Los Alamos National Laboratory, Research laboratory in Los Alamos County, United States
Description
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a research facility in northern New Mexico that stretches across a large area with laboratory buildings, computing centers, and testing sites. The campus sits on a high mesa overlooking deep canyons and hosts facilities for physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science.
History
The site was established during World War II on a remote mesa to work on atomic weapons in secrecy. After the war ended, the location evolved into a civilian research center with focus on energy, materials science, and biological security.
Culture
The name comes from Spanish Los Álamos, referring to the cottonwood trees growing in the surrounding canyons. Visitors today see a sprawling campus of research buildings and controlled access zones that reflect the ongoing link between military secrecy and modern scientific work.
Practical
The laboratory offers public tours at certain times of the year, advance registration is required and security checks are mandatory. The nearby Bradbury Science Museum in the town of Los Alamos is open daily and offers insights into the research without requiring access to the main grounds.
Did you know?
The archives still preserve much of the handwritten notes from the early years of atomic research. Some of the original wooden buildings from the wartime period have been kept and now serve as reminders of the site's beginnings.
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Valles Caldera
21.9 km
Valles Caldera National Preserve
21.9 km
Pajarito Plateau
3.6 km
Tsankawi
10 km
Bradbury Science Museum
2.4 kmRedondo Peak
21.3 km
Bandelier Tuff
12.4 km
Jemez Falls
25.9 km
Los Alamos Historical Museum
2.1 km
Mesa Public Library
2 kmFenton Hill Observatory
31.7 kmTsirege
10.2 kmRobotic Optical Transient Search Experiment
31.7 km
Cerro Grande
8 km
Bandelier CCC Historic District
11.8 km
Tsankawi Prehistoric Sites
9.2 km
Frijoles Canyon Visitor Center
11.8 kmAncho Rapid
15 km
Los Alamos VLBA station
13.2 km
Piñon Park Splash Pad
11.6 kmSulphur Flats observatory
27.5 kmAlcove House
10.3 kmSpence Hot Spring
27.7 kmJohn F Kennedy Memorial
1.1 kmThe Narrows
8.4 kmAlcove
8.2 kmGolondrina
1.7 kmPost Office Bald Eagle
2.2 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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