Advertisement
Bradbury Science Museum

Bradbury Science Museum

Bradbury Science Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Approximately 60 interactive exhibits trace the history of the WWII Manhattan Project, highlight Los Alamos National Laboratory's current and historic research projects related to defense and technology, and focus on Laboratory research related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and global security concerns. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 1- 5:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day. Admission is FREE.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Address
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Tara K
    47 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative small museum
    Informative museum. We learned a lot about the Manhattan Project. There were also exhibits about the work currently being done at Los Alamos. A good place to stop for a change of pace after a visit to Bandelier. My teenage son liked it, but since many of the exhibits were text heavy, I am not sure it would be a hit with younger kids.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 March 2024
  • Cheryl M
    104 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Small but excellent!
    Even after going to the larger Nuclear Science Museum in Albuquerque, we enjoyed this one more. It did a better job of explaining the timeline from nuclear physics discovery to dropping of atomic bombs in Japan. Start with the excellent movie! Explained how the different bombs worked and had to-scale replicas. The museum also did a great job of explaining how the area was transformed during bomb development and what Los Alamos National Laboratories does today.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 7 April 2024
  • COGuest
    637 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good intro to the area
    Was here years ago, but remembered nothing. Great little museum (not for young children who cannot read well), some good videos about the bomb and how it was developed. Good intro to the area if you are short on time. No charge to enter. Worth a visit.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled on business
    Written 1 June 2024
  • roadtrip_ken_2017
    Oakland, California443 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent museum on Los Alamos’ role in the atomic bomb and more
    I went here for the first time recently and enjoyed it. Although it may have a somewhat narrow appeal, to those interested in the history of developing the first atomic bombs and to later developments in this field, the museum's presentation is very well-done. Even though I had very limited interest in these topics before a friend encouraged me to visit the museum, I have to admit that the quality of the museum exhibits and short video made me want to learn more. So for those with any interest in the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, and the contributions from other locations, this will be a very worthwhile visit.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 11 June 2024
  • Craig P
    Mentor, Ohio40 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very good museum of Manhattan Project and Nuclear Science
    Very good science museum with lots to learn and understand. Well laid out and presented. Pretty thorough history of Manhattan Project and development of nuclear science, along with aftermath of WWII. Definitely recommended. Better for teens and adults, not so much for young kids.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 June 2024
  • Peter K
    Hurricane, Utah882 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great museum covering Los Alamos Lab's past, current and potential future work
    We visited here on 7/31/24. We spent about 3 hours in the museum and could have spent a couple of more. The museum opens at 10 am and closes at 5 pm. It is small but does a great job covering Los Alamos Lab's WWII role and the development of the A bomb. There is also a great area that covers the work the lab is currently doing, which is mind blowing. There is parking near the entry and in back of the building. If you are in Los Alamos this museum is worth visiting.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 2 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles926 reviews
Excellent
583
Very good
273
Average
63
Poor
7
Terrible
0

