Over the years, the CIA has released some bizarre photos and documents that were previously top-secret and classified. This is a collection of some of the weirdest, most incriminating photos that they have released. Sometimes, information is released over time due to the statute of limitations. Other times, the information is released because it's no longer relevant to the CIA. It's important to remember that even though these things were released to the public, it doesn't mean that they were released with any context! 

Forever Unidentified Flying Objects

Once the CIA declassified a bunch of photos, the general public demanded that any information of UFOs or alien contact be made the first available. For once, the CIA delivered... somewhat. These photos of UFOs and unknown wreckage found in the desert were among the many declassified photos. Unfortunately, there were no explanations behind the photos. They're a total mystery. 

China’s Giant Telescope

The world's nations were a bit perplexed about China's giant telescope. The photo on the bottom right was the first photograph taken by the United States. Although the country says that it's just to detect radio signals (even those that are thousands of light-years away) many people seem to be suspicious of what else this huge telescope can detect. Most American's didn't even know this existed until the CIA released that photo!

Insanely Secret Mountain Facility

The Cheyenne Mountain Complex isn't so secret for those who live in the area, but it was definitely not well-known among other people who live in the states. This facility only allows high-class officials to enter the premises. The classified photo shows a heavily armed guard at the entrance. Obviously, the CIA wasn't too keen on having such a forceful photo out in the open, which is why it wasn't released to the public for so many years.

Pentagon After 9/11

9/11 completely changed the way American's move about in the world. There are thousands of traumatic and horrific photos in circulation, but none taken by government officials. The photos from 9/11 that were declassified consisted of the destruction of the Pentagon. An American Airlines Flight departing from Washington Dulles International Airport en route to Los Angeles crashed into the western face of the Pentagon, which resides in Arlington County, Virginia. There were six crew members and 53 passengers on board. 

Declassified Yet Redacted

Just because the CIA declassified certain things doesn't mean they brought everything out into the open! For example, this document from 1963 details an experience with a UFO. The more gritty details are redacted and blacked out. Some information was left over, such as phrases alluding to a UFO and blinding lights. This was obviously a witness report of some sort, but what exactly happened?

Bin Laden and His Family

Osama Bin Laden was the founder of al-Qaeda, the militant group designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Security Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and many different countries. He was born into an affluent family in Saudi Arabia and lived a generally normal life before his days as a terrorist leader. This photo depicts him with his huge family. He is the second one in from the right in the middle row. 

The Family Goes to the Moon

Charlie Duke left a photo of his family on the moon and took a picture to prove it. There are a lot of people who think that the moon landing was faked, and officials probably thought that this photo didn't help the conspiracy theories. It kind of looks fake, and the story itself can be faked, so why put it out there? It was declassified after a few decades. We can only assume that it's still on the moon...

Astronauts at the Pool

This photo looks like it's straight out of a movie before the CGI is applied. In reality, this is just a test for prospective astronauts. They have to learn how to conduct a water landing, so the pool at NASA will suffice. It looks like they're just relaxing (which they kind of are at that point) but they had just finished a successful landing!

The Doomsday-esque North Dakota Bunker

To be clear, this is not a doomsday bunker... it just looks like one. This bizarre trapezoid concrete building is apparently used to measure weather patterns and seismic waves. Sure, it really just looks like a doomsday bunker but we'll take the government's word for it. Rumors that have swirled in the nearby North Dakota counties say it was used as a national missile defense system at one point. That makes more sense!

The Hitler Conspiracy

There are so many conspiracy theories surrounding World War II and Hilter's death. The most popular theory is that Hitler is actually alive and living somewhere in South America. This photo surfaced of Hitler looking "older" which caused the CIA to do a quick investigation. Turns out, this was just a photoshopped picture of Hitler. The CIA still took the picture into consideration and left it in their files. Therefore, it was also "declassified."

The Old Mount Rushmore

Before Mount Rushmore was carved into a Native American mountainside in South Dakota, the sculptor had to make a much smaller replica.  The presidents were originally going to have their entire torso sculpted into the mountain, but they decided to forgo that idea. It's interesting to see the original idea for the design. 

