My family comes from that site and people that are too young to die keep dying from cancer. We can't keep pretending that it's a beautiful place because it's not.
Well, all I can really say is that the cooling towers look ominously in the background whenever you drive near. No pun intended but the energy feels unsettling. An intangible gut feeling almost like you would get when accidentally walking past the morgue at my local city hospital. Nothing against it. Would love to check out the inside one day.
An absolute must-see for anyone in the nuclear field. The B Reactor is where large-scale plutonium production began—standing at the control panels is like stepping into the birth of nuclear engineering. The tour is well-curated, historically rich, and technically satisfying without dumbing anything down. A powerful reminder of our roots and the responsibility that comes with the atom.
This was a remarkable tour of the first full-scale nuclear reactor, built in 1943/1944 in 11 months, which as part of the Manhattan Project produced the plutonium for the atomic bombs which ended the war with Japan in 1945. Run by dedicated volunteers, the tour was absolutely fascinating. It takes nearly 4 hours but well worth it.
The entire tour is indoors and there are chairs in the reactor room and control room. You can wander on your own inside and out and you're free to take photos and videos. The tour was very cool; if you're interested in the Manhattan Project you should definitely check it out.
B reactor is a must see. When the human mind is tasked with the challenge of combatting evil, amazing things can, and have, taken place. The completion and operation of the Manhattan Project's B-Reacor in S.E. Washington is one of those amazing things.
Heard the B Reactor tours are closing for two years and was fortunate enough to snag a tour ticket, so off I went! Definitely worth building a trip around IF this sort of place floats your boat. I loved it, neat to see and the docents were informative and helpful. I hope DOE finishes the roof repairs ASAP, the Tri-Cities have a real tourist gem on their hands here when it's open.
Three activities: pre war historical tour, B Reactor tour and the LIGO discovery center (only open weekdays). First two are by reservation with the NPS. check hours for LIGO
What a great experience. Tight security, but at the same time, great hospitality. I was very pleased with my experience onthis iconic nuclear reservation.
A place to that your breath away. (Mast required during your visit). Beautiful by day or night due to mysterious majesty glow. More reliable then the northan lights.
Goodbye Hanford Site and thanks for the opportunities to visit your site for the last 32.75 years. The folks there really do their best to keep the Tri-Cities safe from decades of waste storage under a tight budget from DOE. I invite all folks to take the Hanford Site tour which I also took while there with my family 👪 You'll remember it all your life...it's that good...👍
I'm studying Environmental Engineering and Can Confirm: this place is a disaster waiting to catch wider attention. Nuclear waste is currently leaking into the groundwater and has been for years because some genius in the 40s decided that single layer metal underground storage tanks will definitely never rust out and leak. Spoiler: they did. The radiation is currently within 10 years of reaching the Colombia river in troubling amounts. The government and cleanup agencies are in a stalemate about what to do about the high level nuclear waste (the really bad stuff). Low level waste processing is going slower than expected. This place is a nightmare and will/has caused untold damage . I hope there is good progress made in the cleanup effort in the next 30 years.
Fun fact: the federal government is planning on funding cleanup into the 2090's. As they should.
The B reactors tour is one of the coolest experiences related to nuclear history I have ever seen. The speed at which they went from concept to completion is something I doubt could be done in today. The undertaking of doing what they did is nothing less than remarkable.
A google rating for Hanford? Really? Hanford demonstrated the power of science in warfare. It demonstrated the falacy of ignoring the environment. It teaches us about the real cost of peace. May we never make the same mistakes again. May we not forget the price of single-mindedness.
An excellent place for a family vacation, the kids loved messing with the degraded plutonium rods. The only downside is the acute radiation poisoning and the local mutated wolves.
The tour is very interesting and worthwhile. It is cool to see the old technology that was used and learn the history of the reactor. It is a long drive in the bus out to the site so be prepared for that.
The B-Reacter (which people are allowed to visit and which is NOT radioactive) is a really fun tour, though, to my disappointment, I didn't grow a spare limb. Bring food and water (the ride out and back is about 45 minutes each way). As for the site itself, you know, the part that is radioactive, if you get too close then these men in combat gear get really angry at you and threaten to shoot you. If you do manage to sneak past the mean dudes, make sure that you romp through all of the areas surrounded by tape saying "DANGEROUS RADIOACTIVE WASTE". It is more fun that way, trust me.
It boggles my mind that anyone could find any nuclear plant, waste and contamination left behind after supposedly shutting down activity cool or a must see. Nature has given us so many beautiful non toxic places to see and experience. Why risk your health to witness the ignorance or our government.
My wife and I did the tour last week and we both really enjoyed it. We did the "Reactor B" tour which is a 4-hour tour, total time for us was from 10:45am to 3:20pm. Within that time they take you around the Hanford Site and explain some of the geology and wildlife before you even get to reactor B which is 30 mins away from where the tour starts. The tour guides are excellent and most of them worked at the Hanford Site in some capacity so the depth of their technical knowledge is impressive for the engineering type. You are allowed to wander around the site into all the rooms and many of them still have old signs from 1950s. There are talks that are given that help explain what this place did and how it did it. Whatever your opinion on nuclear weapons is, it is very cool to stand at the base of this massive nuclear reactor and realize you are standing in the most top secret place in the country during WWII. If you have any interest in nuclear technology or WWII, I would recommend seeing this place before all the technical people retire. Tips: Sign up online ahead of time. There are limited seats on the bus. Bring water and small snacks. The BBQ/brewery next door is ready to serve as soon as the tour is over.
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