Hanford Nuclear Reservation
Hanford Nuclear Reservation
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
194 reviews
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Connector755015
1 contribution
Mar 2021
The tour of the Hanford reservation was a surreal experience for me. I remember, as a kid, watching my dad walk to the bus stop every morning with his lunch box and return every evening, not having any idea as to just how long he sat on the bus to get out there. Of course, he could never show us where he worked. He also never spoke of it to my knowledge. Being able to finally visit the site in 2019 after it opened to the public, I was in awe of the whole project and the people who worked there. I am grateful to have been able to see it at long last.
Written February 18, 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.
KfromOhio
Galloway, OH80 contributions
Jun 2022
An excellent tour that begins at the visitor center on Logston, with a brief overview held there and then motor coach ride of approximately 45 minutes out to Hanford site. Free of charge. Very well done and enjoyable experience. Some interesting history of how all this came to be and how the reactor works. Some technical staff located at the site for the tour were very knowledgeable and interested in responding to questions not addressed during the normal talks. An enjoyable half-day experience. Definitely would recommend if in the area.
Written June 12, 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.
stjonkus
Memphis, TN9 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
This was fascinating and well done. You have to go online and make a reservation a couple of weeks in advance. Fortunately there were some cancellations and we got in on short notice. My 10-year old learned a lot about the history of this place and that time period as did I.
Written July 17, 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.
Brewztraveler
Kennewick, WA47 contributions
Jun 2011 • Couples
My wife, brother and I all went on a tour of the B-reactor this past weekend and WOW what an experience. First off, the tour is free so you can't beat that! They load you on a bus and it takes about 45 minutes to reach the B-reactor from Richland. While on the bus you watch documentaries about the B-reactor and the manhattan project. When you show up you walk into the B-reactor building and as soon as you reach the end of the hallway and turn there it is...the humungous reactor fully intact. It is truley amazing. The tour of the facility is packed full of facts and history that I never knew about the Hanford area. Very interesting. I would highly recommend this.
Check out their website http://manhattanprojectbreactor.hanford.gov/index.cfm
Tour registration usually comes online in March and fill up very very fast, usually within hours.
Check out their website http://manhattanprojectbreactor.hanford.gov/index.cfm
Tour registration usually comes online in March and fill up very very fast, usually within hours.
Written June 21, 2011
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.
Kristen M
Snohomish, WA84 contributions
Jul 2014 • Business
The awe of this historic location where the plutonium was produced for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, the first atomic test (New Mexico), and for countless other Cold War stockpiles perhaps outweighs the sheer magnitude of the devastation caused to the landscape and lives destroyed. It's easy to visit here and understand that the works from 1943-1945, shrouded in secrecy, did their work like anyone else with a war time production job. The engineering, architecture, and plumbing success of the place screams "yankee ingenuity" and is testimony to the thousands of Americans who engaged in wartime industry. Because I was there with a class, my "tour" was probably different than the general public, though the facility is both amazing and scary at the same time. It's an incredible part of our war time, Cold War, and atomic history. Just don't let the atomic sublime obscure the whole story.
Written July 13, 2014
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.
DebbiT83
Tri Cities, Washington10 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
My spouse and I were able to take a tour of the Hanford Nuclear site recently and we are so glad we did. It was a five hour tour filled with so much historical information. Having lived in the area for nearly 30 years, it was interesting to be able to have access for the day to an area where my spouse worked. He was able to share with me some of his personal experiences. Our guide was extremely knowledgable and made the tour so enjoyable. We found the B-Reactor so interesting as well as areas that are disposing of contaminated items. We had to reserve our spots for the tour ahead, but it was easy to do online and I have to mention......This is a free tour!
www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/hanfordsitetours
www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/hanfordsitetours
Written May 19, 2015
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.
Jim m
Dothan, AL38 contributions
Oct 2019
At first I had a rough time finding any information on the tour. I finally googled reactor B and I came to the web site. You must make reservations in advance, but I made mine two days before the tour. Meeting place was easy to find. A short presentation started the tour then we loaded the bus for a 45 minute tour. Tour guide gave an informative presentation on the surrounding area. Once there another presentation at the reactor itself and then you were on your own, but tour guides were available to answer question. This free 4 hour tour.
Written October 26, 2019
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.
Joyce A
Concord, New Hampshire162 contributions
Aug 2019
When I found out about this I knew I wanted to see it, and I worked it into a long road trip. Well worth the time and effort to get there. I love sites where "history happened", and this is it: they produced the plutonium for early nuclear bombs right here, and regardless of which of the many positions one can take on nuclear energy, this is a fascinating tour. You can support it, hate it, love it, fear it, whatever... you will learn something worth knowing here.
The facility isn't as run-down as I expected it to be from some of the descriptions I read; it's actually in very good shape and almost looks like the scientists from 75 years ago could walk in any moment and pick up where they left off. The sight of the reactor itself is breathtaking. The docents are all very knowledgeable and more than happy to answer any questions along the way. Three presentations are given during the time spent at B Reactor, and time is also provided to "wander" around the various areas inside the building.
A 45-minute bus trip to get out there and back again is part of the duration of the tour, so it's a four-hour time commitment to do the back-and-forth plus the time spent at the site. Not a place where you can just come and go as you please. Those with small children who tend to get bored and restless might not find it a family-friendly activity.
The facility isn't as run-down as I expected it to be from some of the descriptions I read; it's actually in very good shape and almost looks like the scientists from 75 years ago could walk in any moment and pick up where they left off. The sight of the reactor itself is breathtaking. The docents are all very knowledgeable and more than happy to answer any questions along the way. Three presentations are given during the time spent at B Reactor, and time is also provided to "wander" around the various areas inside the building.
