INL celebrates world’s first reactor generated nuclear power

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory will open its EBR-1 Atomic Museum Tuesday for the 65th anniversary of the first peaceful use of atomic energy.

The museum is located off Highway 20/26 between Idaho Falls and Arco on the INL site.

The reactor itself was completed in 1951 and became the first nuclear reactor to produce usable electricity on December 20, 1951. The reactor operated until 1963 and was decommissioned in 1964. President Lyndon Johnson dedicated it as a Registered National Historic Landmark on August 25, 1966.

In addition to EBR-1, the museum also features two aircraft nuclear propulsion prototypes, a reactor control room, remote handling devices for radioactive materials, and radiation detection equipment.

The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with guided and self-guided tours. There is no admission price.