Location: Scientists chose the site south of Socorro, New Mexico for its isolation and proximity to Los Alamos.
The Official Story: Physicists tested the first atomic bomb here on July 16, 1945. “All life on Earth has been touched by the event that took place here,” says a site brochure. Dr. Kenneth Bainbridge, director of the Trinity Test, put it a different way: “Now we are all sons-of-bitches.”
Fun With Atoms: Horses used for transportation on the site were later co-opted for polo matches–with soccer balls and brooms.
While You’re There: About 2000 people visit the obelisk that stands at ground zero when it opens twice a year.
Quote: “There’s really nothing really there but it’s amazing in its nothingness –your imagination runs wild.” –Nuclear Historian Frank Szasz