Three Mile Island Historical Marker in
Middletown (PA)

No parking unless you srop in the business next to it and walk on the grass. Neat to see the area after reading/hearing about it.

Three Mile Island Historical Marker - A Glowing Review (Literally Hoped For, But Sadly Didn't Happen) **The Good:** Perfect pit stop on our epic Massachusetts-to-Georgia road trip! My son, our dog Milly, and I were hoping for some legitimate superpowers or at least a mild radioactive glow to spice up the journey home. The historical marker is well-maintained and informative, giving you all the facts about the 1979 nuclear accident that put this place on the map (and briefly made everyone very nervous about nuclear power). **The Views:** Excellent photo opportunities with those iconic cooling towers in the background. Nothing says "family vacation memories" quite like posing next to a sign about nuclear accidents! The panoramic view from the road is surprisingly scenic - who knew potential radiation exposure could come with such nice landscaping? **The Experience:** Educational and slightly anticlimactic. Despite our best efforts standing around the area, none of us developed any X-Men-style abilities. Milly showed no signs of enhanced intelligence or glowing fur. We're still just regular humans who now know way more about nuclear reactor safety protocols than we did this morning. **Bottom Line:** Great for history buffs, nuclear energy enthusiasts, or anyone hoping to add "visited site of major nuclear incident" to their travel bucket list. Bring a camera, read the marker, take your selfies, and enjoy the irony that this is now a peaceful roadside attraction. Just don't expect to leave with superpowers - apparently that's not how radiation works. Who knew? Would definitely recommend as a quirky detour - it's not every day you can say you've been to Three Mile Island!

Three words that flow together, stuck in the American consciousness: Three Mile Island. In 1979, the power plant experienced a partial nuclear meltdown that released radioactive gases into the environment. It remains the worst accident in US commercial nuclear power plant history. The historical marker reads, "On March 28, 1979, and for several days thereafter -- as a result of technical malfunctions and human error -- Three Mile Island's Unit 2 Nuclear Generating Station was the scene of the nation's worst commercial nuclear accident. Radiation was released, a part of the nuclear core was damaged, and thousands of residents evacuated the area. Events here would cause basic changes throughout the world's nuclear power industry." The marker was erected in 1999 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. You do not need to enter the secure area to see the marker or the cooling towers. There is parking.

I really did enjoy it; I wish there was an observation point or something you could park at to have a safer place to park; I bet the people with the private parking lot would enjoy that too, so people wont park there instead.

There isn't a designated area to pull over and read it, but maybe I missed it. I guess you could pull into the training center and walk over or pull onto the shoulder. The roads in that area don't have much sight distance and the speed limit is 45 or 55mph, so if you pull over be very careful. You can see the plant here and there as you drive, but trees/vegetation make it pretty difficult. Might be better to charter a boat if you're interested in good pictures. I'm betting those slip formed cooling towers will be demolished soon and that will be an end of a design era. The photo I took is from further North on the road. Can't get close enough to get that radiation energy boost :(

Seems like a place we just heard about when I was a kid and then there it is. Funny that all the hype back them appears to have been all propaganda and media fear mongering. Worst accident ever released only as much radiation as a regular xray. The US could have been living off clean nuclear energy for decadee by now. Lets hope Microsoft can show us the path to clean nuclear power with the restart of this power plant .

Honestly I have always wanted to visit here....I remember when this happened and all the uncertainty about the earth blowing up or the dead zone around the plant.

I am currently staffing for the reopening of TMI which is now the Crane Clean Energy Center. I had a chance to visit. Very cool to check out.

If you have an interest in nuclear history or an interest in American history in general and you're in the area, this roadside landmark is a must-visit. There is relatively little traffic on the nearby road, making it easy to park along the grass to read the marker and take pictures of the power plant. The marker itself is a small, unassuming plaque located across the Susquehanna River from the infamous power plant, but it is well-preserved and packed with information regarding the significance of the site. The views from the marker, as well as across the road, are quite decent—especially at sunset/dusk when the surrounding landscape takes on a peaceful glow. There’s a strange, eerie sense of beauty in the sight of the power plant nestled amongst the surrounding nature, given its storied history. Overall, a neat place to stop for a few minutes to learn some history, take some neat pictures, or simply enjoy the views.

Pretty cool place to check out & take photos. Not much to do out there, but catch it during a sunset & u won't be disappointed.

I have been interested in the Three Mile Island disaster for years. I don't often make it out to eastern PA. Took this as an opportunity to stop by. Parking.... If I were to say it could be better would be to assume there was any parking at all. I pulled off the road directly in front of the marker. It's not like there's much else here beyond it, but it gives you a decent vantage point of the island. If I recall correctly, the press were standing by the northern access gate during the event. I'm glad I had a chance to stop.

For such a pivotal moment in American history and the future of nuclear power, the small roadside marker was underwhelming. Literally it's just a roadside marker across from the plant, you have to pull off on the roadside. The best part is the plant is directly across from the marker.

Where this photo was taken there’s a spot to park on the side of road to view it. Neat spot!

It is a small marker and no parking. You need to park in the shoulder. But looks like a spooky place when I learned about the accident. A private property.

It's a tight squeeze to pull off the road near the sign. However, it's a really good view of Three Mile Island. Definitely worth a visit, if you're in the area.

I remember the event vividly on TV 24hr coverage for over a week in 1979! Too bad the "fall out" was far greater for nuclear power than what actually occurred. Check one off my bucket list!

If you find yourself in this area, please do yourself a favor and take a look. When I came up on the towers, I actually got a very surreal kind of spooky feeling. Also, go further up to see all the powerlines spanning over to the plant. I watched some documentaries earlier and listened to a podcast on the way. Highly recommended! A huge event in our country’s history that almost wiped out the eastern seaboard area.

Great place to take pictures and video from across the river of this historic (infamous) power plant. Please note from the public road you have the legal right to photograph and film the facility looking across the river. Don’t be intimidated by the “no photography” signs. They are unconstitutional.

You can stop right at the sign, there is enough space on the edge of the road. From there you can also see the power plant across the river and take photos. This is not a heavy traffic road. The power plant shut down on September 20, 2019.

Not a typical tourist attraction, and I'm sure they rather not have you talking photos there, but you *can* see the radioactive water glowing in red. :)

Really cool location with a lot of history. It's hard to imagine what could have happened and what the area was like during that time. It's really amazing how little I felt standing there.

Cool to visit this, although there isn't public parking and the marker is along a highway. Take care when visiting.

Historial nuclear landmark on the side of the road. Pull off spot adjacent to sign that overlooks the river and plant. After watching the Netflix series “Meltdown: Three Mile Island”, we had to make a pit stop while in PA.

Park at the training center. Not very inviting but it is a really interesting topic. Great spot to see the towers.

After watching the Netflix series, we had to make a stop on our way. There's not much going on since the plant closed, but interesting history none the less. You can see the buildings from across the way.

A forgotten and neglected piece of American history. The observation center can't be accessed anymore, due to the plant shutting down in 2019 and currently being decommissioned. However, you can still see and take photos of the island from a distance.

What a beautiful location and so much history. Park at the training center and you will find a table to enjoy a picnic and a sign explaining the history of the accident. This site has been closed since Sept 2019 but you can absolutely come view the site.