The Atomic Testing Museum

It’s hard to imagine but it was true—during the Cold War Nevada was a test site for nuclear weapons testing and because the test site was so close to Las Vegas, nuclear weapons testing became a tourist attraction.

Tourists would come from all over to stand and watch the mushroom cloud of weapons testing in the distance. The weapons testing program was so popular with the locals that they even created a Miss Atomic beauty pageant!

You might ask- how does she know this? Well, among other things, Las Vegas is home to the Atomic Testing Museum, which I happened to find out about from another sociologist!

I managed to take a local bus (even though it wasn’t far, walking in 107 degree heat is a bit much!), and toured the museum. The exhibits are informative and tell the story of the development of atomic energy and atomic weapons testing.

It struck me as I toured the place that most people don’t know about this, and it is a piece of history that may soon be lost. Critics of atomic energy abound, but they fail to realize the good it has created along with the power of destruction.

Harnessing nuclear power is one of mankind’s most amazing accomplishments—but along with it comes a sobering responsibility.