‘Secret Pass’ opens at Bradbury Science Museum

Manhattan on the Mesa experiences and exhibits give visitors a new look at Los Alamos’ history

July 11, 2017

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The Behind the Fence exhibit gives visitors a 360-degree immersive experience of key park properties at the Lab.

The Bradbury Science Museum will open three new exhibits and a video as part of a new experience called “Manhattan on the Mesa.” The exhibits will be dedicated at a public opening July 14, from 4 to 6 p.m.

“With these exhibits we help visitors to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park experience the park properties at the Laboratory that are not yet open to the public,” said Museum Director Linda Deck.

Manhattan on the Mesa includes:

  • A new video, titled Racing Toward Dawn, which examines the Lab’s role in the Manhattan Project as Project Y
  • They Changed the World, a book by photographer A.J. Melnick, which consists of photographs and backgrounds of various people who lived and worked at the Lab during World War II, in a new, interactive format
  • Behind the Fence, a 360-degree immersive experience of key park properties at the Lab that includes exteriors, interiors, sounds and even smells
  • Large displays that go into detail about the uses and significance of the properties

All of the new activities are tied together by the “Secret Pass,” which encourages visitors to decode clues and find answers. Those answers are located throughout the exhibit, and the exploration provides a deeper experience.

The new experiences were created in conjunction with New Mexico Highlands University’s Program in Interactive Cultural Technology, the National Park Service and the Lab’s Manhattan Project National Historical Park steering committee.