National Atomic Testing Museum

The National Atomic Testing Museum chronicles the history of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site in the desert north of Las Vegas. The museum operates as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

The museum opened in 2005 as the “Atomic Testing Museum” and in 2011, the museum was designated a national museum becoming one of thirty-seven National Museum of the United States.

The museum covers the period from the first test at the Nevada Test Site in 1951 to the present.

In 2012 the museum added an exhibit about “Area 51,” the highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range.

The weather station outside of the National Atomic Testing Museum records weather data for downtown Las Vegas. The data include temperature, wind speed, and background gamma radiation in micro-roentgen per hour.

Nevada Test Site

The Nevada Test Site is a United States Department of Energy (DoE) reservation located about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the city of Las Vegas.

Formerly known as the Nevada Proving Grounds, the site was established in 1951 for the testing of nuclear devices, covering approximately 1,360 square miles (3,500 km2) of the desert and mountainous terrain.

Nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a 1-kiloton-of-TNT (4.2 TJ) bomb dropped in 1951. Over the subsequent years, over one thousand atomic explosions were detonated at the site.

Area 51

“Area 51” is a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range. Details of the facility’s operations are not publicly known.

The USAF acquired the site in 1955, primarily for flight testing the Lockheed U-2 aircraft.

The intense secrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component of unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore.

All research and occurrences in “Area 51” are Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information.

“Area 51” is located 83 miles (134 km) north-northwest of Las Vegas near the “Extraterrestrial Highway.”

“Area 51” Warning Sign stating that “photography is prohibited” and that “use of deadly force is authorized”

Highlights of the National Atomic Testing Museum

Exhibits covering American nuclear history
“Ground Zero Theater” which simulates the experience of observing an atmospheric nuclear test
Nuclear industry devices including Geiger counters, radio badges, and radiation testing devices
Native American artifacts from around the test area
Pop culture memorabilia related to the atomic age
Equipment used in testing nuclear devices
Interactive exhibits about radiation
The “Area 51” exhibit covers the highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range
A weather station recording background gamma radiation
How to Photograph an Atomic Bomb exhibit

National Atomic Testing Museum

Museum: National Atomic Testing Museum
City: Las Vegas, Nevada,
Country: United States
Opened: 2005
Type: Specialist Museums
Category: National Museum of the United States
Location: 755 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV, United States

National Atomic Testing Museum Map

National Atomic Testing Museum – 360 views

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National Atomic Testing Museum

National Atomic Testing Museum

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National Atomic Testing Museum

A Behind the Scenes Look at Area 51

“Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount.”
– Omar N. Bradley

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Photo Credit: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0); Elizabeth K. Joseph from San Francisco, United States / CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0); justgrimes / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0); Made by X51 (Flickr: flickr.com/photos/x51/ Web: http://x51.org/) / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

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