Nuclear War and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
I love to learn, and travel allows me to do just that. When I was planning our family’s summer vacation, I stumbled upon Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota. I wasn’t very familiar with the Cold War or terms like Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), but I thought it would be cool to see a missile silo.
When I learned the site was minutes from Badlands National Park, it was a no-brainer to take the family there. The time we spent visiting each part of this site sparked my interest in learning more about nuclear warfare. My oldest son and I got a taste of it during a tour of the United Nations Building in New York City. But listening to the book Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety after visiting the Minuteman Missile National History Site allowed me to understand the magnitude of the Cold War and nuclear power as a military strategy.
Here’s a rundown of the three locations you should visit at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota.
Start at the Visitor Center
The best place to start is at the visitor center. Head north off of exit 131 on I-90. It’s hard to miss.
The visitor center gives you an opportunity to really learn about the missile silos, nuclear missiles as a deterrent to war and the devastation that could’ve happened if someone would’ve launched a missile that started a thermonuclear global war.
There is no cost at this national historic site – unless you want to take the guided tour of the Delta-01 Launch Control Center (more details on that are below). No reservations are required to tour the visitor center or its museum.
Explore the Museum – Learn About the Cold War
The museum they have set up paints a surreal picture of what was at stake during the Cold War. Near the entrance is a blast door from a missile silo painted like the top of a Domino’s pizza box. On it were the words: World-wide delivery in 30 minutes or less, or your next one’s free. 😉
There’s a chair from one of the missile silo control rooms, along with a living room setting and old footage running on ads about “In the event of a nuclear strike.” You’ll even find a small piece of the Berlin Wall you can touch.
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The room that paints the worst picture is all about the magnitude of nuclear war. One wall highlights the growing totals of nuclear warheads in the world, climbing to staggering numbers. But the one that got me was highlighting the destructive power of the nuclear war heads. Using a bar chart, the destructive power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II was about 2 inches tall. The nuclear warheads on the missiles that were ready to launch to Russia had the destructive power of about 2.25 inches. The nuclear warheads the Russians had on their missiles were about 3 feet tall. Whoa! Humbling to think about.
After touring the museum and learning about nuclear power and the Cold War, you can head out to the two other sites.
Tour the Delta-01 Launch Control Center
Delta-01 Launch Control Center is a short drive west from the visitor center. Take Exit 127 and head north. The parking area will be on your right, and the LCC will be on your left.
You can stop by and see the building (as pictured above), but you can’t tour the building unless you’ve pre-booked a guided tour.
Park in the small lot to the east of the building. You can walk all the way up to the gate. There are signs about an audio tour. Use your cell phone to call the number and enter the corresponding number to learn about what you are looking at. I highly recommend the audio tour – otherwise you’ll just be a looking at building without really understanding what you’re looking at.
Guided Tour Information
The park rangers said those tours can book out as much as 6-8 weeks in advance during the peak summer months. Plan accordingly if you want to take the tour.
Tickets for the 45-minute guided tour can be booked 24 hours to 90 days in advance. During the summer season, guided tours will be conducted four times a day, Wednesday through Saturday. The tours are limited to six people in order to reduce impact on the facilities. Normally, the tours include an elevator ride down to the underground portions of the Launch Control Center. However, during COVID-19, that element of the tour has been discontinued.
- Adults: $12 for adults, 17 and older
- Children: $8 for children, ages 6-16 – all children must be accompanied by an adult
Reservations can be made online, or by phone at 605-717-7629.
Visit the Delta-09 Missile Silo
The Delta-09 missile silo is probably the hallmark spot of a visit to Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. It’s a little further west from the Delta-01 LCC along I-90. Take exit 116 and head south. The dirt road isn’t too bad, so you don’t need 4WD or a high clearance vehicle to make it out to the missile silo.
From the parking lot, follow the path through the two gates to arrive at the missile silo. There are a few things to take note of during your visit:
- Use the audio guide. Using your phone, call the number near the actual silo and learn about the things you’re looking at.
- Stay above ground. As cool as it would be to descend into the silo, you can’t. But you can look down the silo and see a missile standing at the ready.
- Don’t rush. While it may seem like your visit would only last five minutes (I’ve seen it. Can we go now?), take the time to talk around it and gain a better appreciation for what you’re looking at.
SIDE NOTE: My teenage son pointed out the book Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety in the gift shop. I’ve listened to more than half of it and was so glad I had seen these sites in person. It allowed me to visualize what was happening in these silos when a fallen tool punctured a fuel tank on a minuteman missile in Arkansas.
The Details
Address: There are three sites associated with this site, each of them are along I-90 in South Dakota.
- VISITOR CENTER: Take exit 131, head north
- DELTA-01 LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER: Take exit 127, head north
- DELTA-09 MISSILE SILO: Take exit 116, head south
Parking: Free parking is available at each of the three sites.
Cost: There is no admission fee to enter this park. However, the guided tours of the Delta-01 Launch Control Center requires a ticket ($12 for adults, $8 for children).
Hours: Each of the sites have slightly different hours. Double check the park hours for the days you plan to visit.
- VISITOR CENTER Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday). Between Nov. 1 and March 1, it’s open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed on some holidays.
- DELTA-01 LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER The Launch Control Center is only available to tour on guided tour. You can see the building and listen to the audio guide on your cell phone instead of taking a tour.
- DELTA-09 MISSILE SILO Open daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting. Between Nov. 1 and March 1, the site is closed on Sunday and Monday. Closed on some holidays.
Website: https://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm
Phone: (605) 433-5552
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