The virtual tours include interactive features that provide interesting facts and insights about science, engineering, and the people behind the Manhattan Project. Courtesy/NPS

NPS News:

DENVER — Manhattan Project National Historical Park (NHP), recently published virtual tours of four park facilities. Tours include T Plant and B Reactor at Hanford and X-10 Graphite Reactor and Y-12 Pilot Plant (Building 9731) at Oak Ridge.

Manhattan Project NHP is co-managed with the Department of Energy. All the park facilities are managed by the Department of Energy. Public tours are offered on a limited basis to some of the park facilities but most currently have no physical public access. Park staff worked with Department of Energy personnel and community partners to provide opportunities to see and learn about park buildings where much of the cutting-edge science of the Manhattan Project happened. 

“We are delighted to share these tours with the public and provide virtual opportunities to peak behind the fence to experience these incredible buildings up close. These tours embody the spirit of this co-managed park in finding creative ways to work within and across agencies and with community partners to provide visitor access and a diverse visitor experience,” Park Superintendent Wendy Berhman said.

The virtual tours are part of a multi-tiered park experience that connects visitors to the intriguing stories of the people and places associated with the country’s war effort. Each of the Manhattan Project communities is distinguished as an American World War II Heritage City for its significant role in these world-changing events. In addition to virtual tours, the park’s website (www.nps.gov/mapr) has a wealth of digital resources to open vistas for contemplation and consideration as visitors navigate the complexities of these transformative events. 

The B Reactor at Hanford is the first full scale nuclear production reactor in the world. The X-10 Graphite Reactor at Oak Ridge was the second nuclear reactor ever built and the first to produce measurable amounts of plutonium. Both facilities are National Historic Landmarks. Hanford’s T Plant was the first separations plant in the world constructed to chemically separate radioactive materials. The Y-12 Pilot Plant at Oak Ridge housed the prototype equipment for the electromagnetic device known as Calutrons.