The mighty Columbia River ties together the many different histories of the area including the histories of Native Americans, settlers, and those involved with the Manhattan Project. Explore these histories as you travel from south to north along the Columbia River to visit different museums and historic sites along the way.
Day 1: Life before the Manhattan Project
Start at Sacajawea Historical State Park along the Columbia River to learn about the connection between the Columbia River and the Native Americans who have called the Columbia Plateau home since time immemorial. Then head to the Franklin County Historical Society and Museum to learn about settlers and the industries that grew around the Columbia River. Drive across the Columbia River to visit the REACH Museum. This museum shares the Manhattan Project history and the plants and animals of the Hanford Reach, which is the longest free-flowing section of the Columbia River in the US. Much of the Hanford Reach flows through the Hanford Site. Both the state park and the Reach Museum are great places to have picnics.
Day 2: Take the Pre-War Historic Sites Tour
Prior to removal in 1943, Indigenous people lived, hunted, fished, and gathered on the land claimed by the US Government for the Hanford Site since time immemorial. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, White settlers created the farming towns of Hanford and White Bluffs in this area. Approximately 1,500 men, women, and children were displaced from their homes to create the top-secret Hanford Site in 1943. The US Department of Energy leads reservation-based guided tours of the Hanford Site to see remnants of these communities and learn about life before the Manhattan Project.
