On December 20, 1951, Idaho National Laboratory's Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1 became the first nuclear reactor to produce a usable amount of electricity.
On December 20, 2023, the museum will open to the public from 10:00am-3:00pm for free tours in celebration of its anniversary. This year, a free bus ride from Idaho Falls will be available for the first 50 people to register for a tour.
Usually closed during the winter, the Atomic Museum is offering free tours on December 20, no reservations required.
EBR-1 was active through late 1963 and finally decommissioned in 1964. On August 25, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson, along with the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Glenn Seaborg, dedicated it as a Registered National Historic Landmark.
"We made history at EBR-I on Dec. 20 and 21 back in 1951. This is one more chance for us to share our history with community members,” said Sarah Neumann, INL Media Relations and Digital Content Manager in a press release..
Visitors are encouraged to download the free TravelStorys app before making the trip into the desert and listen to the on-demand tour of INL on the drive.
Guided and self-guided tours are available for visitors.
To sign up for the bus ride, send an e-mail to tours@inl.gov with the number of people in your party.
For more information, visit the INL website.
