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Manhattan Project National Historical Park

A national park within a national lab

Welcome to MAPR at Los Alamos National Laboratory

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park (MAPR) is one of the nation’s newest parks. Established in 2015, MAPR comprises three distinct sites in Washington, Tennessee, and New Mexico. These sites led the effort to build a bomb to end World War II. Each one made incredible advances to the science, manufacturing, and engineering that ushered the globe into the “atomic age.”

Here in Los Alamos, New Mexico, about 30 landmarks are officially part of MAPR. Many of these places, like J. Robert Oppenheimer’s house, Ashley Pond, and Fuller Lodge, are publicly accessible.

Other landmarks are “behind the fence” at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Because of their locations, these landmarks are only accessible to small groups a few times per year.

Historic Manhattan Project Sites at Los Alamos

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park encompasses 17 sites on Los Alamos National Laboratory property and 13 sites in downtown Los Alamos, where “Project Y” was centered during World War II.

Did you know?

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s 80th anniversary is in 2023! To celebrate 80 years of scientific achievement and to commemorate the Manhattan Project, MAPR is hosting a series of trivia contests and other sweepstakes throughout the year.

Our goals

At MAPR, we strive to:

Preserve and protect, for the benefit of present and future generations, the nationally significant historic resources associated with the Manhattan Project.

Mapr   Landing   S Site before After
Before and after of S-site, where high explosives were stored during the Manhattan Project.

Improve public understanding of the Manhattan Project and its legacy through interpretation of the historic resources associated with the Manhattan Project.

Visitors at Battleshipo Bunker
Visitors learn about the Creutz test, an experiment conducted two days before Gadget was detonated at Trinity site. The Creutz test used a full-scale mock-up of Fat Man without the nuclear material.

Enhance public access to the Park established under the Act consistent with protection of public safety, national security, and other aspects of the DOE’s mission.

Visitors at Pond Cabin
Visitors at Pond Cabin during a "behind the fence" tour at the Laboratory.

Assist the DOE, communities, historical societies, and other interested organizations and individuals in efforts to preserve and protect the historically significant resources associated with the Manhattan Project.

Park Staff Aging Signage
Park staff assess aging signage on a historic trail in Los Alamos.

 

Virtual tour of the historical sites

Discover the stories, people, and locations behind the Manhattan Project with our interactive virtual tour.

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