NPS Waysides & Exhibits
Explore exhibits at the X-10 Graphite Reactor in Oak Ridge, TN. The X-10 Graphite Reactor was the world's first full-scale experimental nuclear reactor. After reaching criticality on November 4, 1943, X-10 provided the top-secret Los Alamos Laboratory with small samples of plutonium for atomic bomb research. In 1944, several large-scale reactors built in Hanford, WA began producing larger quantities of plutonium to fuel Fat Man, the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945.
X-10 remained in operation after World War II, officially shutting down on November 4, 1963, exactly twenty years after reaching criticality. The reactor was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1965. Today, X-10 is located on the secure grounds of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In-person visitation is only available on guided tours. |
Last updated: April 17, 2025