Atomic Testing Museum - Where the Secrets Begin

Stop on Area 51, a free self-guided tour.

Before you chase aliens, meet the reason the desert went secret. Here, just north of Harry Reid International Airport, the National Atomic Testing Museum tells how the Nevada Test Site turned empty desert into one of the most tested places on Earth. Step into the Ground Zero Theater, which simulates watching an atmospheric nuclear test, and look for the B53 nuclear bomb on display.

Then find the Area 51 exhibit, added in 2012 and expanded two years later. It is the honest starting point for everything ahead: a remote dry lake, decades of government silence, and a legend that grew in the gap.

The museum opened in 2005 and became a Smithsonian affiliate when the president signed legislation on December 31, 2011. Before you go, look at the weather station outside, which records wind and gamma radiation for a monitoring network.

Getting here: You begin here at 755 E. Flamingo Road, just east of the Strip and north of the airport. When you leave, head for I-15 north and then US-93; the next stop is about 90 miles away.

Trivia: In what year did the museum become a Smithsonian affiliate?

Nearby: Restrooms and exhibits are inside during museum hours, so check the museum website for current hours. Eat, fuel up and fill your water bottles here; services thin out fast north of the city.