National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Clean, large facility. Can't go in the planes which is unfortunate... Couldn't really find a section on our attack on Japan and what it did and is still doing to it's people... Little strange to have a nuclear power mascot... but cool to see the actual cars used to transport... Nice museum if not entirely biased.

This museum is outstanding! We really enjoyed it. It is very clean and well-maintained, spacious and modern. The employees were great and knowledgeable. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone visiting the city. It has a tremendous collection of military and historical artifacts. I also loved their yard with missiles and planes. So wonderful!

Great museum. I wasn't sure how interesting it was going to be when I decided to go there, but I'm very glad I did. It's very easy to spend a few hours here looking at all the exhibits. There's no boring areas of this museum either, and that's a rare thing. Everything is well laid out and plenty of information on the exhibits to explain what they are. The outside area is great too. Make sure you don't miss that while you're there.

I’ve been to many science museums and this one is now at the top of my list. I was concerned about being bored but I was fascinated and there for hours. There is a cool periodic table on the floor when you walk in, 3 different wings to explore, and an outdoor area that has a variety of bombs, planes, and the test tower replica. The details, artifacts, history, information, and exhibits were wonderful. There were a few stations of someone to talk to. The radiation gentleman was phenomenal and enjoyable to learn from. I learned a lot visiting this site! They had a section on radiation, WWII, Cold War, Nuclear Energy, a cute kids area, Uranium, atomic history, and nuclear culture. I’d go here again in a heartbeat.

I went to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History for the first time. This museum is really good. I spent around 5.5 hours at the museum, and I checked everything out. I also checked out the outdoors area where they had a lot of flights displayed. All of that looked great and I enjoyed spending time there and I learned a lot about nuclear power, the Manhattan Project and everything related to nuclear science. There was a docent, Jeff, who also explained things in the museum. He was very helpful and it was nice chatting with him. It was nice learning from him. The gift shop is also great. I went to the gift shop, and I bought myself a fridge magnet. They actually had really cool earrings, science themed earrings. To me the highlight of my visit was the periodic table that they have etched onto the floor. It looks so cool. And of course all the history related to the Manhattan Project, nuclear power. It was also interesting to learn about some of the disasters related to nuclear energy and the opinion public had about it and how things changed and what is the current state of the art situation. It was interesting to learn about all of that. One of the really good museums I’ve been to! The Google maps shows ticket to be $20. For adults, the ticket is $22.

Really informative place. Lot's to read but well laid out. Loved the outdoors exhibit with planes and other things. Thought I knew quite a bit about all that but realized there was so much more. Gift shop could use more V neck and sciency shirts but had good selection of other things.

WOW! Replicas of every weapon in the US arsenal! I’m a veteran which served during the Cold War so it was very interesting to me. The aircraft park is great! Really see the actual thing up close! It includes the history of the development of nuclear technology and its significance in history and culture

This museum experience was really created by the volunteers that welcome you in and chat with you intermittently throughout the museum. So much history in nuclear science, politics, medicine, pop culture, wars, and even current events. This museum had really interesting interactive exhibits and an amazing gift shop!

I did not know what to expect when this museum was recommended to me, but it was worth the trip! A long history of nuclear science -- both from a weapon perspective to the powering of cities and aircraft carriers. It reminded me of parts of a Smithsonian museum with the amount of history filling all aspects of the building -- and the planes parked outside! You cannot truly grasp how large some of these planes are until you see them up close, or stand underneath them. Even still, some of the planes and missiles/rockets when seen up close seemed much smaller than I would have expected. If you have a couple hours and want to see some great pieces of history, stop into The National Museum Of Nuclear Science & History -- and don't forget to check out the gift shop on your way out. They have a lot of great memorabilia that you can take home with you.

This is a great museum. It is well laid out and filled with lots of details and great historical information. It provides good context and displays items of interest pertaining to the development of nuclear power and weapons. It does a good job of explaining the history of nuclear energy not only in the US but worldwide. It's hard to contemplate, emotionally, the enormous impact the use of nuclear weapons had on humankind and how utterly destructive they are. But moving beyond that, this form of energy has so much positive potential in the future, and the Museum highlights this Out back, there is a great static display of aircraft and missiles which are very interesting to see up close. Definitely worth it visit.

