1. Wanapum Heritage Center

    1. Wanapum Heritage Center

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    Mattawa, WA

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    Wanapum Heritage Center

    5.0 (6 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

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    Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours - All these signs are hand painted

    Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours

    4.9(14 reviews)
    37.0 mi

    Wow, this tour is AMAZING. It starts with a 15 minute video at the visitor center which explains…read morethe background of the geopolitical climate that prompted the construction of the reactor. It is the first large-scale nuclear reactor ever built, taking uranium and converting it into plutonium-239 (used in the Trinity test in New Mexico and the Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan). Then there is a 45 minute bus ride to the B reactor itself (try to avail yourself of the restrooms at the visitor center, but there's a tour bus bathroom and port-a-potties at the reactor itself). The bus ride flew by as the docent talked about the area and his own experience as an engineer. Very engrossing. As you enter, there's another short presentation by a docent explaining the physics behind the reactor, and then you're set loose. There are also small docent-led presentations at specified times too if you want to get more into the nitty-gritty of the design and operation of the reactor. I wish I had more time at the reactor, maybe 15 more minutes, since there was so much to see and read. The exhibits were so well done!

    Definitely worth a visit, though most of the buildings that once were on the site at the height of…read moreHanford's operations are no longer there. Everything went on schedule as described. The bus is a comfy coach and the 45 minute ride to the actual Reactor B is enlivened by the tour guide's info about the history and geology of the area, as well as providing background on the construction and challenges of putting together the entire site so quickly. Free bottled water is provided at the site, and there's a good mix of short talks by guides (about 15 minutes or so each) and time to walk around, read info on exhibits, and take photos. Visitor Center is clean, with chairs inside for waiting as well as benches outside. Because we'd driven almost 3 hours to the site, we took advantage of a shady bench to have our lunch. The timing of the 11:45am tour means you'll want to get something to eat before setting off, because you won't return to the Visitor Center for about 4 hours (and there is no food to purchase at the Center, and no food allowed inside the Reactor B building). There is, however, a place to eat next door to the Visitor Center (The Dive) where I can at least confirm that the beer and onion rings are excellent. We got lucky and had a relatively cool (80 degrees) day. Bathrooms at the actual park site (the reactor) are limited to portable toilets, but again, all the info presented from registration to the actual tour were clear, informative, and well done.

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    Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours - Building where the tour starts.

    Building where the tour starts.

    Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours - Display of materials and parts in the reactor

    Display of materials and parts in the reactor

    Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours - Exterior of the reactor

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    Exterior of the reactor

    Yakima Valley Museum & Historical Association

    Yakima Valley Museum & Historical Association

    4.5(16 reviews)
    30.7 mi

    Incredible! My dad…read morewas from Yakima, so I wanted to visit. I have no idea how I'd research things, but I did try - I did numerous web searches and there wasn't much I could find. We were in Yakima last week and we stopped by the museum. We were greeted by a nice man, who we bought tickets from. I told him my story and he said we should speak to John. Luckily, he was in and we went into the archives office and he showed us all kinds of things! He found my grandfather's store, then he told us that it was torn down, but he told us about other businesses in the area! He showed us pictures dating back over 100 years! He then found my dad's old house. We took down the address - this is something I'd like to see! He gave us a lot of great information - what an amazing man! He showed us some artwork in another room, then sent us on our tour of the museum. We had a wonderful docent give us a tour. She took us room to room, answered our questions and made the entire experience world class! In the middle of our tour, John came by and showed us another photo he had pulled up! Now that's amazing! We finished our tour. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we learned a lot about Yakima. Oh yeah, we also learned that we were staying in Union Gap, not Yakima. After the museum, we went to where the store was, then we went to see where my dad great up. What a perfect day and it was all due to the excellent staff at the Yakima Valley Museum and Historical Association! You have to visit this museum!

    What a cute local museum. Stop here on a road trip and we really enjoyed it. Was not big but was…read morewell done. Had a fun kids area in addition to a scavenger hunt with a small prize.

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    Yakima Valley Museum & Historical Association
    Yakima Valley Museum & Historical Association
    Yakima Valley Museum & Historical Association

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    Wanapum Heritage Center - culturalcenter - Updated September 2026

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