![]() ![]() It is necessary to book a ticket ahead of time. Tours do fill up ahead of time, especially during summer months. The area in the facility is really small (it was meant mostly for 2 officers), therefore they cannot accommodate more folks. Be comfortable with heights (The Elevator is an open Grate).Be comfortable in a small elevator in close proximity to six other adults.Children must be Accompanied by an Adult.Children must be at least 40” tall, six years of age, and be able to climb the ladder unassisted.Be physically capable of climbing two 15 foot ladders unassisted.Therefore there are requirements for visitors in terms of physical needs: These were designed for war and not the general public. So you must take caution not to touch or disturb anything.įor visiting: Since it’s an Airforce facility, it really it’s not the best in terms of ADA accessible. Note: Everything in the facility is considered historic. Visitors will see where personnel lived, worked, and ate during their shifts at the Delta-01 Facility. The tours take visitors through the topside as well as the underground alert facility. For those who want to get a more in-depth look, tours are available to explore the facility itself. While anyone can go and look at see the outside of the facility (and you should regardless). I’ll try to update once more information is known. Currently there is no posted date for tour resumption. Delta-01 ToursĪs of September 13, 2021, Delta-01 Tours are currently on Hiatus. Visiting here gives a rare glimpse into a missile launch silo that until recently was live. During operation this site contained a live missile always ready to launch at a moment’s notice. There were about 150 of these missiles spread across South Dakota during the height of the cold war. Unlike the Peacekeepers where the missiles need to be co-located, Minuteman missiles could be located miles away from the launch center. The topside folks work 3 days on and 3 days off and the folks in the alert capsules (always officers) work 24hrs shifts. There were always 8 enlisted personnel topside and 2 officers underground. They had bunch, kitchen, various entertainment facilities as well as the alert site buried underground. These facilities were where the Missileers and support personnel would stay during their watch duties. Delta-01 Launch Control FacilityĪ small building hidden generally away but also within plain site. Something that certainly has risen more lately as well. If anyone is old enough to recall the cold war, I’m sure you remember the true concern of Nuclear War. This is really where the facility came about, during the cold war tensions between the Soviets and Americans. The exhibits are really interesting and focus a lot on the missiles and the cold war. This should be your first stop on your visit to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. There are still hundreds, both standing watch as well as concerning if a mistake may lead to a potentially nuclear end. This Delta Facility is one of those decommissioned sites. Through various treaties for nuclear non-proliferation many of these missiles and sites have been decommissioned. These moments are frightening and tragic for the whole planet. Scarily there were several close calls over history, such as a mistaken “test tape” used in NORAD, or Submariner not launching on orders that almost caused the world to end. At it’s peak over 1,000 of these missiles dotted the Midwest landscape, ready to launch, and capable of striking anywhere within 30minutes. These land-based Missiles were one of those three “prongs”. There is this concept of the Nuclear Triad, which consists of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines, and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles. There was this plan of “mutually assured” destruction which caused both sides to continue to stockpile weapons. Their continued to improve and build their arsenals as they fought and tried to gain influence in various parts of the world. Through lots of spying and other works, the Soviets managed to also develop a nuclear bomb, and the race was on between the various super powers. The US continued to work on their Nuclear Bomb programs and the Soviets worked in earnest to improve there. History of the Siteįollowing the Manhattan project and of course the end of World War II, tensions between the US,UK and the Soviets began to heighten. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site traces history and the sentiment on the sites. For sure the people who’s land and lived in the area loved and hated them equally. You may have mixed feelings about these sentinels standing watch. Always on Alert, Always manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week. These Minuteman Missiles, numbering over 1,000 were placed in silos all across the Midwest. ![]()
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