A very well designed museum! It's not that big of a building, but they use every sq foot of space to it's utmost. The place is laid out like a maze, directing traffic on set pathing, and around every turn is a different exhibit. It starts as you'd expect(if you start at the right side): the history of the atomic bomb and delivery systems, but then you turn the corner and find exhibits on life during the bomb's development, how the atomic age shifted culture and generated tourism, fads, and entertainment media. At some point, you'll get to the door to the outdoor plane exhibit and then it shifts to how nuclear science affected the world after the atomic age (i.e. energy) and ends with a very interesting exhibit on Germany's attempt at nuclear tech. It's packed with lots of information and I imagine you could spend hours here if you want to absorb everything. I was actually here for an event (AAPI Festival), and it was great to see the festival and explore the museum at the same time. Great value! The parking is plentiful (& free) and the pathing seems wide enough for handicap access.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History is such a great place to visit. I love how the entrance looks after dark. It's such a pretty building. It's a clean and organized museum with tons of history and hands on experiences for the whole family to check out. I was able to experience the museum when it was closed down for a special event. I can't wait to come back during normal business hours.

Great museum! I spent 3 hours here, could've spent longer but my brain couldn't take in any more information for the day! The meat of the material is the Manhattan Project, why atomic bombs were being made, and the mechanism of each type of bomb (Uranium, Plutonium, Hydrogen). Great coverage of the history that drove nuclear science during WWII. A huge collection of radioactive merchandise that was trending during the radium craze was available to view. The field outside has jets, fighter planes, missiles. So cool to see! There are additional sections dedicated to medicine and nuclear energy generation + incidents at nuclear plants. Amazing experience! I also got cute educational cups at the gift shop. I hope to be back to give all the material another read with a fresh mind.

Easy to drive to. Very friendly welcoming staff. Clean venue. Lots to see, read, and experience. Brilliant detailed history of the scientists developing the physics, and the engineers developing the tools. Sobering displays of the race with Germany and Japan to be first; chilling story of the testing, then use of nuclear power in wartime. There is the good news of post-war use of nuclear energy for ships, submarines, electricity, and medicine. Rather frightening history of the rise of fascist political power in Germany 100 years ago, mirroring that in the world today. A very excellent museum.

Amazing history everyone should see. Esp now! Has missiles, bombs, and very educational. Plan to visit if in Albuquerque

My second time to this museum. There are several volunteer docents who helpfully direct your attention to photos and displays to get the most out of your experience. There is a good blend of social, political, historical, and scientific displays. Don't forget to go out back and check out the planes! It's hard to describe how massive a Boeing B-29 super-fortress is, one just needs to stand near it to experience this. Don't forget an opportunity to hop scotch along your favorite elements on the periodic chart floor roles on your way in or out. This museum allows dogs but be prepared to manage their hydration and relief needs yourself.

Fabulous place to visit, even if you're not as big a total Science Geek as me, or before you see "Oppenheimer" in theaters. But hurry, terrific Atomic Toys exhibit is on loan!

Very informative. We concentrated on the Manhattan project aka Oppenheimer movie. They had an awesome DaVinci exhibit on his engineering marvels. Lots of military gear and missles and airplanes. Lot of information. Learned more about US, German, Britain persuit of atomic bomb. Lots of great pictures and model lab. Lots of cool machines. Easily could have soent 3 hours if i went into the large modern nuclear sections. They also have hands-on kids areas.

Wonderful Museum with fantastic staff who know their stuff. Had a lengthy conversation with a man there who was full of enthusiasm and stories from the past. Don't miss this if you're in town.

