Minuteman Missile National Historic Site facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Visitor Center
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Location in South Dakota Show map of South Dakota Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Jackson County and Pennington County, South Dakota, U.S.
Nearest city	Wall, South Dakota
Area	15 acres (6.1 ha)
Established	November 29, 1999 (1999-November-29)
Visitors	59,389 (in 2011)
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	Minuteman Missile National Historical Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
A view of the silo from above
Area	1.6 acres (0.65 ha)
NRHP reference No.	01000275
Added to NRHP	November 29, 1999

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site was created in 1999. It helps us understand the Cold War, which was a long period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. It also shows the "arms race," where both sides built many powerful weapons. This site teaches us about the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

This special National Historic Site protects the very last Minuteman II ICBM system in the United States. While these older missiles are no longer active, 450 newer Minuteman III missiles are still used today. They are located at air force bases in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

What You Can See at the Site

This National Historic Site has three main parts. There's a main office for visitors. Then, there are two important places from the Cold War era. These are a launch control center and a missile silo. These places were once run by the 44th Strategic Missile Wing, based at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota.

These sites are the only complete parts left of a huge nuclear missile area. This area once had 150 Minuteman II missiles and 15 launch control centers. It covered a very large part of southwestern South Dakota.

The Missile Silo: Delta Nine (D-09)

The missile silo, called launch facility Delta Nine (D-09), was built in 1963. It covers about 1.6 acres. It's located near Wall, South Dakota.

The silo has an underground launch tube. This tube is about 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and 80 feet (24.4 m) deep. It's made of strong concrete and steel. An unarmed missile is on display inside the silo. The huge, 90-ton cover of the launch tube has been moved aside. It is now welded open. A glass viewing area covers the launch tube. This lets visitors see the missile. It also lets Russian satellites confirm the site is not active. This helps follow the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

You cannot go underground at this site. The only way down is a 30 feet (9.1 m) ladder, which is not safe for tours. Visitors can take self-guided tours during the day. You can call a phone number on your cell phone. Then you can walk around and listen to descriptions of different spots.

The Launch Control Center: Delta One (D-01)

The launch control facility, called Delta One (D-01), is about 10.5 miles (16.9 km) away. It's in northwestern Jackson County. It covers about six acres.

This site has an above-ground building. It used to have a kitchen, sleeping areas, and offices for the crew. Below this building is the actual launch control center. It is buried 31 feet (9.4 m) deep. An elevator connects it to the building above.

You can take guided tours underground here. However, only six people can go at a time. This is because the underground control room, called a "capsule," is very small. These tours last about 30 minutes. You cannot do self-guided tours here. The gate to D-01 is always locked, just like when it was an active missile site.

Why This Site is Important

This missile complex was one of six in the central United States. It was built to stop the Soviet Union from launching a nuclear attack. The idea was to place missiles underground in many different places. This way, if the Soviet Union attacked, enough U.S. missiles would survive. These surviving missiles could then be launched back, causing great damage to the attacker. This idea was called "deterrence."

The Minuteman missiles at this complex were ready for launch for almost 30 years. They were taken out of service after the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed in 1991. President George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed this treaty. Under the treaty, the missiles were removed from their silos. In 1994, the 44th Missile Wing was closed down. All missile sites in the area, except D-01 and D-09, were destroyed.

D-01 and D-09 were chosen to become a national historic site for a few reasons:

• They are close to a major highway (Interstate 90).
• They are near other popular places like Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore.
• The sites had not been changed much since they were built in the 1960s.

In 2013, a federal law called the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act gave the park even more land.

Gallery

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  D-9 silo

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  D-9 silo map

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  D-9 Axonometric Site Plan

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  Map showing where the missile squadrons were located

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  A quote by Sun Tzu

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  Warning sign at the silo

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  Entry gate to the Delta-01 launch control facility

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  Control Room for Delta Wing Launch facility

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  Inside the command module for Delta Wing

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  A strong blast door