BONUS Reactor Facility

BONUS is a decommissioned nuclear power plant in Rincón that now functions as a museum documenting nuclear energy generation. The facility preserves its original control room, equipment, and displays that chronicle how this landmark operated during the 1960s.

The facility opened in 1964 as Latin America's first nuclear power plant and ceased operations four years later. After shutdown, the plant was preserved as a landmark and later recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

The reactor represents Puerto Rico's embrace of nuclear technology as a path toward energy independence during the 1960s. Walking through the facility, you can sense how this project reflected the island's aspirations for modern industrial progress.

Visitors need to arrange tours in advance through the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, as the site operates by appointment only. The remote location in Rincón means planning ahead for transportation is important.

The reactor employed an experimental design that pushed steam heating to extreme temperatures, challenging the boundaries of 1960s nuclear engineering. Few facilities from that era attempted such a technical approach.