One of the best museums I have been to! Especially after watching Oppenheimer, the information in here is so pertinent and encompassing of the entire atomic history. Although the exhibits were more heavy on the words, I really appreciate how interesting the descriptions were. I learned so much! Here are some of my favorite parts: - I appreciate that they shared their ties to World War II from the Manhattan Project all the way to its deployment. I feel like sometimes the artifacts guide the story of the museum, as it should, but this approach sometimes leads to gaps as they may not have an artifact to represent that part of time, history, reaction, chain of events, etc. I appreciate that this museum was guided with a story meaning that even if they didn't have an artifact for it, they wrote a description about it which helped a lot to understanding the chronological history of WWII. - The descriptions were very interesting. I know for example Japan's kamikaze have nothing to do with the history of nuclear science, but it was still interesting to know and understand. - I'm grateful to have watched Oppenheimer before coming as it made the exhibit more interesting to read and experience. - I liked the area about nuclear "failures" including Chernobyl and Fukushima. The way the laid out the information was very clear and read-able. Overall, absolutely loved this museum and is a must visit if in Albuquerque. Honestly, if you have the chance, you should go to Los Alamos too to visit the site of the Manhattan Project. I'm surprised that this museum hasn't gotten more hype especially after Oppenheimer came out.

What a great museum. The displays are interesting & informative. One could easily spend hours touring this fantastic facility. The volunteer guides are friendly & very knowledgeable. A wonderful place for adults & children, alike.

Great displays inside museum. Enjoyed the temporary display on DaVinci. The planes, rockets, etc. outside were interesting. I wish some of the signage outside had more information.

This was the most amazing museum. Outdoors, they had all kinds of planes and missiles. Indoors, they had everything from the Cold War to Chernobyl. It was a very interesting museum. Highly recommend,

An absolutely incredible experience. Educational & heartbreaking at the same time. There was so much to learn and information to be absorbed. The amount of displays they had was amazing and the outside display of airplanes and other items was truly engaging. I would highly recommend to anybody visiting.

This place was really cool ! We're traveling America in our RV with our kids. We hit up Albuquerque for a week and found this museum on Yelp. My husband really wanted to go & I told the kids we're going to make a homeschool project out of it. Essay time! Yay !! Of course, they didn't say that. I did. lol When we walked in we had about 2 1/2 hours to get through the museum. When we walked in we were greeted by a wonderful employee/volunteer. She told us about the scientists & all the sciencey stuff. hehe I'll be honest, I don't care for Science I'm more of a Art person and at first I didn't wanna go but being a homeschool mom I thought it's a good essay place. So I went & was so fascinated by all the cool stuff ! I didn't know they used to put radiation in our makeup & creams! SMH Crazy Era ! This museum was really cool for everyone. It had something for everyone, even a skeptic like me. Yay !! Also I'm a HUGE My Chemical Romance Fan, imagine my shock when they had their Black Parade album display & one of their mushroom cloud hoodies on display!! Of course my favorite room was the Atomic Era Toys & Music. Oh FYI, if anyone reads this from the museum if you could add Grave of the Fireflies to your museum collection. It is a beautiful, tragic anime movie about the aftermath of Hiroshima done by Studio Ghibli.

I'd always heard this was a great little museum. We really enjoyed it! There were a few volunteers around to answer questions and they were very helpful about the layout of the museum. It was very interesting. You could spend lots of time there if you read everything. We spent just under 2 hours and didn't come close to reading everything. They had a really interesting da Vinci exhibit which I believe is there until the end of the month so I assume they do different on going temporary exhibits. Highly recommend you check it out if you are interested in things like this. They also had aircraft, etc. outside which was nice to walk around and see.

There is SO much to see here. Plan on spending a couple hours. It was my 2nd visit and even then I saw stuff I missed on my first visit a few years prior. There's just too much history here to cover. I had only read about the nuclear accident where the US accidentally dropped a couple warheads abroad and thankfully didn't set off. One landed in a tomato field in Spain and the other in the ocean. Both were recovered from what I read. So it was really cool to see them both here at the museum. They have volunteers you can ask questions to and are very knowledgeable. I saw a real MiG! I asked the volunteer how they acquired it which was interesting to know b/c I'm sure Russia isn't too pleased. Their gift shop is on the pricey side but fun to look at. They don't allow drinks other than water, so I had to finish my lavender latte - I ain't about to toss gold.

Great museum if in ABQ - it has both indoor and outdoor exhibits and is def unique.. a great stop and way to spend a few hours learning about the development of both weapons but also other ways nuclear power has been utilized.

