Curator Shawna Moffatt shows off the Diefenbunker’s Cold War-era sick bay, complete with a life-size replica of a soldier. The Carp museum offers public tours and is gearing up for its first movie night. — Tom Van Dusen, Sun Media

Let's go back to the Cold War days when the world lived in fear that an overzealous power might deliberately or inadvertently set off the nuclear "big one." Chances were good back then that, as a senior Ottawa politician, mandarin or military leader, you might have ended up underground in Carp for an indefinite period of time.

Underground but not uncomfortable, except for an occasional bout of claustrophobia. Your digs would have been well-stocked, ventilated and reinforced -- and safe from the chaos above where those not lucky enough to pull rank fended for themselves.

Just in case the unruly masses on the outside tried to raid your lair -- now known as the Diefenbunker -- it was equipped with a weapons room allowing soldiers to keep raiders at bay.

Protecting the country's governmental and financial core, so it could rise again once the Cold War had dissipated, was considered far more important than individual human life.

That's the premise behind the Diefenbunker, a 2,787-sq.-metre. structure spread over four storeys sunk into a hillside near the Carp Fairgrounds.

But from the outside, the Diefenbunker is marked by an innocuous entrance near a rural Ottawa library branch transformed from a former bunker outbuilding.

Inside, in addition to such mundane services as sleeping quarters, communication rooms, a cafeteria, lounge and offices, there's a prime minister's suite, cabinet war room, Bank of Canada vault, CBC broadcast studio and small hospital/sick bay.

For those who might crack under the strain, there's a special confinement ward. With the Diefenbunker's endless network of windowless, fluorescent hallways, you can understand how some people could go a little stir-crazy.

In fact, there are cleaners who refuse to work the floors at night, claiming they hear voices when no one else is there.

Although the facility plays on the name of former prime minister John Diefenbaker, it was conceived by the Liberal government of Louis St. Laurent. It was designed and built in a hurry in 1959-61, during Dief's tenure.

But world relations improved and the bunker was never used for its intended purpose. Originally, its official name was Central Emergency Government Headquarters. The current official name of this national historic site is the Cold War Museum.

Size-wise, it's perhaps the most underfunded and underused museum in the area. What could be a world-class attraction and educational facility has been left to scrounge for funding, relying on a combination of admission fees, donations and grants -- including $50,000 from the City of Ottawa -- to cover an annual budget of about $250,000.

Most of that budget goes to the salaries of staff members -- nine part-timers, a bookkeeper and three full-time staff -- who administer the facility and give tours to visitors. About $30,000 a year is spent just to keep the lights on. Amazingly, no heating system is required to keep the bunker tolerable during the winter.

About 20,000 visitors tour the exhibits and period recreations every year. The museum owns about 225,000 artifacts, ranging from documents to pieces of equipment, and has a Cold War research library containing 3,000 books.

At this time of year, tours run weekdays at 2 p.m., weekends at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Admission is $14 for adults, $12.50 for seniors and students and $6 for children 6-17. Details are available at diefenbunker.ca.

It may be Canada's Cold War Museum but it's not federally operated. Purchased by the former Township of West Carleton -- since absorbed into the city -- it opened in its current role five years ago after the Canadian Forces Station that occupied it was closed.

Unfortunately, says curator Shawna Moffatt, much of the original equipment and accessories were relocated during the transition, leaving staff and volunteers searching for suitable replacements. Many have been found, with many more on the shopping list.

The bunker's 15 minutes of fame came in 2001 when scenes for the Hollywood movie The Sum Of All Fears, starring Ben Affleck, were filmed here. In addition to the publicity generated by the film, part of the facility got a free paint job.

Moffatt's wish list of improvements includes about $3,000 for better signage directing tourists to the facility. She's also looking for $400,000 to install a second exit, which would permit larger crowds than the 60 currently allowed under fire regulations. Fundraising will soon begin for the signs.

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MORE INFORMATION: Contact 800-409-1965 or diefenbunker.ca.