Atomic Museum

About Atomic Museum

The Atomic Museum (formerly the National Atomic Testing Museum) opened in 2005 as a Smithsonian Institution affiliate documenting the history of the Nevada Test Site, which conducted 928 atmospheric and underground nuclear tests between 1951 and 1992 — about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Galleries cover the Manhattan Project, the atmospheric testing era (when downtown Las Vegas casinos sold "Dawn Bomb Party" packages timed to the mushroom-cloud sunrises), the transition to underground testing after 1963, and the current stewardship era. The Ground Zero Theater simulates an atmospheric test using sound, light, and a concussive low-frequency rumble. Museum-only tickets are reasonably priced. The full Nevada National Security Site tour, run separately by the Department of Energy, departs from the museum but requires a federal ID and a months-in-advance reservation.