This a great place for all ages. The educational area was for kids big & small. My Granddaughter's boyfriend pick this place out as his main place he wanted to see while visiting Albuquerque, so here we are. Year around this is a great inside venue. So much history good & bad. Past, present, & future of Nuclear industry. New Mexico strong history in Nuclear Science is found every where in this place. ** if you need them take your reading glasses. **embrace this place by watching the videos, read the placards, touch the items that you are allowed too, etc... This is a visual & hands on place. If you have family & friends visiting this is a must see museum. Even a playground outside to release some of your kids energy.

Offering a little insight to the development of nuclear power. This is a nice respite for a little history lesson. Interesting exhibit's allow for an understanding of the genesis of the nuclear age. Pricing might be a little bit higher than expected for a museum of this size. Another Breaking Bad stop if you are a fan of the television show.

It's not somewhere I'd come all the time since I'm not that into war history and scientific stuff, but I would say it's a must visit for at least once. If you're a state resident, the admission is only $11. We came here because there was the AAPI festival going on. We came at the end of it so we only got to see Wadaiko showing but it was nice. Nice to see some interesting artifacts and the outdoor exhibit was really fun!

I feel museums can be hit or miss on a wide scale, and there are a lot of museums I wouldn't go back to. I work at US Strategic Command and was in Albuquerque visiting my girlfriend, so naturally I wanted to see the nuclear museum. It's set up extremely well and has a lot of great sites and information throughout the entire venue. It was great learning about the history, the unknown pieces, the background information that no one really talks about, and seeing the aircraft associated with the nuclear enterprise. Some of which I didn't even know played a role in the nuclear mission. If you have any interest in atomics or nuclear education, definitely take the time to go here!

*Definitely recommend it at least once* ENTRY FEES: Adults 18-59 - $15 Seniors 60+ - $13 Youth 6-17 - $11 Children 5 and under - Free Veterans - $8 Active Military (and dependents) - $7 The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is opened 7 days per week from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Nicely designed museum licated in the Southeast quadrant of Albuquerque with plenty to see. Definitely can spend up to 3 -4 hours in the museum and is great for kids of ALL ages. It really doesn't look like much from the outside but there is a vast amount of informative and interesting history within the building. Although you can guide yourself throughout the museum there are knowledgeable employees around to ask questions. My favorite exhibit was "To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA". Outside visitors will find Heritage Park which has a B-29 and other large airships, several missiles, cannons and rockets. There is a paved path which is suitable for wheelchairusers to view the displays. Enjoy your visit!

On road trip across the country. Stopped at this very interesting museum. Lots of information about the Manhattan Project. It's worth the admission prices. Docents were smiling and Wayyyyyy informative.

This is a hidden gem of Albuquerque. The museum is interesting and informative and they do fun special events, like photography night with guest speakers. All locals and visitors should check it out. The aircraft in the back is amazing!

This place is awesome!! Worth seeing! Best part was we were able to take our dog in with us!!

Wow! This place was super cool. They have all kinds of information about the history of nuclear power. There are plenty of interactive exhibits, which was my personal favorite part! In the back, they have a field full of different aircraft and missiles! Our kid loved it. We will definitely be back!

An informative museum to spend an hour or so walking through. Lots of items on display and videos to watch. My favorite part was the outdoor plane displays. Not a bad way to spend $15 for adults.

Interesting nuclear weapons museum with a little of everything. Not bad to see if you have a few hours while in Albuquerque, NM.

This was a highlight of our day. We loved this museum. There's a fair amount of science explained in an understandable way and a gorgeous outdoor area with the planes and missiles. I think the museum did an excellent job tying in the history and the science so it was interesting. They also had a couple of kid-specific areas.

While in Albuquerque I saw a recommendation for this museum. Being a lover of museums, I had to check it out! A lot of information about nuclear medicine, how nuclear energy played a role during wars, and other cool inventions. I arrived with only 2 hours to spare, but was able to go through all of it, including the artifacts outside. Just didn't get to read everything. There's also an exhibit of Bob Hope right now that runs through April. Plenty of fun, educational, hands-on learning for the kiddies, and adults.

