Bradbury Science Museum The Bradbury Science Museum is the chief public facility of Los Alamos National Laboratory , located at 1350 Central Avenue in Los Alamos , New Mexico , in the United States . It was founded in 1953 , and was named for the Laboratory ' s second director ( 1945 - 1970 ) , Norris E . Bradbury . Among the museum ' s early exhibits , artifacts and documents from the World War II Manhattan Project were displayed upon declassification . Other exhibits include full size models of the Little Boy and Fat Man atomic bombs . Admission is free . Early years . In 1953 , Robert Krohn , who was in charge of early nuclear tests at what was then called Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory , decided the Laboratory needed a museum to house historical weapons - research artifacts . Krohn convinced Norris Bradbury ( Laboratory director , 1945 - 1970 ) a museum could preserve the Laboratory ' s history and provide a place for official visitors to learn about the Laboratory ' s weapon programs . An old ice house on the bank of Ashley Pond across from Fuller Lodge became the first Laboratory museum . Already fitted with a vault door , the ice house satisfied security standards for housing the classified exhibits Krohn wanted to preserve . The ice house Museum opened to official visitors in 1954 . In 1963 , Robert Porton , director of community relations at the Laboratory , expressed an interest in adding unclassified exhibits to the Museum . Bradbury approved the transfer of unclassified exhibits to an area open to the public , and soon World War II - era documents and photographs , tracing the development of the town and the Laboratory , were displayed with scientific memorabilia and working models of unclassified research projects . In its first year , 14 , 000 visitors from 50 states and 40 countries visited the Museum . In 1965 , the Museum was moved to larger quarters . The range and number of exhibits grew rapidly and included many hands - on models contributed by scientific groups and divisions within the Laboratory . Named after Norris E . Bradbury . In 1970 , the museum was renamed the Norris E . Bradbury Science Museum , honoring the laboratory ' s second director . Eventually , the museum ' s official name was shortened to the Bradbury Science Museum . Major renovations to the Museum took place in 1981 . Informal , donated exhibits gave way to professionally designed exhibits in a formal museum atmosphere . Videotapes , videodisks , and interactive computer programs were introduced . New artifacts included a Mark 12A warhead , models of Vela and Navistar verification and communication satellites , and an air - launched cruise missile . Moved to downtown Los Alamos . By 1987 , annual attendance had reached 80 , 000 , and parking space for visitors was disappearing . Laboratory officials began exploring options for relocating the Museum site . In April 1993 , the Museum moved into its new and present location in the heart of downtown Los Alamos . The building was designed by William Agnew and Associates and is leased by the Laboratory from a private owner . Today . Approximately 40 interactive exhibits trace the history of the WWII Manhattan Project , highlight the Laboratory ' s current and historic research projects related to defense and technology , and focus on Laboratory research related to national security , nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship , and other fields . Recent additions to the museum ' s collections are exhibits about the history of supercomputer s , the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center , Los Alamos ' contributions to the Mars Science Laboratory ( Curiosity ) rover , nanotechnology , algae biofuels , and high explosives .