Manhattan Project National Historical Park

The park overall presents a comprehensive and balanced history of the Manhattan Project and the events that led up to and flowed from it. The general impression given is that the development of, and decision to use, nuclear weapons was justified, but there is no shying away from the ongoing debate, and the exhibits are careful not to take an official position.

A few of the panels throughout the park focus on the displacement of locals to build the labs, including Native Americans, Hispanic homesteaders, and The Los Alamos Ranch School, but the topic is presented fairly and appropriately.

There is one questionable interactive video exhibit at the Bradbury Science Center called “Climate Perspectives: Change in the Terrestrial Arctic,” which delves into how “[r]ising temperatures are rapidly reshaping the terrestrial arctic: permafrost is thawing, coastlines are eroding, and habitats are shifting.” The specific content presented is straightforward and fact-based, but it seems like the intent of the exhibit is to further climate change alarm.

There are certain to be some staff and volunteers who have strong opinions one way or the other, which they may telegraph to visitors. But overall, the park presents a difficult, complex period of history well. While there is no overt patriotism, a visitor to the site cannot help but come away impressed by what was accomplished in such a short period of time by so many smart, dedicated patriots (infiltrated by a handful of spies) on behalf of America and the war effort.

The overall sense a visitor gets is that the people who live and work in Los Alamos and at the historic site are proud of their community and the role that it played in history. Perhaps this is due to the degree to which Los Alamos is a “company town,” whose economy is significantly driven by Los Alamos National Labs. It may also be because the park’s docents tend to be retired laboratory employees, who are instructed not to take sides either for or against the decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki but simply to present the events that led to history’s unfolding.

It is important to distinguish the park itself from Los Alamos’ annual Oppenheimer Festival, a citywide event that “transforms Los Alamos into a two-week celebration of film, history, and immersive storytelling.” While the scope of this review does not include that independent festival, it seems to invite more of an ideological take on the events of the past 80 years and should be evaluated accordingly.

The walking tour is easy enough for families, on flat ground with much of it shaded by beautiful evergreen trees. There’s also no need to walk the full length, as the two anchor museums sit just two blocks from one another, and between them is a small shopping center with a handful of coffee and dining options. While the park and its exhibits can be enjoyed reasonably well in a good half-day, those who like to linger may want to take longer, and the surrounding area has additional attractions that can easily fill up the rest of the day (or two).

If the trip includes a visit to Santa Fe, look for a kitschy courtyard just off the plaza that features a plaque commemorating 109 E. Palace Avenue, the address at which scientists and staff arrived after a long, dusty train ride, only to find that it was merely a checkpoint on the way to Los Alamos’ top-secret location. There’s a cute coffee shop in the courtyard called Oppy’s Coffee, for those in the know.

The park’s content itself is probably not ideal for young children, who would not be able to understand it. But pre-teens and teenagers who are interested in history and science, or both, may find it a wonderful learning experience. There are no troubling images of death and destruction, and the Bradbury Science Center has many interactive exhibits that may help inspire young people to careers in science.

Everyone knows about the atomic bomb and how its use brought an end to World War II, and many people now have a passing familiarity with Oppenheimer due to the popular 2023 film of the same name that won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture (for which the park served as a shooting location and about which there is a separate film tour).

Few Americans, however, understand just how significant an accomplishment the Manhattan Project was, the complexity Oppenheimer and Groves faced in keeping its military and scientific operations (and personalities) working together, and how complicated it was to build a remote community of the world’s leading scientists almost overnight.

The Manhattan Project was so named because its first headquarters were located in New York City. But the government soon realized that a project this consequential was going to require the utmost secrecy, and in 1943, the first ramshackle buildings of a secret laboratory were erected atop a remote mesa in Northern New Mexico. While the original plan called for the project to have fewer than 1,000 employees, by the end of the war there were more than 8,000 people living in temporary quarters, driving on unpaved roads, and joking about the town’s two seasons: dust and mud. After the war, the government recognized the need for continued nuclear research and formally established Los Alamos National Labs, which today employs some 10,000 people. Los Alamos now has a population of 18,000 and, in addition to its scenic beauty and historical significance, is known for having the most PhDs per capita in the United States.

The Manhattan Project National Historic Park is a testament to American ingenuity, inspiring visitors not only by the project’s unprecedented scientific achievements, but also by the vital questions it raises about the continuing role of both nuclear weapons and science writ large in our society.

Owned By: Department of Energy

Operated By: A partnership between the Department of Energy, National Park Service, Los Alamos County, and local private landowners.

Government Funded: Yes