This museum was put together so well. I did not know a lot about the history of nuclear science, but walking through this museum made it interesting, and easy to learn. I highly recommend taking your time to visit this well planned museum.

Thanks to the kind ticket sales fellow, my out of town guest got the senior rate and I got the New Mexico resident rate. For only $20, we strolled through the outdoor exhibit of planes, missiles, part of a nuclear submarine, and a replica of the Trinity Tower, in addition to much of the nicely air conditioned and informative indoor exhibits. I highly recommend this museum for tourists and locals alike, but there's not much to keep small children engaged. Send the littles to a park or a pool and enjoy some nerdy, adult fun!

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is a Smithsonian Affiliate and was established in 1969. This is the museum to read all things related to the cold war and WWII. You get to read and learn about the making of how the atomic bomb came about, the Manhattan project, etc. My husband and I came by this museum on a Tuesday afternoon around 2 pm. I ended up purchasing a Groupon for this place, which has 2 for 1 admission saving us some extra money. But normally admission is $15 per adult. Parking is free. Just as previous Yelp members had mentioned, there is quite a lot of reading to do, as there are a lot of little boards at every display. I really liked reading and learning about the development of the atomic bomb and liked seeing the replicated bombs to get a good idea of the size of these bombs. The "Little Boy" was the first nuclear weapon used in a war, which was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Although it was nicknamed "Little Boy" it weighed 9700 lbs! The famous Enola Gay was the one carrying this bomb from Tinian Island. Then with "Fat Man" (don't you just love these names?) was the 2nd nuclear weapon (a plutonium bomb) that was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. "Fat Man" weighed 10,800 lbs! This bomb was incredibly powerful of about 10 times the amount of "Little Boy". The reason for this nick name of this bomb being "Fat Man" was because of its wide and round shape. Outside, you are able to view some B52s and other airplanes on display. I like that there is this outside display part of the museum, as it helps to break up all the reading and exploring inside (honestly there is a substantial amount of reading inside. I do like to read but this does give your eyes and mind a bit of a rest. There are still boards to read out here too but just not as much). We spent about an hour here but sped through the last part of the museum since we were both getting a little tired. But I would recommend planning to be here an hour to two hours here (depending on how fast you read, what you choose to read, etc). There is a little Einstein section that is supposed to be interactive for children but is currently closed due to covid. I think this museum may not be best for little children since it is closed off. Overall, my husband and I really enjoyed ourselves and think it was worth a visit out here. Very educational, informative and entertaining. Please note that there is a gift shop here (which we ended up not going to) and also clean restrooms round right by the entrance of the museum.

Perfect Museum for History Buffs and Aviation Enthusiasts! The Museum's exhibits present information about scientific, historic, and cultural aspects of the Atomic Age. World War 2, and The Cold War. I especially enjoyed the FDR exhibit. There are also of exhibits on the various types of energy. LITTLE ALBERT'S LAB looks like a fascinating place for children to spend time, but due to Covid it's currently closed. An outside exhibit has bomber and fighter planes on display , such as B-29, TA-7C CORSAIR, and B-52. The Gift Store has some very cool items for sale ( see my ohotos for examples). This museum is probably not for everyone, but there really is something for all ages to enjoy. Staff are very friendly, and parking is easy acess and FREE. We uses a Groupon to get in for half off.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon right before we had to leave ABQ, per my husband's recs, and it did not disappoint! Granted my husband is the perfect WWII/Cold War museum docent, even if you don't have him guiding you through it's a pretty sweet museum! Pros: - Easy parking (I'm not sure if it ever hits the 75 person covid capacity where you have to wait) - Very well done! Great background on how atomic bombs were made, history timelines, model replicas, etc (it's a Smithsonian Affiliate!) - scientific, cultural, historic aspects of the war! Love that they touch on the chemical processes, what was going on in other countries at the same time, etc. - decommissioned (or model? not sure) fighter/bomber jets outside (stratofortress, MIG, etc etc)! My husband fangeeked - About 2-3 hours if you walk through every hall and read every wall mount. - Affordable, $15 per person! - Pretty objective history - tends to present both sides Cons: - not the place for you if you're a poor/slow reader (harsh but true, you'll be here all day) - Might not currently be that kid-friendly - the kids area was roped off due to covid (which implies it's probably pretty interactive in non-pandemic times?). Also because some of the wall mounts have A LOT of words/paragraphs on them, kids might not enjoy this place as much as like, an exploratorium/etc. - Not a ton of seating opportunities in the display halls (only at the beginning) so watch out if you're not ok with standing while reading

