Attractions
Atomic Testing Museum |
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Atomic Testing Museum Details
- Hours of operation: Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. Closed on major holidays.
- Cost: $12 general admission. $9 for seniors, students, children and military personnel with proper identification.
- Payment options: Cash, Mastercard and Visa.
- Reservations: No.
- Location: Approximately three miles from the Strip.
- Age/Height/Weight restrictions: None.
Atomic Testing Museum Review
For more than four decades, atomic testing played a crucial part in the history of both the United States and Southern Nevada. The importance of the testing facility in Nevada is chronicled in the 8,000-square-foot Atomic Testing Museum through the use of oral histories, multimedia presentations and unique artifacts.
From 1951 to 1992, 928 nuclear weapons tests were conducted at the Nevada Test Site. On Oct. 2, 1992, a worldwide moratorium on nuclear testing was declared, bringing a halt to the project. Throughout the exhibit, accounts from some of the thousands of former employees detail the Nevada Test Site's vital role in the Cold War.
There are a number of television screens throughout the museum chronicling world events of the time. In addition, there is the Ground Zero Theater, which gives visitors a chilling glimpse of an above-ground detonation. The theater is designed after the concrete bunkers used at the original test site, from long wooden benches to red warning lights.
The Atomic Testing Museum is located in the Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology Building on the Desert Research Institute campus and offers more than 370,000 declassified documents. The museum is filled with numerous photos and brief descriptions of each, including a photo of "Bravo," the largest American nuclear test, at Bikini Atoll in 1954.
Among the collection is a display on the "Atom Bomb and Pop Culture," featuring items from the era including a mixed-drink book titled "Atomic Cocktails" and a box of Kix cereal that also holds a Kix Atomic Bomb Ring. Also seen in the display are postcards of the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino with a giant plume in the background.
The hands-on museum has plenty to keep visitors busy. Guests can attempt to use manipulators, interactive arms once used to handle radioactive materials. There also are interactive exhibits on radioactivity and hydrology at the Nevada Test Site. In addition, visitors' questions will eagerly be answered by one of the many volunteers at the museum who previously worked at the test site.
The Atomic Testing Museum is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, and a smaller gallery, the Harry Reid Exhibit Hall, will host traveling exhibits. The gift shop offers a wide variety of unique souvenirs, from eye-catching T-shirts to Albert Einstein action figures.
-- Review by Noelani Jones
