Manhattan Project National Historical Park Seeking Volunteers for Los Alamos Visitor Center Operation

Date: October 14, 2016
Contact: Kirk Singer, [phone]

The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to invite community members to join us in providing visitor information and interpretation at the Manhattan Project NHP visitor center on 20th Street, Los Alamos. Volunteers will receive training in Los Alamos and Manhattan Project history, customer service, and orientation to National Park Service operations. The training will be provided by NPS and Los Alamos Historical Society staff, beginning October 18.

Winter hours for the visitor center will be Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00-4:00 PM, starting November 1, with other hours and programs available as staffing permits. “We are very appreciative of Los Alamos County for providing this wonderful visitor space, as well as office space for park staff. We also want to extend our appreciation to Los Alamos History Museum volunteers for helping us with staffing in the new visitor center during this transition”, said Charles Strickfaden, Acting Superintendent. 

Perspective volunteers should be interested in providing information to visitors from all over the country in an indoor setting. No money handling will be required, and volunteers will receive training in the Manhattan Project and WWII history, as well as NPS operations nationwide. Please contact Manhattan Project NHP Ranger Kirk Singer to apply as a volunteer. For more information see the NPS Volunteer website at https://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.  

Formally established last November at DOE locations in three states, the park marks the history of the mid-20th-century people, science and events that led to creation of the atomic bomb in the top-secret effort known as the Manhattan Project. 

Manhattan Project National Historical Park was authorized in December 2014 in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015. On Nov. 10, 2015, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy signed a Memorandum of Agreement to establish the park. Under that pact, the NPS operates the park and interprets its history on properties that continue to be owned and managed by DOE. Park visitor centers have been opened at the three locations, which represent stages in the research and production of the first atomic weapons.