Los Alamos is sited dramatically on the colorful mesas that extend from the wooded slopes of the Jemez Mountains to the west. The town of about 17,000 people overlooks the Rio Grande Valley and, to the east beyond, the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range, which form the southern end of the Rocky Mountains. Los Alamos is a 40-minute drive north and west of Santa Fe and is just 25 minutes from Bandelier National Monument , the site of ancient Native American cliff dwellings. Origin and Operation Rich in history , the Museum was founded in 1963 and is named for the Laboratory's second director, Norris E. Bradbury, who served from 1945 to 1970. The Museum is a component of Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California.
Admission is free .
Visitors Since moving to its current site in April 1993, the Museum has hosted almost 110,000 visitors a year who have come to see the Museum's exhibits and participate in its community and education programs. Over 40 high-tech interactive exhibits within five galleries explain the Laboratory's defense, technology, and basic research projects, as well as the history of the Manhattan Project. Many of the exhibits incorporate hands-on activities such as computer programs, learning activities, and videos. A 20-minute film on the history of the race to build the atomic bomb at Los Alamos is shown throughout the day. Museum guides are always on hand to answer questions.