to the development of water systems in the ancient world. Roman aqueducts and the qanāt systems of ancient Persia are among the earliest examples of tunnel-based water infrastructure, which eventually led to the creation of the drainage and sewage tunnels that are essential for public health.
When it comes specifically to hidden corridors through which people can travel, there are also a few early examples of secret underground tunnels.
gilitukha/Adobe StockThe ancient city of Derinkuyu, which was built entirely underground.
For instance, the ancient city of Derinkuyu, located in modern-day Turkey, was built entirely underground. While it was thought to have initially been dug as a storage space, it would eventually hold around 20,000 residents at a time, per the BBC. This would usually happen when the local populace was hiding from invaders.
Today, most modern tunnels serve a largely practical purpose and can be found in the most unexpected places. As Hannie’s video shows, if you look hard enough, you’ll start to see them all around you.
After learning about the tunnels hidden beneath Northern Arizona University, take a journey through the tunnels under Disney World. Then, read about Camp Century, the U.S. Army base built in tunnels beneath the ice of Greenland.
