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B Reactor

A 1940s nuclear reactor built to produce plutonium for the Manhattan Project.

Richland, Washington

Added By
Mark
Front face of the B Reactor. Taken 10/27/2022 on public tour.   prwood (Atlas Obscura User)
Exterior of B Reactor   MarkJ (Atlas Obscura User)
Reactor B - Outside   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
Front face of the reactor stack   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
Model of the reactor core   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
Old test equipment   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
Valve pit   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
Electrical control cabinet   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
Rod temperature gauges   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
Inside one of the control cabinets   wschraml (Atlas Obscura User)
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About

B Reactor, built in just 11 months from 1943 to 1944, was the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor, designed to produce plutonium as part of the Manhattan Project. Plutonium from B Reactor and its two sisters, D and F Reactors, were used in the Trinity test bomb and the Nagasaki bomb.

The tour season runs from April through mid-November and currently is free of charge. There are no age or citizenship restrictions. In the future the site will be run by the National Park Service and there may be fees associated with visiting, but for now the tours are free. A 45-minute bus ride to and from the reactor is required (no private vehicles allowed at this time).  Docents are on the bus and at the reactor to provide information.

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Technology Weapons Nuclear

Know Before You Go

Register online for tours at http://manhattanprojectbreactor.hanford.gov/index.cfm
Tours are generally Monday through Saturday. Generally there will be one tour on Monday and Tuesday and two tours on the other days.

It is also possible to get a walk-on spot on the tour bus if room is available.

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Added By

MarkJ

Edited By

wschraml, prwood

Published

September 30, 2016

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