Experimental Breeder Reactor I

The Experimental Breeder Reactor I is a nuclear research facility in Butte County preserving original control panels, reactor components, and scientific instruments from its operational period between 1951 and 1964. The rooms display the technical equipment and working environment where atomic physicists conducted experiments.

On December 20, 1951, the facility became the first to generate electrical power from atomic energy, lighting four bulbs. The site continued operating until 1964 before being converted into a museum.

The name reflects its role as a test facility designed to breed new fuel while producing energy. Educational displays show how scientists worked with radioactive materials in the early days of atomic research.

Guided tours run from late May through early September, explaining the basics of atomic physics. Visitors can examine the first mechanical manipulators and other technical devices up close.

The facility used a fast-neutron design and demonstrated the first successful breeding of plutonium from uranium. This technique allowed the production of more fuel than was consumed during operation.