Top 10 Places You're Not Allowed To Visit

Not only does this campground restrict most of the general population from admission, it also excludes anyone who identifies as a female. That’s right; Monte Rio’s Bohemian Grove is the site of a private male-only art club that can only be accessed by members and their guests – provided the latter pass the screening tests, that is. Members consist of artists, government officials, businessmen and other VIPs, who gather together every summer at the Grove and use the encampment to… well, we’re not quite sure. Not much is known about what goes on because of the club’s extreme secrecy, and this has, unsurprisingly, garnered much controversy since the group’s 1878 establishment. While it’s known to house facilities mostly for entertainment and recreational purposes, only very few people have managed to get into the Grove and report back.

A volcanic island located just off the south coast of Iceland, Surtsey formed in a volcanic eruption that lasted nearly four years, from November 1963 to June 1967. While certain botanists and biologists are able to visit the island for scientific purposes, no other humans are allowed on the island in order to preserve its natural ecological process. All scientific visitors need to check their belongings before they enter to ensure that no seeds are introduced into the ecosystem. This rule was put in place after 2009, when an improperly handled human defecation resulted in a tomato plant beginning to grow.

Located in the center of Disneyland, this club is exclusive to VIP members, and has a waiting list of over 10 years. The club is the only location in Disneyland to offer alcoholic beverages during the day, and is located at 33 Royal Street, right beside the Blue Bayou Restaurant. To enter the club, members need to buzz an intercom, where a receptionist will grant access if the person is actually a member. The club is furnished with several props from famous Disney films, including a lavish walnut table with white marble top that was used in “Mary Poppins”.

It’s in the French capital that you will encounter these underground ossuaries known as the Catacombs of Paris. Once consisting of stone mines, what is left of these are caverns, tunnels and the remains of an estimated 6 million people, giving the Catacacombs the nickname of “The World’s Largest Grave.” Thanks to natural human curiosity, parts of the underground cemetery became visitable in the 19th century and they have since become part of the 14 City of Paris Museums. However, what interests us here are the parts of the catacombs that have been sealed off from the public; with only some old gates blocking our paths, our minds can only imagine what lies among those tunnels and caverns that have been deemed un-navigable for public consumption!

The Ilha da Queimada Grande, aka Snake Island, is a small island located off the coast of Sao Paulo. Legend claims that there are five snakes to every square meter, although a recent documentary stated that it is more likely to be one snake per square meter. The only snake species on the island is the venomous Golden Lancehead. Its venom is said to be up to five times stronger than that of any mainland viper and is capable of melting human flesh. Civilians are not allowed to visit the island, and scientists are only allowed rare trips if they receive a special waiver.

The North Sentinel Island is home to the Sentinelese, a group of indigenous people with a population of somewhere between 50 and 400. They are one of the last peoples in the world to remain untouched by modern civilization, and refuse any contact with outsiders. As recently as 2006, two fishermen were killed by the Sentinelese when their boat drifted close to the island. While peaceful contact was made during the early 1990s, the Indian government stopped sending people to the island in 1997.

Lascaux is home to some of the best-known Upper Paleolithic art in the world. The cave paintings are estimated to be more than 17,000 years old, and mostly depict big animals. The Lascaux caves have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and have been banned from the public since 1963, primarily because any human presence in the cave could potentially be destructive. Currently, only a handful of scientists are allowed to enter the caves, though a replica of them, called Lascaux II, was opened to the public in 1983.

Described as one of the world’s biggest – if not the biggest - electronic monitoring stations, this Royal Air Force station provides intelligence support service to the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It was originally set up to intercept messages between the Soviet Union and its allies during the Cold War, but the station is still in full operation today. In fact, several of the satellites are controlled directly by the American NSA, something that has been criticized in recent years after the Snowden leaks.

The Vatican Secret Archives, found in Vatican City, contain all of the important documents that the Catholic Church has accumulated over the centuries, including state papers and papal account books. It acts as the central repository for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. They should perhaps be called the Vatican Private Archives, however, because the documents are not actually secret – they’re more like the Pope’s personal property. You cannot enter the archive, however. And in order to examine a document, you need to submit a formal request, and then, if accepted, access will be supplied to you. But only qualified scholars can actually apply and only documents from 1939 and earlier – can actually be viewed by the public.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Ise Grand Shrine, Honshu, Japan
- Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Spitsbergen, Norway
- Mezhgorye, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia
- Pine Gap, Australia

The U.S. has frequently been criticized for being highly secretive, and Nevada’s Area 51 has been a hotbed for criticism and speculation for decades. While the base’s primary purpose is unknown to the public, historical evidence suggests that it has been used to develop and test weapons. All research in Area 51 is considered Top Secret, which has made it a frequent subject of UFO folklore. Many people believe that the base is home to alien spacecraft and even alien species, while others suggest that scientists are working on time travel or teleportation devices. As the base is closed to the public, speculation about the U.S. Air Force facility should only continue to grow.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think is most interesting place you are not allowed to visit? For more exciting Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.