It was the first nuclear reactor to produce electricity using atomic power, and you’re invited to take a tour
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The following is a news release from Idaho National Laboratory.
ATOMIC CITY – Idaho National Laboratory’s Experimental Breeder Reactor-I (EBR-I), a nuclear power plant-turned museum and National Historic Landmark, is now open for the season. The museum is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which visitors can enjoy free guided or self-guided tours. EBR-I will be open through Labor Day.
Both Atlas Obscura, called “the definitive guide to the world’s wondrous and curious places,” and The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science & Technology Come Alive, feature EBR-I as a fascinating destination.
Completed in 1951, the reactor claimed its spot in energy history on Dec. 20, 1951, when it lit four lightbulbs and proved that usable amounts of electricity could be produced using nuclear power. EBR-I operated until 1963, before its decommissioning in 1964. In August 1966, the building was declared a National Historic Landmark by President Lyndon Johnson and Glenn Seaborg, Atomic Energy Commission chairman.
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EBR-I attracts visitors from all over the country and the world. Last summer alone, the museum saw nearly 10,000 visitors from every state, and foreign countries. More information as well as photos from past visits to the reactor can be found on its Facebook pages, where all visitors are welcome to share their EBR-I experience.
Learn more about EBR-I and watch a video about its history here.
INL is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.