Where the Secret City Tells Its Story
Where the Secret City Tells Its Story
WSU Tri‑Cities Hanford History Project
At Washington State University Tri-Cities, the Hanford History Project preserves the human stories behind one of the most secretive and significant chapters in American history. Through archives, exhibits, and partnerships, the project ensures that the people of Hanford are remembered alongside its science.
An Archive That Collaborates, Curates, and Connects Communities Through History
The Hanford History Project manages a vast and growing collection of photographs, documents, artifacts, and oral histories tied to the Manhattan Project and the decades that followed. Its materials reflect the full spectrum of experience: from scientists and engineers to bus drivers, custodians, nurses, secretaries, and families who called the secret city home.
The project works closely with local museums, lending pieces for exhibitions and collaborating on special programs that bring history to life across the region. On campus, it supports student research, public events, and interpretive projects that explore the intersection of science, labor, displacement, and community identity.
Tours of the archive facility are available by appointment, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how history is preserved and interpreted. Whether you’re a researcher, educator, student, or simply curious, the Hanford History Project offers a human-centered lens on one of the most consequential sites in American history.
