Only in Your State | New Mexico | By Robin McClure
As the birthplace of the Atomic Bomb, New Mexico is home to where the weapons used in World War II were designed and developed.
The Los Alamos area was the site of the secret military program known as the Manhattan Project that was in-part based here.
Today, Los Alamos National Laboratory is the nation’s foremost nuclear weapons lab.
As such, it’s no surprise that the state has a museum to tell the story of the dawn of the Nuclear Age.
The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History was established in 1969. Originally, it was located at Kirtland Air Force Base before being closed due to increased security protocols there on Sept. 11, 2001.
After being in a temporary location for a number of years, the beautiful new facility opened in 2009 in Albuquerque.
The museum celebrates scientific curiosity and achievement. It features some very interesting photo exhibits of the past that tell of scientists’ development of nuclear technology.
The above photo shows the core of the nuclear bomb technology developed in New Mexico during World War II.
The exhibits featured in this impressive museum explain how testing was performed as part of the secret government Project Y of the Manhattan Project. It’s hard to believe that the first atomic bomb was tested in a World War project.
This photo is of Physicist Ernest O. Lawrence and his invention of the Berkeley Cyclotron. The contraption invented in 1932 is a particle accelerator. You can learn more about it among the plethora of other information this nationally recognized museum has to offer.
The museum staff changes the exhibits often, to keep the subject matter relevant and interesting to the patrons who visit its’ halls.
Feature exhibits like Manhattan Project era describes what the development rooms were like during the 1940s.
“Critical Assembly, The Secrets of Los Alamos 1944: An Installation by Jim Sanborn” is a popular display there also.
There is an exhibit you can find of the B-29 Superfortress. One of the B-29’s final roles in World War II was carrying out the atomic bombing attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
You’ll be transported to the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through current peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
Adults and children alike enjoy the numerous interactive exhibits which help to explain how the technology works and show its diverse applications in place today.
It is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited through the American Alliance of Museums.
If you’re a teacher, the Nuclear Museum is perfect for a field trip, because each exhibit promotes STEM concepts of science, technology, engineering and math.
Guests are encouraged to use their unlimited imaginations when they visit.
It located at 601 Eubank Blvd. S.E. in Albuquerque and is open daily from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. except for a select few holidays.
Admission is $12 per adults and $10 for seniors and children ages 6 and up.
More details are available here.
