Trip Idea

Take The "Cold War Tour"

Multiple Parks

A tall fence with a warning sign that reads
Duration Half Day
Topic(s) Military, US Air Force (Army Air Corps), Science, Technology and Innovation, Wars and Conflicts, Cold War, Architecture and Building, Aviation, Engineering, Farming and Agriculture, Grasslands, Social Movements more »
Activities Self-Guided Tours - Walking, Scenic Driving
Type Solitary/Remote, Road Trip
Parks Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Going to the Gate on the "Cold War Tour"
  • Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

    Consider Deterrence and Destruction at Delta-09

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Directions to Delta-09
    • Duration: 10–30 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Park ranger and visitors look through a glass barrier at a missile standing in a missile silo

    Gaze Armageddon in the face with a visit to the Delta-09 missile silo. The viewing enclosure over the silo allows for visitors to gaze directly down at a Minuteman II missile. Consider the meaning of 1.2 megatons of destructive power hidden in plain sight.

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  • Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

    Visit the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Scenic Driving
    • Pets: Yes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    View of a ranch-style building inside a fenced compound

    For every 10 Minuteman nuclear missiles (know as a Flight) there would be a Launch Control Facility that housed Air Force personnel. Delta- 01 occupies an open, grassy tract of land approximately one-half mile north of Interstate 90. Approaching the site from the Interstate, it looks like a lone ranch house in the open grassland. Over the years, most travelers probably did not give the site a second look or even know what military capabilities lay hidden within.

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  • Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

    The Minuteman Missile Mobile Tour

    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Self-Guided Tours - Walking
    • Age: 16 and Older
    • Pets: Yes
    • Duration: 20–60 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    A park ranger stands in front of a glass enclosure at a missile silo

    A Mobile Phone guided tour of Delta-09 and Delta-01 is available for visitors to learn the history of Minuteman Missile on the Great Plains and how it was operated for thirty years. Narrated by veterans who served in the Air Force at these sites, the tours explain the history, impact, and importance of the Minuteman Missile system. Visit the Audio Tours page on the Minuteman Missile NHS's website, or use the links below. 

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Last updated: October 21, 2020