Another Forest Bunker

This bunker looks like it's abandoned, but it's not! It actually houses a lot of underground storage and facilities for the US government. The weirdest part? It's located somewhere deep in a Virginia forest. It's difficult to find unless you know exactly where it is, and it's totally restricted to anyone other than high-class officials. 

Pablo Escobar in front of the White House

Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord and leader of the Medellín Cartel. At the time that this photo was taken, he was on America's list of "Most Wanted Criminals." Somehow, he was able to casually take his small son on a tour of Washington D.C. They even took a family picture together to mark the moment. 

The End of Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde were two star-crossed lovers who committed heinous crimes together in the early 1930s. The two were eventually gunned down after a shoot out with police in May of 1934. The wreckage of the car was so substantial that you can tell how hot with the law this couple was. This photo was from the crime scene the day that they were murdered, but the car itself can still be seen in a museum in Nevada.

Queen Elizabeth in the Military

It's no secret that Queen Elizabeth served time in the military. Most royals from the bloodline have to serve some time. She looks sweet and innocent now, but back in the day, she used to handle mortars! Her father, King Edward VII, came to power in 1936 when she was just 10 years old. At that moment, she was the presumed heir to the throne. 

The First-Ever US Nuclear Bomb

This gigantic bomb is part of the Trinity Test. Trinity" was the code name of the first detonation of a nuclear device by the United States. The bomb was detonated in Jornada del Muerto Volcano in New Mexico, USA. The detonation was conducted by the US Army at 5:29 a.m. on July 16th, 1945. Throughout all of this, the United States public had no idea what was going on. 

The First Thermonuclear Explosion

Thermonuclear devices are more sophisticated than the original nuclear device. They hit harder and are much more violent. This is a photo of the first-ever detonated thermonuclear bomb. It was detonated on November 1st, 1952 at an undisclosed location. It looks horrifying!

Secret Tunnels All Over

The CIA also declassified secret tunnels from all over the country. These tunnels lead to bases that are known as strategic strike locations. They were built during the Cold War, but the US government says that they are no longer in operation. Who's to say that they aren't?

The Authentic Roswell Photos

More aliens, all of the time. When the CIA released the actual, on-file photos from the Roswell site, people went nuts. Just as we thought, it's hard to tell what exactly crashed there, but that just makes it more interesting to look at! These photos weren't classified for too long, but the government was obviously hesitant in releasing them to the public. 

The Hole for Nuclear Waste

Even though this looks like a scene straight out of Star Wars, it's actually somewhere in the United States! Behind that giant, circular door is a boatload of nuclear waste from past projects. There's a reason why it's hidden behind all of that heavy rock and dirt... We don't want that spilling out into the environment. 

Alien on Board?

Citizens were super confused as to what giant object was getting transported across the country. Obviously, it looks like a flying saucer, but it couldn't possibly be one... Right? They couldn't make it that obvious? These photos were confiscated off of the internet with no other information given to the public. Even when they were declassified, it's unclear as to what they were transporting. Super weird.

The “Fat Man”

The photo on the left is the last-ever image of the Fat Man. This was the bomb that the United States dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. One of the men who worked on it can be seen working on the final touches. This bomb caused a lot of generational trauma in Japan, along with its counterpart, "Little Boy."

The Airplanes of Area 51

So, a lot of folks were confused as to what mysterious UFOs were seen around the ever-elusive Area 51. This is the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance plane. The government later said that this was the root cause of the alien rumors around Area 51 since this is a type of plane no one has ever seen before. Likely story! This photo was taken around the same time as the alien rumors.

Prisoner of War John McCain

In this heartbreaking photo, John McCain can be seen getting captured by enemy troops in Hanoi, Vietnam. His plane was shot down and he crash-landed in a body of water. He was a prisoner of war for five and a half years. He suffered from fractures in his right leg and both arms after the crash and received minimal care for those injuries. He survived his imprisonment and went back to the US in 1972. He became a Senator in 1987 and served until his death in 2018. 

Experimental Area 51 Aircraft

This was an "experimental" Area 51 aircraft. It took the government years for them to even admit to having these experimental aircraft in their possession, let alone share any photos of them! So, this is yet another aircraft that the government was working with. This could easily have been another source of the alien conspiracies.

