In the small Alaskan town of Whittier , which sees up to 250 inches of snow annually , nearly all of the 218 residents live in one multi-story house . Surrounded by only mountains and the sea , the remote town is so isolated that it 's only accessible by North America 's longest one way tunnel , which stretches for two and a half miles . But the tunnel , which alternates directions every half an hour , closes at 11pm until re-opening at 5:30 the following morning . Scroll down for video . In the small town of Whittier , Alaska , nearly all 218 residents live in one single multi-story building . The building , called Begich Tower , houses the town 's entire neighborhood , including the local police department , a school , an indoor playground , two convenience stores , a B & B , a laundromat and the post office . The local church performs baptisms in an inflatable pool in the basement and children can easily knock on their teacher 's door for homework help in the evenings . Filmmaker , Mary Katzke , a fellow Alaskan from Anchorage , was one of the first to take interest in the peculiar small town and its unusual daily realities . She said : 'This community has always been of interest due to its primary place of residence being one tower - the Begich Tower . The building , the Begich Tower , houses the entire neighbourhood , including convenience stores and a school . A filmmaker from Anchorage , Alaska , has recently taken interest in developing a project about the town . The building was first constructed by the U.S. Army in the 1950s , but is now under civilian ownership . It is only accessible by a two-and-a-half mile , one-way tunnel , which alternates directions during the day . What makes the town so fascinating is that despite the geographical isolation , families have continual contact . 'There is so much geographic isolation yet continual contact via this living set up . 'The residents work for the port , as boat mechanics , or in the city or occasionally drive out to work outside the community . ' There are a few rebels to this particular living arrangement , however , such as Paul , who has opted to live in his 'immobile ' motor home . Most residents work for the port , as boat mechanics , but a few do drive out to work outside the community . In the brutal winters , the town may see up to 250 inches of snowfall , but in the summer , it 's another story . In the summer , the city sees up to 22 hours of sun a day and about 900,000 tourists who visit via cruise ships . It has long been of interest as a filming location , though recent enquiries are focused on a reality show . One of the rebels to this particular living arrangement is Paul , who resides in an 'immobile ' mobile home . Although the town remains quite sleepy during the brutal winter months , in the summer , it 's a completely different story . As many as 900,000 tourists pass through the town from cruise ships during the warmer months , when the town enjoys up to 22 hours of sunlight . The creation of the 14-story building began in 1953 by the U.S. Army , but came into civilian ownership a few years later when the Army left the town . Although in the past , the town has been the subject of interest for a big budget film , recent requests have centred more on the potential for a reality show or real-life Neighbours .
In this small Alaskan town , almost all 218 residents live in the same place . The 14-story Begich Tower also houses a police department and school . To access the remote town , visitors drive up to 250 inches in one-way tunnel .