A sprawling government pyramid that has terrified internet users with its endless, empty corridors is now giving up some of its strangest secrets — as former workers and visitors reveal what lurked beneath the eerie California complex long before it became a viral “Backrooms” sensation.
The Chet Holifield Federal Building in Laguna Niguel — better known as “The Ziggurat” for its stepped-pyramid design — was sold this week for more than $207 million after years of fueling online fascination.
The massive 1 million-square-foot federal complex was purchased by an affiliate of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, the General Services Administration announced Tuesday.
Federal officials called the transaction one of the largest redevelopment site sales in Orange County history, saying it generated more than $207 million in revenue while saving taxpayers over $340 million in future repair and upgrade costs.
“The sale of the former Chet Holifield Federal Building generated over $207 million in revenue and saved American taxpayers more than $340 million in long-term repair and upgrade costs,” GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said.
Built in 1971, the more than 1 million-square-foot building was designed by architect William Pereira, whose work also includes San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid and parts of the UC Irvine campus.
It once housed several federal agencies, including about 2,000 employees from US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
But by the time the property first went up for auction in 2023, however, it was only about half occupied.
A sale requiring the building’s preservation failed to attract any bidders.
A second auction in 2024 drew bids exceeding $160 million but never closed, prompting the government to offer the property through an outright sale earlier this year.
Hoag CEO Robert Braithwaite said the health system is “honored to be the steward of the (Holifield) property going forward.”
“We are committed to a thoughtful, long-term approach which will enable Hoag to better serve the residents and businesses of south Orange County,” he said.
No redevelopment plans have been announced.
While officials debate the building’s future, its bizarre interior has already become internet legend thanks to its deserted office floors, endless geometric corridors, towering escalators and stark Brutalist architecture that viewers likened to the infamous “Backrooms” horror universe.
Now, people claiming to have ventured inside years before the building became an online phenomenon are sharing creepy firsthand accounts.
“I actually been down there about 30 something years ago when my neighbors mom used to work for the tax service and she allowed me and a friend to go into the underground levels around there….creepy as f–k and a lost time capsule vibe,” one commenter wrote.
“Lot of old 60’s-70’s office furniture and storage, yellow and green aesthetic, and quiet as s–t. Got that old smoke musty smell that would never go away too.”
The commenter said the underground levels even featured artificial windows designed to mimic daylight.
The bizarre experience led the commenter to joke: “Should have filmed the Backrooms there with it being pre-Backrooms Backrooms – could have saved a buttload of cash.”
Another person who worked inside the federal complex years later said its unsettling reputation wasn’t exaggerated.
“I worked in there for a while in the mid 2010s as a contractor for a federal agency. The building was cavernous and oddly fascinating. I only got to see part of it.”
The YouTube video’s comment section is packed with similarly unnerved reactions.
“It wreaks of evil. I get sick looking at it. What the hell was done here to feel such negative energy? It’s falling apart because it needs to fall apart,” another viewer wrote.
The building’s vast, mostly vacant corridors and frozen-in-time government interiors have made it a favorite among photographers and urban explorers searching for eerie locations.
Laguna Niguel Mayor Gene Johns said city officials were caught off guard by Tuesday’s sale announcement and have yet to see any redevelopment proposal from Hoag.
He expects any transformation of the aging landmark to take years because of its size, construction materials and historical significance.
“It’s a great opportunity for our city,” Johns said. “It’s a big part that is central to our city, and it’s going to create a lot of possibilities, but we don’t know what Hoag’s intentions are; they haven’t brought any plans to us.”
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