A 45-minute bus trip to get out there and back again is part of the duration of the tour, so it's a four-hour time commitment to do the back-and-forth plus the time spent at the site. Not a place where you can just come and go as you please. Those with small children who tend to get bored and restless might not find it a family-friendly activity.
Written September 7, 2019
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.
SenatorJerome
Merced, CA144 contributions
Sep 2018 • Business
There are two places to visit in the Tri-City area for a history of the role of Hanford for the Manhattan Project. The Reach Museum is one place and the second is the Manhattan National Park visitor center located in North Richland. If you can also take the B Reactor tour, you will have a better understanding of what was accomplished by the workers at Hanford during WWII. The visit center can provided information on the tours.
Written October 2, 2018
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.
Sandy B
Overland Park, KS68 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
This was a long tour but the time flew by. Register online ahead of time to reserve spots (tour is free). First you all meet at the Visitors Center in Richland. Arrive a few minutes early to look at all the displays there. The first part of the tour is a film shown at the Visitors Center. Then you all board a coach bus to drive out onto the Govt land to the Hanford site (it is not possible for the public to enter un-escorted). The ride is almost 30 minutes but the guide provides commentary during the drive. The B Reactor building is eerily impressive, and you walk almost immediately into the room with the front of the core. VERY IMPRESSIVE! The tour guides provide more information here and then you are allowed to walk around the whole building. Individual talks were giving in the valve room and the control room. Several rooms have videos to watch with more information (there are even more videos in the front core room so go ahead up to the TVs in the front of this room and watch these too, as well as getting a closer look at the core front and the scale model). Make sure you wander through all the hallways to see every open room. You are allowed to take photos. Then you board the bus to return to the Visitor Center with more commentary. My previous knowledge, like many, was sketchy, but I learned so much on this tour! It’s a national treasure.
Written July 20, 2018
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.
EKZoo
Scottsmoor, FL57 contributions
Hi, how do you sign up for a tour. We live in Maryland and are on cruise and will be in the area on Sept.6/
Amy S
33 contributions
Generally on Monday and Tuesdays they have one tour starting at 8 am. Wednesday to Saturday they have two tours a day 9 am and 8:45 am.
The dates for the 2018 season for September is 1-8, 11-15, 17-22 and 29-31
You can make reservations online.
I tried to put the link for you but this space does not allow it.
I'll write the address without the html references so type it in with no spaces. If this does not work, search for reactor b tours Hanford.
manhattanprojectbreactor (put a period) hanford (put a period) gov (put a forward slash).
If you need more information, you can call them at 509-376-1647. If you can't make the reservations on line, explain your situation and they can make the reservations for you.
Good luck,
Amy
Joyce S
Lewiston, ID
Can you just show up and look around? I only have 3 hours to spend, not enough time for the 5 hour tour..
Amy S
33 contributions
I thought I answered this questions yesterday. If it didn't get published, I'll write it again.
You could drive on the road where the reactor is but you cannot go through the gate of the fence. All you will see is a building and a train to the left.
You would get a lot more information if you visit the REACH museum. They are also located in Richland at 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland. The phone number is 509-943-4100. The regular days open are Tuesday to Saturday 10-4. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, they are open Tuesday to Sunday 10-4. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 seniors, military and students, Under 6 years free.
They have lots of pictures on the walls and some sections has audio description for the Manhattan Project
They also have 4 other exhibits plus one rortating one. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the other exhibits because I was most interested in the Manhattan project. Besides the Manhattan Project and cold car era; one was about the history of the transformed land, one dealt with the Columbia river and wild life of the area and the last was an outdoor exhibit. They also have one rotating exhibit. We went through the land and the Columbia River quickly,
We really enjoyed visiting this museum.
Mary S
Richland, WA
When will the next Hanford Tour be?
Amy S
33 contributions
The 2018 schedule is s follows:
May 24-31
June 1-2, 4-9, 11-16, 18-20, 22-23, and 25-30
July 2-14, 16-21, and 23-28, and 30-31
August 1-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25, and 27-31
September 1-8, 10-15, 17-22, and 24-29
October 1-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-20, 22-27, and 29-31
November 1-3, 8-10, and 15-17
You need to make reservations before you get there.
Ed L
Salem, SC8 contributions
I am in the process of making plane reservations for the end of May this year for a week, and would like to lock in a date for a tour for myself and my wife. For planning purposes, are their dates available? Please advise, Ed.
Graham L
Pasco, WA58 contributions
Tour dates for the 2015 season have not yet been announced. They are released on the Hanford web site, (just Google "Hanford Tours")and often fill up very quickly. Check that website frequently and jump on it when they are available.
Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Richland
Frequently Asked Questions about Hanford Nuclear Reservation
- Hotels near Hanford Nuclear Reservation:
- (2.90 mi) Homewood Suites by Hilton Richland
- (3.59 mi) Hampton Inn Richland / Tri-Cities
- (4.50 mi) Home2 Suites by Hilton Richland
- (4.51 mi) The Lodge at Columbia Point
- (6.87 mi) Holiday Inn Express & Suites Pasco-Tricities, an IHG Hotel
- Restaurants near Hanford Nuclear Reservation:
- (0.00 mi) The Dive
- (0.03 mi) Bombing Range Brewing Company
- (0.10 mi) At Michele's
- (0.08 mi) White Bluffs Brewing Company
- (4.51 mi) Drumheller's Food & Drink
Hanford Nuclear Reservation Information
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