Gypsum has been mined for construction purposes outside Walferdange since the mid 19th century. No longer worked for the mineral, the underground location has been used as a seismology laboratory since 1967.
The laboratory is located around 800 metres into the mine, at a point where it is roughly 80 metres below the surface. This location offers a stable environment in terms of temperature and lack of vibrations for the sensitive instruments, plus the location is dry.