Atomic Testing Museum

The Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, documents the history of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in the desert north of Las Vegas. The museum opened in March 2005. It is located in Paradise, Nevada, a southern suburb of Las Vegas that is frequented by large numbers of tourists.

The museum covers the period from the first test at NTS on January 27, 1951 to the present. Among its exhibits covering American nuclear history is a "Ground Zero Theater" which simulates the experience of observing an atmospheric nuclear test. Other exhibits include Geiger counters, radio badges and radiation testing devices, Native American artifacts from around the test area, pop culture memorabilia related to the atomic age, equipment used in testing the devices. Other displays focus on important figures at the facility, videos and interactive exhibits about radiation.

The museum is operated by the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, in association with the Smithsonian Institution. Some support comes from the purchase of commemorative Nevada Test Site license plates issued by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.