National Atomic Testing Museum

Chartered in late 1991 as the country’s only official atomic museum, the National Atomic Testing Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum houses interactive displays, short films, timelines and real equipment from the former testing site. History includes Las Vegas in the 1950s when massive mushroom clouds rose from the Nevada Test Site (NTS), the country’s nuclear testing location just 65 miles outside the city. NTS had a total of 928 announced nuclear tests (100 atmospheric and 828 underground). In fact, some casinos even offered people seats so they could sit and watch. The state no longer conducts the tests, but the National Atomic Testing Museum preserves all of the history, propaganda, controversy and much more.

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