Advanced Pilot Training

Pilots undergo a ton of training in order to be at their best during flight. The biggest thing about flying is battling fatigue... you don't want a pilot who falls asleep on the job! This was a contraption that the government made up to try and help pilots train themselves to stay awake. It didn't really work too well, so they discontinued it.

The Secret Ocean Airbase

Why wouldn't the US government take over an entire island for an airbase? This photo was declassified, and tons of people were confused. How long has this base been in the Pacific Ocean? What are they doing there? Why is it so big? Naturally, we haven't gotten many answers to the questions that any declassified photo has brought up. 

Was This Another Crash Site?

This is another photo of a crash site, but not the one at Roswell. This was a different crash site in a nearby town. There was an unidentified object that had crash-landed, but they couldn't figure out what the debris was a part of. As you can see in the photo, there are tons of tanks and military vehicles scouring the area. This photo alone prompted more conversation about what other bizarre crash landings were hidden by the government. 

The Last Photo of JFK

President John F Kennedy was famously shot and killed during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963. He is one of four presidents who have been assassinated. The black and white photo shown above is the last photo of JFK alive, just moments before the sniper shot at him. The second photo is from moments after, when the motorcade sped away. This event ended presidential motorcades of such valor. 

The Disney Lunchline

Back in the day, Disney was way more intense about their characters than they are now (which is funny, considering how serious the characters are today!) The Disney company did not want the general public to see through the magical veil of the Disney universe, so a photo like this would have been totally banned. After all, how weird is it to see Snow White with a lunch tray?

Only Slightly Dangerous

Parents of the 1930s were stressed and struggling. They didn't have the time or resources to keep their babies entertained, so these bizarre cages were invented. They are put into windows like we would a modern AC unit, and the kid can hang out outside and observe what's going on. This was more than enough stimulation to keep a young kid entertained. This would never fly these days!

What Are They Hauling?

This photo shows military personnel loading up a bizarre structure onto a military truck. This photo was only declassified due to the statute of limitations. Officials have said that it was "just a weather balloon" but many would agree that this excuse seems like an easy way out of a more difficult conversation. 

The Very First Slide

This was the first-ever slide! It was huge, dangerous, and completely made out of wood. Obviously, this was not the way slides ended up. They've come a long way since then! How many broken arms and splinters were the results of this slide?

The First Deep-Dive Suit

Deep-sea diving is a crazy experience! All you need is a wet suit, an oxygen tank, and some goggles. At the beginning of deep-sea expeditions, you had to get fully dressed in a suit of armor. It was a crazy and uncomfortable suit that didn't even have a 0% failure rate. This suit was kept under wraps because the US didn't want other countries to get any ideas or steal their patents. This looks horrifying!

Operation Highjump

e little ship that you see in this photo is actually a US military ship. It looks like it's deep in the arctic ocean because it is. The ship was on its way to spy on Russia. There was also a top-secret base somewhere deep in the Arctic where this ship would visit. This was called Operation Highjump.

Creepy Chemical Weapons Warehouse

This chemical weapons warehouse is not something to joke about. This is a real photo taken in Russia during the Cold War Era. They never used these chemical barrels, but there was always that threat. The CIA retained this photo for many years. They did not want the American people to see this and freak out about the impending doom, it was already a hard enough time.

Building up the Berlin Wall

American classrooms these days talk about the tearing down of the Berlin wall more than the putting up of the wall. A lot of people are surprised to hear that the wall was constructed of scrap materials... It wasn't the most heavy-duty wall in the world, but it did the job of keeping people out. The wall was put up in 1961 and finally taken down in 1981. 

The Moon Landing Photos That Caused a Stir

Although the moon landing was televised, people still believe that it's faked. This photo wasn't released to the public during the height of the moon landing since it showed the true scope of the moon. It does kind of look like a movie set, so it's understandable as to why the CIA wouldn't want to share this! To this day, people still think the moon landing is faked, so this photo still makes its rounds in conspiracy circles.

