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Atomic Survival Town

A picture-perfect town, perfect for blowing up.

Nye County, Nevada

Brick house at the Nevada Test Site   Wikimedia
Wooden house at the Nevada Test Site   Wikimedia
Operation Teapot, April 15, 1955   National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office
Operation Teapot detonation at the Nevada Test Site in 1955   Wikimedia
House at the Nevada Test Site   Department of Defense, National Archives at College Park
Sign outside the Nevada National Security Site   Ken Lund / CC BY-SA 2.0
Outside the Nevada Test Site   Top Secret Bases
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About

In 1955 a series of 14 nuclear test explosions known as "Operation Teapot" were set off in the Nevada desert at Yucca Flat.

The most memorable part of the tests were the purpose-built homes and other structures set at varying distances from the blasts to test the impact and effects of the explosions, known collectively as "Survival Town" – or, slightly less optimistically, "Doom Town."

The most disturbing element of the fake town was its citizens: the homes were populated by 1950s picture-perfect mannequin families, bravely facing their imminent doom while going about their daily routines in dapper outfits. Thousands of spectators watched the blasts from what was thought to be a safe distance. (Note: it was not a safe distance.)

Related Tags

Nuclear Manhattan Project Disaster Areas Ruins

Know Before You Go

The Nevada Test Site is located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas on US-95. Public tours are available.

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Published

December 24, 2012

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