National Atomic Testing Museum

The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, documents the history of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in the desert north of Las Vegas. The museum operates as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Next article

The museum covers the period from the first test at NTS on January 27, 1951, to the present. Among its exhibits covering American nuclear history is a “Ground Zero Theater” which simulates the experience of observing an atmospheric nuclear test.

Other exhibits include Geiger counters, radio badges and radiation testing devices, Native American artifacts from around the test area, pop culture memorabilia related to the atomic age, and equipment used in testing the devices. Other displays focus on important figures at the facility, videos and interactive exhibits about radiation. A fantastic read

In 2012 the museum added an exhibit about Area 51, and expanded the exhibit two years later.