Your Gateway to America’s Atomic Legacy
Manhattan Project National Historical Park Visitor Center
Located in the Horn Rapids area of Richland, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Visitor Center offers a frontline introduction to the region’s atomic history. Managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the center shares how the Hanford Site shaped military science, local communities, and global events during and after World War II.
Where Interpretation, Education, and Exploration Begin
The Visitor Center houses interpretive exhibits offering context on the displacement of White Bluffs and Hanford, the rise of Richland, and the industrial-scale production of plutonium. Visitors learn how a rural region was transformed into a government-run city built for nuclear science.
Since tours of the B Reactor are currently suspended due to needed roof and wall restoration, NPS has launched a new seasonal program called Atomic Explorations. These one-hour ranger-led talks (offered Monday–Thursday and Saturdays at 2:30 pm from June 2 to September 6) delve into the people, science, and legacy of the Manhattan Project, including topics like early Hanford photography, community histories, and ethical dilemmas of the atomic age.
Visitors can also join Pre-Manhattan Project Historic Site Tours, coordinated with the Department of Energy and hosted by the B Reactor Museum Association. These four-hour tours (available May through September on Friday's and Saturday's) explore the region before evacuation, including the towns of White Bluffs and Hanford, and continue providing historical context even while the reactor tour is paused.
Finally, NPS organizes walking tours in Richland and Pasco, plus seasonal bike tours in partnership with Bike Tri‑Cities. These programs give guests a street-level view of the secret city’s design, green spaces, neighborhoods, and civic life; connecting people to the landscapes shaped by wartime urgency and postwar transition.