This is a great place to visit when in the city. They have expanded it since I first went several years ago. The plane and rocket exhibit outside is a lot of fun. You can get up close to the many items they have out there. Inside there are some fun educating exhibits.

On a whim we came to The National Museum of New Mexico because our Georgia O'keeffe time slot was 2, hours out. The staff behind the lobby desk was very helpful as he informed that we could visit for an hour and then return afterwards. The admission included the new Contemporary Museum located near railyard. which was walking distance. This museum has a nice courtyard with water sculpture. Next to the lobby is a chapel that is will persevered. Inside museum itself there are portable chairs that you can borrow. It was a first for me. It came in handy as I read the accompanying descriptions for each piece.

Just a quick update to add some photos I took on my recent visit to the Nuclear Museum. Just a note to Yelpers who are unsure if the aircraft and missiles on display are the real things or merely 'models'. Be assured, they are the real thing.

Really well done museum, nicely laid out, inside and outside walking areas, something for kids, lots of hands on opportunities!! Great static displays, very impressive!!! Nice bathrooms, engaging staff. Good job whoever put this together!!

I have to say this place is amazing- and the history it holds is wonderful to learn about. From start to finish there were pieces of history I was learning about (college American history) and I have to say as a history buff, and reader there were so many items to help build on what I already knew, and was learning in class. Not to mention from a visual aspect it really brings a lot of things into perspective. A wonderful addition to any trip to the area, plus it's air conditioned- making it a great place to visit in between days of hiking.

Why did I wait until now to go here? That's the question I'll be asking myself for a while after today. Saw Oppenheimer last weekend and since the weather was not outdoor friendly we went over. The history and the details are amazing and just draws you in. Plus, they had a DaVinci exhibit too.

I was a little disappointed to not be able to go into the actual museum, but definitely understood given the COVID circumstances we are in. Even without being able to fully immerse myself in the museum we got to go into the outdoor section which displayed aircrafts used for nuclear military missions. To be next to these humongous aircrafts which were once flying and in war was iconic. I was fascinated and in awe to even read about an item that is a huge factor in war history. For example, standing under a replica of what an atomic bomb was, including its size, was terrifying but interesting. To know something of a relatively small size could take out cities and communities, and in fact did, was jaw dropping. There were a lot of aircrafts, cars, and even a submarine there which was nice and it wasn't too overwhelming to walk around and view. The price was nice as wwl (only $10 for two) so I suggest others support this business and view these historic pieces.

Fascinating little museum! I easily spent more than an hour there and had to leave only because of my schedule and info overload. I especially loved that the museum provides a well-rounded history of nuclear science, looking at its development and impact from the perspective of different nations. Big plus for some of us travelers is that it's dog-friendly (assuming your pup is well-mannered, of course).

Great museum and reasonable admission. They cover all aspects of nuclear power, the Cold War, the arms race, and the science and engineering behind all of this. Both history- and science-buffs will have a field day here. There are also several very informed docents who greatly enhance the experience. Several massive planes and armaments are on display.

This museum was great!!! It was clean, the exhibits were nice and well put together plus I learned a ton being here. I spent about 3 and a half hours checking out everything :) Would definitely recommend to anyone who hasn't been

This was a very pleasant surprise to come across!!! Me being the American military historian that I am, and I find science facts & its history to be fascinating and worth the discovery! This place does not disappoint. Sparkly and exciting both inside and out, The national Museum of nuclear science is worth a walk-through and careful consideration on the exhibit themselves! The area is a great place to visit as well with lots of military adventures, gorgeous landscaping and outdoor activities!