LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Fun, educational and definitely unique are just some of the ways to describe the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas.
The museum documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Tests above-ground and below-ground were performed there. The first nuclear test occurred in 1951 and the final test was in 1992.
The exhibits include a replica of the 1950s test dummies used at the site to see what damage they would sustain from a blast.
“It’s a fascinating look at how the Atomic Age mixed science with everyday life,” said Joseph Kent, the museum’s deputy director.
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This is the 1957 Ford Nucleon, a prototype, designed to be powered by nuclear energy. It never made it to production. (KLAS) -
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. (KLAS) -
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. (KLAS) -
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. (KLAS) -
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. (KLAS) -
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. (KLAS) -
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. (KLAS) -
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas documents the history of nuclear testing at the National Nevada Security Site in the Mojave desert, about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. (KLAS)
Those early blasts created an atomic pop culture that impacted television shows, comic books, toys and even led to a prototype car — the 1957 Ford Nucleon — designed by Ford to be powered by nuclear energy. Engineers claimed that it could get 5,000 miles to a charge. Although the car didn’t make it to production, Kent said the Nucleon was the inspiration for the nuclear cars in the Fallout video game series.
Atomic Odyssey, is the newest exhibit at the museum and it is a hands-on displays that break down how atoms work, what nuclear reactions do and how atomic energy shapes the world.
In a wild throwback to the Cold War, Kent shared the story of when Russians came to Nevada to look at the test site. He said it was part of the 1988 Joint Verification Experiment, where Soviet and U.S. scientists teamed up to check each other’s nuclear tests.
The museum is open year-round and offers discounts to locals. More information can be found at this link.
