Bradbury Science Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1953 |
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| Location | Los Alamos, New Mexico |
The Bradbury Science Museum is a cool place to visit in Los Alamos, New Mexico. It's the main public museum for the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The museum first opened its doors in 1953. It was named after Norris E. Bradbury, who was the director of the Laboratory for many years.
Inside, you can see amazing exhibits. Some show artifacts and documents from World War II. These items were once secret but are now on display. You can also see full-size models of the "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" atomic bombs. The best part is that admission to the museum is completely free!
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How the Museum Started
In 1953, a man named Robert Krohn thought the Los Alamos Laboratory needed a museum. He wanted a place to keep important historical items related to weapons research. Krohn convinced Norris Bradbury, the Laboratory's director, that a museum would be a great idea. It could save the Laboratory's history. It would also be a place for official visitors to learn about their work.
The first museum was in an old ice house. This building was perfect because it already had a strong vault door. This helped keep the secret exhibits safe. The ice house Museum opened in 1954 for official visitors.
Later, in 1963, Robert Porton wanted to add exhibits for everyone to see. Norris Bradbury agreed to show non-secret items to the public. Soon, documents and photos from World War II were on display. These showed how the town and Laboratory grew. There were also scientific items and working models of research projects. In its first year, 14,000 people visited the museum. They came from all 50 states and 40 different countries!
In 1965, the museum moved to a bigger building. More and more exhibits were added. Many of these were hands-on models. Different science groups from the Laboratory helped create them.
Named After Norris E. Bradbury
In 1970, the museum was renamed the Norris E. Bradbury Science Museum. This was to honor the Laboratory's second director. Later, its name was shortened to just the Bradbury Science Museum.
Big updates happened at the museum in 1981. The exhibits became more professional. They were designed to look like a formal museum. New technology was added, like videos and interactive computer programs. You could also see new items. These included a Mark 12A warhead and models of satellites. There was even a model of an air-launched cruise missile.
Moving to Downtown Los Alamos
By 1987, about 80,000 people visited the museum each year. Finding parking for everyone became a problem. So, Laboratory officials started looking for a new location. In April 1993, the museum moved to its current spot. It's now right in the middle of downtown Los Alamos. The building was designed by William Agnew and Associates.
What You Can See Today
Today, the museum has about 40 interactive exhibits. They tell the story of the World War II Manhattan Project. This was a secret project that developed the first atomic bombs. The exhibits also show the Laboratory's current and past research. This includes work on national security and keeping nuclear weapons safe.
Recent additions to the museum are really cool. You can learn about the history of supercomputers. There are exhibits on the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. You can also see Los Alamos's contributions to the Mars Science Laboratory, which includes the Curiosity rover. Other topics include nanotechnology, which is about tiny machines. You can also learn about algae biofuels and high explosives.
See also
- American Museum of Science and Energy
- National Atomic Testing Museum
- National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
