McDonald Ranch House, Historic ranch house at Trinity Site, New Mexico
The McDonald Ranch House stands as an adobe structure featuring traditional New Mexican architectural elements with thick walls and simple rectangular design.
Built in 1913 by Franz Schmidt, this ranch house gained worldwide significance in 1945 when scientists assembled the first atomic bomb in its northeast room.
The building represents a connection between traditional ranching lifestyle in New Mexico and the technological developments of the Manhattan Project during World War II.
Visitors can access the McDonald Ranch House during biannual open house events on the first Saturday of April and third Saturday of October.
The building survived the nuclear blast from just two miles away and contains the Plutonium Room where scientists prepared the atomic device.
Location: New Mexico
Inception: 1913
Made from material: adobe
Part of: Trinity Site
GPS coordinates: 33.65074,-106.46036
Latest update: May 27, 2025 07:06
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