The 1974 Project

It's no secret that every military branch keeps secrets from the general public. The Air Force easily has some of the best-kept secrets out there, which is why the public is so interested in what they're up to! One project of the Air Force that thinned the veil was the 1974 Project. The plans for this project were eventually released and declassified after it never went through. This was a plan for a supersonic flying saucer, but it's not clear why they were trying to build it...

The Schienenzeppelin

Germans are known for their engineering, and that's no joke! The Schienenzeppelin is Germany's first-ever high-speed train. The government said that it can travel up to 143 miles per hour. It was released during WWII, so it's pretty obvious as to why the American government wanted to keep their intel on this high-speed train classified.

Saddam Hussein's Capture

Saddam Hussein was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth President of Iraq. He was president from July 1979 until April 2003, a whopping 23 years. He was taken out of power by the U.S. government due to accusations of obtaining weapons of mass destruction and having ties to the terrorist group al-Qaeda. He was convicted of crimes against humanity in an Iraqi court in relation to the 1982 killing of 148 Iraqi Shi'a civilians. He was executed by the government on December 30th, 2006. This photo showcases the moment he was captured by U.S. troops.

Secret Plane in Area 51

This is a photo of a freakily futuristic plane that was built by the US government. Back in the 1950s, this super-secret stealth plane was making its rounds near Area 51. Some people have speculated that this is what citizens were seeing when they reported UFOs in the area. Of course, this was a top-secret operation back then, so the US government had to keep mum about the situation. It's still unclear as to why these planes were in use, though.

The Aftermath of Hiroshima

The United States military dropped a bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945. It destroyed a majority of the city and killed tons of civilians. Many of the survivors were left with life-long health issues and disfigurements. The child in this photo suffered from the horrific effects of the bomb. Today, there is a memorial in the city called Memorial Monument for Hiroshima, City of Peace. It has the names of all victims of the bomb. 

Dropping the Bomb on Hiroshima

This was the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. The military gave it the name of Little Boy. Fat Man was the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki and was much bigger. This photo shows exhausted military employees working to secure the bomb for transport. This was just hours before thousands of lives were changed.

Google At the Start

Google was just a small company before it literally ran the entire world. This was the small group that truly started it all. It's not really clear as to why the US government had possession of this photo, but it was still something that was labeled as "declassified."

Researching UFOs

Just from the looks of it, it seems like this was some sort of sketch done by a government official. We don't know why they sketched this out or what it was for, but it seems that they were trying to figure something out. Obviously, they drew something that resembled a UFO... Did something think they saw this? What else do they know that we don't?

Ejection Seat Practice

Back in the 1960s, the government began testing a prototype that was designed to save a pilot's life. Back then, fights between planes were really common, and fighter jet pilot deaths were common. So, the government designed a prototype to eject pilots mid-air after their plane gets shut down. It was never really put into effect, hence the declassification of the prototype. It must have not tested very well.

The Largest-Ever Bomb

The Tsar Bomba is a hydrogen aerial bomb. It was developed by the Soviet Union and tested on October 30, 1961. It was the largest detonated bomb and still holds that title. It was detonated in Russia but could be seen in Norway, Greenland, and Alaska. The blast wave circled the Earth three times. The blast shattered glass windows nearly 500 miles away in a village on Dikson Island. 

War in Wildlife

Although we know that many human lives were lost during the wars, millions of animals suffered as well. Bombs, gunfire, and downed planes annihilated animal populations on and near battlegrounds. This poor animal was caught in the middle of a dogfight. 

Atomic Bomb Tests

In order to figure out the effects of atomic bombs, the government enlisted hundreds of dummies to represent the human beings that the bombs will be affecting. They also got houses and cars into the mix just to see how powerful these bombs are. Obviously, the dummies were totally decimated. That's just a bit scary.

Rescued Survivors from the Titanic

This photo was taken by a photographer on the Carpathia. This lifeboat was carrying survivors from the Titanic. The majestic ship had sunk just hours before this photo was taken. It's a horribly haunting image that shows just a small tidbit of the tragedy. 

Escaping Saigon

The Vietnam War wreaked havoc on the country. Innocent civilians were quite literally caught in the crossfire as the war was only fought on Vietnamese soil. Saigon was the main focal point for the defensive against the American soldiers, and it became uninhabitable for civilians. This photo shows how packed the trains leaving the city were. People were moving into survival mode and living by the cliche "every man for himself."

