Las Vegas: National Atomic Testing Museum

Tucked into an innocuous lot off of East Flamingo road, it'd be easy to drive right past the National Atomic Testing Museum and never notice the presence of this scientifically abundant space. I can honestly say that we certainly did exactly that for quite a long time, before finally realizing what we were missing out on and making a point to check it out. As luck would have it, we found time to make the trip not long after our weekend out by Lake Mead, so after a long morning hauling through the desert, we found ourselves basking in the air-conditioning and soaking in the vast supply of information available. Despite eluding our awareness for some time, the Atomic Testing Museum is a pretty legit experience, allowing visitors a glimpse into history to the Las Vegas area that not many people know about, but continues to have an impact on our country to this day. The ramifications and reality of nuclear fallout are real, guys, and more widespread than their scientists predicted back in the heyday of atomic testing, impacting the states of Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico the most but extending as far out as even New York, though the proliferation of super-fund sites is a whole different problem in and of itself. You can learn about this sort of stuff at the museum, along with checking out some of the pop-culture memorabilia that has sprung up around it, in some way or another. We spent a couple hours wandering around, reading the various plaques and signs and trying to absorb as much as we could.

There are some thematic areas that might be a little spooky for small children, and the words to pictures ratio might not be favorable to young kids, either. For the literate, the curious, and the passing through, it's absolutely worth popping in to explore the Atomic Testing Museum if you find yourself in their neck of the woods. During the time of our visit, there was a woman have a very loud, very dramatic and very public sort of fit, screaming at her phone, a guy across the street, and otherwise making a scene, which was a little appetizer of free entertainment before even stepping foot inside the building. The museum is a bit more together, thankfully, and after obtaining your ticket from their friendly staff, you'll be soaking in the knowledge! You might be able to find a discounted ticket on Groupon, as we did, but they also partner with the Mob Museum to offer discounts for visiting both museums during your time in Vegas, or there might even be separate discounts still available for locals! It doesn't hurt to do a little research before your visit, after all.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's a wrap for this one, thanks for stopping by!

👽

XOXO,

NAU