New Mexico is the birthplace of the Atomic age, a story told at its nuclear bomb sites. In this story, we open our TOP SECRET folder and tell you the best places to visit on your next trip to New Mexico.
The backbone of New Mexico’s economy is defense and weaponry. Rumors abound of buried arsenals in mountains around the state — also buried remains of the Roswell UFO if you must know. People talk about bunkers filled with decaying tactical warheads oozing toxic sludge into the water table, and the potential of nuclear contamination in case of a WIPP shipment mishap. But those are only rumors.
A Brief History Of New Mexico’s Atomic Bomb
In truth, the first atomic bomb was developed in Los Alamos, fueled by uranium from Grants. The earliest nuclear bomb was assembled in Alamogordo. This thermonuclear blast was detonated with technology invented in Albuquerque at Kirtland Air Force base.
The Nuclear Age is pretty much a New Mexico export. To fully appreciate the state’s connections to atomic energy and its impact on this century, you can take the whole family on a tour of New Mexico’s most “nuclear bomb” sites, starting in Albuquerque.
Albuquerque, First Stop On New Mexico Nuclear Attractions Tour
Make the National Museum of Nuclear Science and Histor in Albuquerque your ground zero for history and science lessons. It’s conveniently located at 601 Eubank Blvd SE, in the Sandia Science and Technology Park east of Kirtland Air Force Base. View nuclear artifacts like bombs, bombers, and the gear needed to get them to where they are going. There’s much more than vintage atomic weapons, although (replicas of) Little Boy (the bomb dropped on Nagasaki) and Fat Man (the bomb dropped on Hiroshima) are must-sees.
Families discover constantly changing exhibits that chronicle stories of the movers and shakers of the Atomic Age. Kids will be fascinated by classic fission weapons, tactical and strategic bombs, fleet ballistic missiles, warheads and artillery rounds. Keep exploring for the latest in atomic energy, nuclear medicine and the many other fields impacted by this milestone scientific achievement.
The popular outdoors exhibits in the 9-acre Heritage Park include planes and missiles such as Atomic Annie (a 280 MM Atomic cannon), an F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-52B Statofortress, Nike Hercules Air Defense Missile, and a Trinity Tower Replica. Open daily; check their schedule for virtual lectures and movies sometimes shown there.
Abo Elementary School: Where Students Used To “Duck and Cover”
New Mexico also has the only elementary school in the U.S. built underground as a bomb shelter — Abo Elementary in Artesia. The Abo Elementary School and Fallout Shelter is currently on the List of National Historic Places, although not open to the public. It’s 240 miles south of Albuquerque, so you’ll want to break up the drive with an overnight stop in Roswell, the state’s homebase for alien science.
When Aboopened in 1962, it was an unusual tourist attraction. During the 1960s, for example, scholars and others arrived for guided tours. Students entered through two buildings at the south end of the complex and descended stairs to three levels of classrooms. The northernmost building at the site provided entry to the teachers and staff who had, according to the NPS, a decontamination shower if adults arrived contaminated by radiation. The exterior of Abo Elementary, closed in 1995 when a new, aboveground school was built, is still maintained as a historic site.
Birthplace Of The Original New Mexico Nuclear Bomb: Trinity Test Site
On the morning of July 16, 1945, the world shook from the first Trinity Site atomic bomb test blast. The nuclear detonation test of “The Gadget” as it was known, was done in the Tularosa Basin north of Alamogordo. Scientists from Los Alamos labs weren’t quite sure if the atmosphere would catch fire or not, and that would be the end of THAT!
The atomic bomb flash could be seen as far away as Gallup, Los Alamos and Las Cruces. The Trinity Site, now on the White Sands Missile Range, offers tours at the beginning of every April and October. The government says it’s safe, even though the radiation levels are 10 times higher than your home or mine.
For information you can contact the National Museum of Nuclear Science and Histor or the National Park Service. The U.S. Army runs the White Sands Missile Range and provides more information about opportunities for public visits.
Nuclear New Mexico’s Heart At Los Alamos
New Mexico’s science and research center at Los Alamos, is about 100 miles north of Albuquerque. Stop in Santa Fe to enjoy the state’s cultural hub with its many family attractions. At Los Alamos, start your education at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, where the atomic bomb was developed. The park’s rangers and visitor center provide insights into World War II, atomic science, and the people behind the bomb. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer was the best known among the scientists. (Watch the 2024 Academy Award-winning film, “Oppenheimer” with tweens and older before you go.) Other luminaries included Norris Bradbury, Richard Feynman, Hans Bethe, and many others.
School-age and older kids should join the self-guided walking tour. Go through the History Museum campus and down the legendary Bathtub Row. Bathtubs, quite a luxury at that time, were only in the homes of the highest-ranking Manhattan Project scientists and Nobel Prize winners. Several other sites protected by the Historical Park are only open a few times a year, by appointment, for guided tours. If you’re really into New Mexico’s nuclear bomb legacy, plan ahead.
Bradbury Science Musem At Los Alamos
To take care of your science project needs for the next century or so, visit the Bradbury Science Museum on the main drag in Los Alamos at 15th and Central. At this fun museum you will find two 16-minute films. “Racing Toward Dawn” is about nuclear history and “Mission: Stockpile Stewardship” covers development of the technology and nuclear deterrents today. Open daily; free admission.
Displays on nuclear defense, disarmament and its consequences, nuclear energy (especially on its safety) and lots more you probably didn’t learn about in school fascinate all ages. Same for the TechLab, where you can gets your hands dirty testing the scientific and technical concepts behind atomic energy and its use in space, supercomputing and energy.
If you saw the full-scale models of Fat Man and Little Boy in Albuquerque, skip them here. Other exhibits include information on the Laboratory’s research on life sciences, achievements in space, supercomputing, energy and the environment. Kids feeling inspired? The Los Alamos Science Fest shows off STEAM projects each July so stop in if you’re in town.
The WIPP Nuclear Storage Site
To complete your Nuclear New Mexico tour, you’ll surely enjoy a visit to the WIPP site. It is the country’s only deep geologic respository for nuclear waste. Since it’s located about 300 miles south of Albuquerque, you may want to pair this with a stop at the Abo Elementary School.
According to the WIPP website, 2024 is their 25th anniversary of disposing of legacy transuranic (TRU) waste. Since 1999, they note, “WIPP has safely traveled over 16.5 million loaded miles (this would equate to approximately 34 round trips to the moon).” More than 285,000 waste containers, mostly from 22 Dept. of Energy generator sites, are safely in the WIPP underground.
Tours are no longer offered of the actual WIPP site. Instead, view “The WIPP Experience Exhibit” at the U.S. Department of Energy office in Carlsbad. Watch a documentary, check out their displays and talk with the knowledgeable staff; open Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 3:30pm.
This is the place to learn about the underground storage of nuclear waste, with an emphasis on how safe it will be, buried beneath the salt flats south of Carlsbad for all eternity.
This article, originally by New Mexico author Gwynne Spencer, was updated by the FTF staff in 2024.
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The National Atomic Musuem has a big sign out front that reads, “Kids Activity Center Located Here,” but the activity center proved to be a big disapointment. There is indeed a designated children’s activity area, but it is filled with Tupperware tubs containing a few games and puzzle-type activities and an art project or two. The museum itself is not particularly hands-on.
Another sign on the front door reads, “No wheelies or heelies (wheeled shoes) in the museum” and I expect that plenty of children raced through the museum quickly and turned to amusing themselves by skating along the halls and ramps while their parents lingered over the display cases. A revamp of the Kid’s Activity Center is due.
Laura Sutherland
FTF’s Blogger