Jimi Hendrix Before His Death

This photo of rockstar legend Jimi Hendrix was taken just days before his untimely death. He died in Notting Hill, London, on September 18, 1970. He was 27 years old.

Statue of Liberty Construction

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable American landmarks ever. It took hundreds of construction workers two years to put together the statue, as they went piece by piece. It took artist Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi from 1870 until 1884 to design and sculpt the huge statue. Then, it was transferred overseas from France to New York City. The construction of Lady Liberty was officially completed on October 28th, 1886.

Osama Bin Laden Prior to His Terror Reign

As mentioned before, Osama Bin Laden was a generally normal person from an extremely wealthy family. He had regular hobbies, such as jiu-jitsu (pictured) and other martial arts. His family and close friends noted that he had some "radical" viewpoints but never thought anything of it. Then, he quickly rose to power and infamy before leading the world's most dangerous terrorist organization. 

The First All-Terrain Vehicle

Henry Ford was the first man to create an automobile. He was so successful in that venture that he decided to go even further. He wanted to create an all-terrain vehicle by modding out the original Model T car. It didn't quite work out, and Ford lost some money... It's not the nicest-looking vehicle, either.

The Hindenburg Before It’s Crash

The Hindenburg was an aircraft marvel ahead of its time. The hydrogen balloon was manufactured in 1931 by the German company Zeppelin. It was a passenger airship that was originally established to increase Nazi influence over the airship market. There are plenty of photos where the Hindenburg sporting the Nazi swastika. It crashed in 1937 and killed 36 people out of the 97 onboard. 

Don’t Mess With The Queen

Even though the Queen hasn't been to military training in decades, she still knows how to work military gear! She's also known for enjoying a day out on the shooting range. She is not a Queen to be messed with! 

The Infamous Space Race

The race to space was a huge topic of conversation in the 1970s. The United States was working quickly to become the first folks to the moon, so the USSR followed suit. The Soviets tried to conduct a spacecraft (pictured) but failed miserably. It took them 10 years to build something good enough to test, and then another six years for them to even try and test it. Then, the launch failed.

Graf Zeppelin

This is a photo of a German airship over Washington DC. This is the Graf Zeppelin, not to be confused with the Hindenburg made by the same company. This ship floated over the nation's capital with no warning, so naturally, chaos ensued and civilians thought that someone was attacking them. They had not even seen something of this stature at that point. This photo was taken in 1928.

R2-D2 Enjoying Lunch

Did you know that R2-D2 was actually a person? There was a guy personally operating the R2-D2 costume, which is hilarious. Apparently, this was a quick lunch break since he didn't even leave the tin-can of a character.

The Changing of the Signs

This is an American soldier reclaiming a street after Adolf Hitler's death in 1945. The street was named after the Nazi leader himself, but the United States Army was quick to change things around in Germany. The new street was titled Roosevelt Boulevard... Maybe it's still titled that, who knows!

Johnny Cash with Prisoners

Johnny Cash, somewhat of a criminal himself, performed for a group of prisoners in 1968. Apparently, they needed a little music in their lives. Johnny Cash is the perfect guest to perform!

Corsair Crash

The Vought F4U Corsair was known to be one of the fastest planes in WWII. During that time, it was scheduled to take off on a Naval Ship. This was a historic moment, so a lot of folks were lined up to send it off, including a photographer. Sadly, it immediately crash-landed and the photographer got an incredibly timed photo of the event. It's sad that this plane could reach top speeds of 445 mph.

The Last Photo of the Titanic

This is the last known photo of the Titanic before it sank. This photo was taken on the shoreline right after it set sale. This photographer had no idea what they were captured in this moment... It's so tragic. 

The Millenium Falcon In Real Life

This is a real-life photo of the Millenium Falcon. Yes, it was just the captains quarters! The rest of the spaceship was totally CGI. This is true movie magic! 

Fidel Castro and Che Guevara Hanging Out

This super casual photo is of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. The rebel and the dictator are enjoying a day out on the water. It's pretty bizarre to see such powerful influences in the world just casually hanging out together and fishing...