Our trip to the Nuclear Museum (picture heavy)
I promised I was going to talk a little about how we spent our Memorial Day. A good friend of ours was in town and we weren't really sure what to do, so I through out the idea of going to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History (seriously the longest mos drawn out name ever)! It use to be the Atomic Museum, but apparently that is no longer a PC name. Go figure.It's been on Nate's and my visit list for awhile. Mostly because this poor museum has been moved a few times. It use to be on Kirtland AFB, but Sept 11 nixed that. Then it was moved to a temporary location across town and now to it's final and current location (right outside one of Kirtland's gates). I wanted to wait till they put the planes back together (they took them apart to move them). The seemed to sit there forever, until a few months ago.
In case you didn't know...New Mexico is pretty much the birth place of the US's Atomic Age. White Sands Missile Range (largest military installation in the US), home of the Trinity Site, is just south of Albuquerque. Because of all of this history, it's not suprising that they have a nuclear museum here. In short this place has almost anything and everything to do with the Atomic era. Including, but not limited to, replicas of Fat Man and Little Boy as well as planes and missiles.
Now onto the photos!
When you first walk in you are met by a large stone Periodic Table of Elements. Apparently if you ever visit Nate and I in our dream home...you will be greeted by one of our own. Or so he seems to think.
Replicas of Fat Man (yellow) and Little Boy (green).
An actual Clipper limo (refurbished) that was used at the site .
The Clipper limo couldn't go more than 25 mph because the car was actually just cut in half with wood placed in the middle to make it into the limo.
Rocket.
Don't worry...the little white X means it's not longer a danger. Awesome.
Side of a B-52 that was used for testing.
Up inside the B-52's wheel well.
The Army's M65 Atomic Cannon...yes a cannon that shoots nukes at far too close of a range for my comfort.
I hear it's a good read (yes I went there).
B-29 "Duke of Albuquerque" they used for testing (same model that dropped the bombs).
B-29 propellers.
B-52 (one of the few to drop an actual nuclear weapon) under the wing of the B-29.
Propaganda poster, which I seriously want for our house!
You know...for stomach troubles...like your stomach being eaten away.
All in all it was a good museum. Not the best I've ever been to, but they won me over with some of their cool displays. Will we ever go back? No. Though it was fun to spend Memorial Day around planes.
Cool pictures! I adore taking tours and really enjoyed yours. You should definitely get one of those "He's Watching You" posters for your house and is the Periodic Table of Elements going in the foyer or the family room? Great photos of all the missiles and rockets and planes.
ReplyDeleteI actually found the poster on Allposters.com, so after the move it just might have to find a place in our house! I'm guessing that Nate will want the Periodic Table to be in the foyer...though I could see him loving it as tiling in the shower.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the tour!