EmVeee
Houston, TX199 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
The front door staff were immediately helpful as we entered, The museum is free, which is amazing if you look at the scope fo the exhibits. Several short films give you a great history of the exhibit rooms. The exhibits are all packed with information, not fluff. We really enjoyed it and learned a broad amount of interesting science. A few hands on exhibits are not available due to infection control standards. We highly recommend this as part of the Los Alamos Manhattan Project visit.
Written 30 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SusanLaughs
Bakersfield, CA49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I like a small (free!) museum that can be explored in a couple of hours and, if you like to read, this is the museum for you. I particularly liked the wing with the early history of the Manhattan Project with its unclassified documents and pictures that bring to life the thought process behind a world changing weapon. The museum tries to keep a balanced view of nuclear power and the options for use in today's society. There are plenty of exhibits to keep a kid and the kid in an adult occupied. It's a nice change of pace from all that fresh, healthy mountain air thats good for you.
Written 24 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nostalgiyeah
Bothell, WA2,068 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
A visit to Los Alamos should most certainly include the Bradbury Science Museum. The town is famous for the Los Alamos National Laboratory and this museum chronicles the history and evolution of that lab in detail, which in turn is a chronicling of advancement in nuclear and computational sciences. I found the entire section devoted to the history of Manhattan Project very informative and well documented. The assortment of photographs, documents and newspaper clippings of the era add a very authentic touch to the history of what this museum is attempting to narrate. The replica of Fat Man and Little Boy, the atomic bombs that were dropped in Japan, are on display at the museum. The size of the bombs surprised me and they also include detailed descriptions of the path the fighter planes took to drop the bombs in Japan and return back to base. They have two theatres in the museum. In one, I caught a movie on the history of bomb making in Los Alamos and in the other, they were showing a film about the current research that happens in the laboratory. The museum is divided broadly into sections covering history, defense and current research topics, including computing. I ended up spending most of my time in the Manhattan Project history zone, but the exhibits in other zones are equally compelling as well. I appreciated the fact that the museum does not attempt to sugarcoat the atomic research topics and provides space for some counter-views as well. The entrance to the museum is free and there is ample parking outside the museum. Depending on your level of interest, you could spend anywhere from an hour to three hours inside the Bradbury Science Museum.
Written 30 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mostly_happy_camper
New York City, NY246 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
There is nothing new, authentic, unique, or otherwise of any interest here for people who have read up on the Manhattan Project.

On the other hand, for newbie's to the role Los Alamos has played since the dawn of the nuclear weapons age, the (free of charge) museum is a good stop for visitors to Taos or Santa Fe. But anyone can get a better (and more nuanced) rendition by reading one of any number of books on the subject.

Just two reasons to visit Los Alamos -- each worthy in their own right: simply to pay homage to one of the most important places in the 20th century and/or for the breathtaking drive with incredible canyon and mountain vistas up to the town.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hlg60
Avondale, Pennsylvania51 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
This is an excellent museum. This time in American history should be known by everyone. The Manhattan Project and how it came to be was so very interesting and informative. The scientists and researchers on this project did a Herculean task in a short amount of time. I recommend matching this with a visit to the Nuclear Museum in Albuquerque. This museum focuses more on the living situation and personal stories of the those at Los Alamos. A fascinating story, the whole town and how it came to be is fascinating actually. Highly recommend this free museum.
Written 21 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Patty W
Ogden, UT949 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This museum is free and very well done. They have two very interesting movies about the history of the site and the Manhattan project lasting 17 minutes. The second movie is about what is happening at Los Alamos National labs. They have a Fat Man and Little Boy atomic bombs there. There are lots of interactive exhibits.
Written 14 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephen K
Corpus Christi, TX2,800 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
The Museum has lots of exhibits, but I was most interested in seeing the replicas of the bombs the U.S. dropped in Japan to end WWII. Their physical size can only be appreciated by standing next to them. It is always good to contemplate what can happen with nuclear technology, and say thanks that it has happened only once. There is no charge to visit.
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hae Jung Y
Seattle13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
I recommend visiting this museum to learn more about the past and current research. I wish I had started my trip with this museum because it really helped me understand the history of the Los Alamos area and the indigenous community as well. You'll learn a lot and suggest at least 2 hours here.
Written 2 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

UncleA
Cleveland, OH256 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
After an amazing tour from the Los Alamos History Museum we went to the Bradbury to learn some more about the lab at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project and now. The museum supplemented the information we learned on the tour. There was no fee to visit the museum. They offer 2 short informative videos and some wonderful exhibits to see.
Written 2 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Babu2773
Chicago, IL851 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
The Bradbury Science Museum covers the atomic age with an eye to letting people know that the Los Alamos Science Laboratory does a lot more than atomic testing. I never knew anything beyond the defense work that is done at the laboratory, so it was fascinating. Of course, Fat Man and Little Boy replicas are on display, so there is a photo op. The gift shop is small but worth a stop.
Written 23 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

…
Showing results 1-10 of 901
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

BRADBURY SCIENCE MUSEUM (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

All things to do in Los Alamos
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday HomesTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire