National Atomic Testing Museum

One of the top science and technology museums in the United States, the National Atomic Testing Museum tells the story of atomic weapons testing during the 1950s. Associated with the Smithsonian, the Atomic Testing Museum is one of only a few museums showcasing the history behind this history-changing technology and weaponry. Designed to take the visitor in a chronological journey from the early days in the 1940s until modern times, the museum holds a trove of artifacts from the era, from an emblematic "Miss Atomic Bomb of 1957" photo to letters from fisherman exposed to radiation during testing in the Pacific. Las Vegas is a fitting place for this museum because of the city's ties to the Nevada Test Site, where both above and below ground atomic tests (explosions) were done for decades.