Growing up, we had always been concerned about the possibility of a nuclear war. The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site provides a snapshot of time in the past and the impact it had on the world. The historic site seeks to educate visitors about the existence of missiles that lie beneath the grassy plains in the Dakotas.
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Cold War Era History-Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
The Congress established Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in 1999. It comprises a visitor Center, nuclear missile silo and launch control facility. Unbeknownst to many, this missile field operated in this quiet area, outside the Badlands National Park, for 30 years, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
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Why here? America’s Great Plains Hiding in Plain Sight!
A few decades ago, over 1,000 missile sites were scattered across the grasslands of the Midwest. At its peak, ready to detonate at a moment’s notice and capable of striking anywhere within 30 minutes. Their construction began in the 1960s. They continued in operation until 1991, when the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed between the United States and Russia.
Getting to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Minuteman Missile Site provided a fascinating glimpse into the history of the cold war. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site actually consists of three separate locations: The Minuteman Missile Visitor Center, Launch Control Facility Delta-01, and Launch Facility Delta-09 (Missile Silo).
The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is just 70 miles from Rapid City.There are three sites for the Minuteman. There is a welcome center. It’s just four miles north of the Northeast Entrance to Badlands National Park on the other side of I-90 at exit 131. This welcome center features a very interesting and informative museum which is a must see and is free.
Get Started at Minuteman Missile NHS Visitor Center
It’s open year-round and the hours are 8:00am to 4:00pm. It’s open every day except federal holidays between March 1st and December 1st. During the winter, the Minuteman Missile NHS Visitor Center is closed on Sunday-Monday.
The free museum isn’t very large. You can walk through it relatively quickly. Be sure to include the film, “Beneath the Plains: The Minuteman Missile on Alert.” The 2018 video includes original and archival footage, recordings, interviews, animation, and images. If you cannot get tickets for the Delta-01 launch control, attend the virtual tour held every hour in the theater. It is almost like being there.
The best exhibit tells the story of the Cold War intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). We spent an hour walking through reading the discussions on tensions between the US and USSR, the Cold War. Displays covering the launch of Sputnik in 1957, and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) of the 1970s leading to the Antiballistic Missile Treaty, we also explored.
Besides several artifacts related to our Cold War deterrents, the museum also displays many artifacts regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis and just how close we came to war. The destructive power of nuclear warheads was what gave me pause. Specifically, the Russians had mobile and fixed systems. It could deliver 10 megatons, almost 10 times what a Minuteman II Missile could deliver.
How Close did We Actually Come?
The U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administration created the animated “Duck and Cover” with Bert the Turtle in 1951. Millions of US school children practiced drills hiding under school desks. For those who grew up under the fear and uncertainty of a nuclear attack from overseas, this will bring back memories.
Among the displays was a timeline of nuclear weapon development that really put into perspective how volatile the situation was during the early years. Each knew of the others might, but followed the mutually assured destruction (MAD) strategy. Since the retaliation would destroy the opposite side, it prevented not risking a launch. However, we came close! In 1983, the Russian satellite system showed that we had launched a missile. Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov believes that the launch was a false signal. He does not notify his commander. This makes him known as “the man who saved the world.” This really was an eye-opener for us.
Where is the Delta-01 Launch Center Facility?
The second site is the Delta-01 Launch Center at I-90 exit 127. It is open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Wednesday-Sunday for tours of the facility grounds. Here they offer Ranger-guided tours that last 30-45 minutes going inside the launch facility, and underground to the Control Center. They limit space on these tours (6) because of the small elevator and other tight spaces below. Visitors must be capable of climbing a ladder if necessary for emergency escape. Children must be age 6 or older, 40-inches tall and accompanied by an adult. Restroom are available in the parking area.
How Do I Reserve Tickets For the Delta-01 Tour?
There is a fee for the tour
- Adults: $12 for adults, 17 and older
- Children: $8 for children, ages 6-16 – all children must be accompanied by an adult
Reservations are required in-advance. Book them either online or at 866-601-5129. You will need to purchase tickets at least 24 hours in advance if you wish to view the control center, but you should order 90 days in-advance like we did because they sell out quickly.
Above Ground-Appearances are Deceiving-Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
The tour is amazing! It begins at the locked gate across from the parking area. When we first arrived for the first tour of the day, just off the highway, the single gravel road leads to a solitary building enclosed in a barbed chain-link fence. It appears unassuming, as there is nothing else here. It’s an eerie feeling looking out at the vast prairie with only a farmhouse in the distance and the isolated section of highway. The ranger met us at the gate telling us how secure the facility was during the Cold War. Each nation knew the location of the other’s missiles-hiding in plain sight. A command center identified by a letter and a number-controlled Minuteman ICBM missions, thus Delta-01.
