Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Innovation that Changed the World

Oak Ridge, TN was instrumental in the United States win over Nazi Germany during WWII because of the development of the atomic bomb. Known as the “Secret City”, Oak Ridge was not on any maps and 100,000 workers were brought to the city to work on a Top Secret war project, known as the Manhattan Project.

The Manhattan Project is the story of generals, physicists, chemists, mathematicians, engineers, brought together to broaden the limits of human knowledge and technological achievements in ways never before imagined. It is also the story of death and destruction associated with WWII, and a new weapon capable of unimagined levels of devastation, produced by workers who had no idea they were working on the device that would end the war.

Park Origins
N.P.S.
Wayside Makers
Visitor Contact Station

located at Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge

More about the Project

The Manhattan Project National Park consists of 3 cities; Oak Ridge, TN-Los Alamos, NM- Hanford, WA. The National Park is designed to educate the public and interpret what some have called “the single most significant event of the 20th century,” the development of the atomic bomb and introduction of the Nuclear Age.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park consists of three sites located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington.  Newly opened in 2015, this historic park features sites, facilities, equipment, and artifacts associated with an unprecedented top-secret government program known as the Manhattan Project.  The project enabled the U.S. to develop the atomic weapons that brought an end to World War II. The legacy of the Manhattan Project is seen in many areas such as space travel, nuclear medicine, and energy production to name a few.  The Manhattan Project National Historical Park tells the stories of people, events, science, and engineering that changed the world.

VOICES OF MANHATTAN PROJECT
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR HISTORY
More about the Project

The Manhattan Project National Park consists of 3 cities; Oak Ridge, TN-Los Alamos, NM- Hanford, WA. The National Park is designed to educate the public and interpret what some have called “the single most significant event of the 20th century,” the development of the atomic bomb and introduction of the Nuclear Age.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park consists of three sites located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington.  Newly opened in 2015, this historic park features sites, facilities, equipment, and artifacts associated with an unprecedented top-secret government program known as the Manhattan Project.  The project enabled the U.S. to develop the atomic weapons that brought an end to World War II. The legacy of the Manhattan Project is seen in many areas such as space travel, nuclear medicine, and energy production to name a few.  The Manhattan Project National Historical Park tells the stories of people, events, science, and engineering that changed the world.

VOICES OF MANHATTAN PROJECT
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR HISTORY

Explore the Park

Video Archive

The Oak Ridge Story

In this video from our friends at the American Museum of Science and Energy, photography and archival footage tell the story of Oak Ridge’s rich and fascinating history.

Our Hidden Past - Y12's First Mission

E.O. Lawrence’s calutrons separated the isotopes that made the first Atomic bomb possible. However, his methods caused some excitement at the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

History in Five: The Secret City

Learn more about Girls of Atomic City in this The top-secret World War II town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, became the center of the government’s research to build an atomic bomb. Author Denise Kiernan, reveals the 5 things you should know about THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY.

The Manhattan Project

In this video from the National Park Service, excellent photography showcases the story of how the Manhattan Project came to be.

Faith and Family

Valeria Steele-Roberson reflects on her grandparents’s lives in Oak Ridge, TN during the Manhattan Project.

Calutron Girl

Y-12 trained local women to operate the Calutrons that were used to separate the uranium that was used in the first atomic bomb to help end WWII.

OAK RIDGE HISTORY MUSEUM

The Oak Ridge History Museum is a place where you can come and experience the Manhattan era of Oak Ridge! Learn what people were like and how they lived.

EXPLORE OAK RIDGE'S MUSEUMS

Oak Ridge is home to four museums and you can visit them all on your next visit to the Secret City. Be sure to visit the American Museum of Science and Energy, the K-25 History Museum, The Oak Ridge History Museum, and the Oak Ridge Children’s Museum.

Click the orange boxes to see additional videos.

The Oak Ridge Story

Our Hidden Past - Y12's First Mission

History in Five: The Secret City

The Manhattan Project

Faith and Family

Calutron Girl

OAK RIDGE HISTORY MUSEUM

EXPLORE OAK RIDGE'S MUSEUMS

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