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Cincinnati hotel to open safe that's been locked for at least 60 years

Posted at 6:15 AM, Jul 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-16 13:32:20-04

CINCINNATI -- Something's been locked up in a safe at the Hilton Netherland Plaza for decades now.

Or maybe nothing at all.

We'll find out soon.

"We know that it hasn't been opened for close to 40 years," Jason Tyson, the hotel's general manager said.

The historic downtown Cincinnati hotel had a safecracker on the case Monday. Opening the long-locked safe should take about 18 hours.

Tyson, a self-described "hotel nerd," said even old cashier reports would be exciting to him, as they'd shed light on the Netherland Plaza's history.

"So who knows — it could be nothing. But it’s just a fun process to go through. A lot of the locals and the hotel staff are excited about this. It’s just something kind of fun," he said.

The safe, a model from the Mosler Safe Company, been around the Netherland Plaza and Carew Tower since the 1940s or 50s, according to the hotel. It's not clear precisely how long it's been tucked away in the corner of an accounting storage room.

"Mosler was one of the most reputable and popular safe companies of the 19th and 20th centuries and based in Hamilton, Ohio. We are unsure the last time it was opened though we know it’s been at least 30 years."

You won't be able to watch the event live, though: The safecracker apparently doesn't want to reveal his or her methods.

"It's pretty cool techniques that I don't think we’re supposed to be talking about," Tyson said. "But it's pretty cool."

So check back and we'll let you know what they found.