Personnel from nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base, 44th Missile Wing, received a code to gain entry. Crew members included a commander, a chef, two launch control missileers, and four security officers. They gave us a glimpse into the lives of the missileers who worked on-site. The guided tour begins upstairs. The living quarters felt like stepping back in time to the 1960s.
Heading Down the Elevator to the Launch Control Center-Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
The ranger tour guide provided us with a real sense of what it must have been like for the two mission controller missileers working a 24-hour shift. Entering the elevator, we descended 31 feet below the surface to the Control Launch room. As you ‘descend’ into the base, you realize the decades-long threat Exiting the first thing you notice is the sign on the door reads, “World-wide delivery in 30 minutes or less, or your next one is free.” The propaganda slogan was popular during the cold war. The four-and-a-half-foot-thick blast door leads to the Launch Control Center (LCC). Suspended by shock absorbers, they encased the launch room inside a four-foot thick steel reinforced concrete capsule. The solid capsule room measures 29 feet in diameter and 54 feet in length (about the size of a small RV).
Inside the Launch Control Center (LCC)-Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
She gave us a detailed itinerary on the day-to-day operations. To relieve boredom, missileers had access to games, movies and radio. A small toilet/sink, coffeemaker, microwave oven, and refrigerator are also included in the LCC.
Each launch control center monitored ten ICBMs. Before the simulation began, she outlined the procedure for the launch sequence. Only one person could authorize a Minuteman missile launch: the Commander and Chief-President of the United States. Each missileer had their own launch keys, which were protected by a padlocked combination lock that only they could open. It would be necessary to use both keys.
Activating the launch would require confirmation from another launch control facility whose missileers would need to obtain and use their own set of keys. Besides adding time to the process, redundancy ensured they did not accidentally launch the missiles. A second fail-safe was that the two keys switches were 12 feet apart and had to be turned simultaneously. Our ranger guide then simulated for us what it would have looked like if a nuclear attack was imminent and the launch codes implemented.
What Would have Happened Next?
During a nuclear attack, an automatic blast valve would seal the capsule off from the surface. After the blast valve was activated, the Missileers would have to switch on the oxygen regeneration unit (hand cranked). The emergency power supply was provided by storage batteries, and an emergency air conditioner would have prevented critical electronic equipment from being overheated.
An escape hatch was within the capsule. Backfilled with sand to prevent the tunnel from collapsing during a nuclear attack, the Missileers would have had to dig their way to the surface.
Delta-09-Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
The third site, the Delta-09 Missile Silo at I-90 exit 116. Delta-09 is one part of the 15-area missile complex once assigned to Ellsworth Air Force. You can get an up-close view of the ICBM. There is also no charge to see the missile at Delta-09, which is only a 15-minute drive from the welcome center. Inside the glass-enclosed silo is a decommissioned Minutemen Missile II. It is possible to look down into the silo from above, and a cellphone app provides a narrated self-guided tour. This location is open from 9:00am to 3:00pm. We suggest arriving early as there is limited parking. Restrooms are available.
Note: There is little to no shade available, so bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat.
Delta-09 Silo-Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Buried in the glass enclosed silo is a replica Minuteman II training missile. The actual missile would have had a 1.2 megaton nuclear warhead. Made with reinforced concrete, the silo had a steel plate liner and has a diameter of 12 feet and was 80 feet deep. They covered the original silo with a 3-1/2-foot-thick, 90-ton slab of concrete. The explosive blast would have destroyed the cover in the event they launched the missile. There are still 100 operational nuclear missiles in existence today.
Maintenance personnel could access the support rooms below through the Personnel Access Hatch. It also allowed crews to access the missile without having to open the larger 90 ton blast door above it. Else where on the site, a small blue security pit vault contains the controls that allow the personnel access hatch to be opened.
We grew up knowing the fear that in a certain moment in time, an attack may be imminent. Even though the button was never pressed, the thought that it might have been was somewhat surreal.
Final Thoughts- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
The site is just near the eastern entrance of Badlands National Park, near a well-maintained historic site that deserves some attention. You can find more information on ICBMs and silos at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base, which is nearby Rapid City. It is free admission.
History buffs will really enjoy stopping at this site as it tells the story of the Cold War. In South Dakota, the Minute Man National Historic Site commemorates the history of ICBM missiles. I gained a much deeper appreciation for the tensions that have pervaded the cultures of the U.S. and the Russia for decades. We highly recommend adding this to your Great 8 itinerary.
Have you been to Minuteman Missile Site? Did you get to do the underground tour? Please share your experience in the comments below.
