One hundred aficionados of World War II history can tour the seldom-seen Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Oct. 13-14. Mandatory registration begins Sept. 1 on a first-come, first-served basis.
The park was established in 2015 and buildings and sites date back to the Manhattan Project (1943-1946). In the nearly 80 years since, Los Alamos National Laboratory has grown around what is now the park, encompassing 35 square miles. The park is only open at select times.
Visitors will see and learn about the Pond Cabin, which served as an office for Emilio Segrè’s Radioactivity Group studying plutonium, a battleship bunker used to protect equipment and staff during implosion-design explosives testing and the Slotin Building, site of Louis Slotin’s criticality accident. Four three-hour sessions are available, each accommodating up to 25 people. Tours complement the Trinity Site Open House held on Oct. 15 near Alamogordo.
The tours are made possible by the Laboratory in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Los Alamos Field Office and the National Park Service. Registration is hosted via the Laboratory’s Bradbury Science Museum website.
The public is invited to register here beginning Thursday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. (MDT).
Admission requirements
Health, safety and security are vitally important on Laboratory property. To be admitted, visitors must:
- be at least 18 years of age.
- provide proof of U.S. citizenship at the tour check-in.
- be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. No vaccination waivers/exemptions will be accepted. Boosters are not required.
- provide original vaccination card at check-in. No photocopies or pictures will be accepted.
No cameras of any kind are allowed, including cell phones.
Participants must follow specific identification and clothing requirements. Details will be provided to those who register. Please follow them to avoid being turned away from the tour.
Future tour opportunities will be announced throughout the year on the Bradbury Science Museum website.
For more information on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, please visit the Bradbury Science Museum section devoted to the history of the Manhattan Project sites at the Laboratory (note that not all sites are currently open to the public), the National Park Service’s Manhattan Project National Historical Park website and the Los Alamos History Museum.
