minuteman missile national historic site

No rational person wants a nuclear war on planet earth...seeing the early parts of our nuclear deterrent up close and personal was fascinating. The guide from the National Park Service was excellent; the information she provided as part of the visit really brought the site alive. Learning about the technology used for this missile system, how quickly it was built and learning about the lives of the military personnel that stood guard was truly fascinating. The fact that it is free to visit? Icing on the cake. (The NPS is considering adding fees in 2016 -- go now while it's free!)My visit was in the off-season, so getting a spot to visit wasn't a challenge. You should know that group size is limited and you have to get a ticket at a visitor center a few miles away before being allowed underground. I suspect in the summer, you might have to wait a bit to get a ticket.No matter how long it takes to get access, it will be well worth it.

One off the bucket list. Superb and our guide was just the best & most interesting guy. Thanks to Jim B for the excellent tour and for being so great to talk to. We had some good days on our trip round the world and this was a highlight. As others have said plan ahead. Its not signed for a reason, as it gets too busy in summer.

Stopped at what was listed as the visitor center after exiting the Badlands. Apparently the place is under construction. No signage regarding the locations of the silos or anything. Government website didn't say anything (but why would the government get it right?) nor did any of the regional travelbooks we read through.2 bad experiences on this trip that would have been negated if I had read Tripadvisor reviews!!

Be sure to check the schedule for guided tours. You can see one of the missile sights, but without a tour guide, it doesn't mean much (even with the cell phone number you dial). Very interesting for those of us who grew up during the Cold War era.

It takes some planning and backtracking to get a tour but is well worth it. Stop as early as you can to get your tour time and tickets. We had to wait 90 minutes and there isn't anything to do there. We went to see some Badlands scenery and then went back to the tour site. It's not a lot, but is very interesting. Afterward, we drove up to the missile site, then on the the Pinnacles entrance to Badlands Park and completed our tour through the park. They are building a very cool looking center that should add a little to the experience.

In the off season there are only 2 tours a day.We were not there right at 8 a.m. so missed the 6 tickets for the 10 o'clock tour.The young ranger did not have any info to offer,think we took him away from something more interesting in the back room.Luckily it's the Badlands entrance so that can be plan B.

Minuteman Missiles were a huge part of American history during the cold war and integral to our defenses. With missiles "hiding" underground, they were placed all over the upper, central states of the US: Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, and into Nebraska and Colorado! Disarmed and removed in the 90s, there is one underground control center and one en-siloed missile remaining, both available to be toured by the public. The control center tour is a guided tour, and was fascinating and takes you into the actual control capsule, 30+ feet underground. Tours are limited to 6 persons, and the last one left at 3pm, so plan ahead. The address is a bit of a misnomer--you have to get tickets for the control center tour, and you get those at exit 131---where there is also a visitor center with a film and small gift shop. The control center is back at exit 116. And if you want to go see the last Minuteman II Missile, still in its silo, that's at exit 111, but that's a self-guided tour with a cel-phone audio tour. Construction all along the area, so you can only get to the tour (Exit 116) westbound on I90... (at least as of the end of September). Easy access to both sites. Underground tour requires an elevator ride--probably difficult to do with a wheelchair ...small, tight spaces. Silo is wheelchair accessible. Neither is probably suited for small children. Middle school aged and above might enjoy it, tho...

It might not be fair to give this a review, as we missed the tour. We hiked and drove the Badlands first, so we missed the free tour of the missile site. They tell me they run out of the passes before noon most days. We drove to one of the missile sites anyway and listened on our cell phone to the guided tour. It's good, and probably worth the 3 hours to do it. Just make sure you do it early, as they run out of the passes, and/or you might be too tired to do it the same day as the Badlands.

Get tickets early. Limited number of people on each tour - you will see why (small spaces). They are building a new visitor center just of US90, which may help people know about this site and find it. Good movie at center. Expect new visitor center will have much better displays and historical overview to read. Missile control site tour is awesome and chilling as you go down into the control center and see the launch buttons. Informative presentation on the lonely, desolate job (consider the location in the middle of SD) for the missileers that spent their time out here. Must have been even more dull in the midst of winter cold. Do not skip this opportunity to contact this piece of our history.

To those who grew up with duck and cover drills and lived through the tense days of the Cuban Missle Crisis, this visit is a definite must be destination. The minute man missileswereva deterence, nuclear forces were constant state of readiness this landmark wasestablished by Congress in 1999 this is an experience where civilians can explorethe site and learn about the arms race and what was at stake, how these , missilesproved their value in hold back a Russian nuclear attack by just being there, why southDakota had the , , , missiles, the secrets kept, the intrigue behind the cold war strategies Also learn of the dedication of the air force personnel who were stationed in remoteareas waiting waiting for the launch signal it was exciting as I grew up in this era,lived du ring the Cuban missile Crisis, this visit taught me much about what was atstake, and how serious the cold war could have been, good history lessons for youngergeneration, too, the arm's race lives on here, definitely recommend this visit

If you remember the movie Wargames about the launch center control room guys who questioned the launch codes you will like this place. The only thing here is, this is real. Here is where the men and women sat with their finger on the launch button. For us who remember the cold war this is where the US would have launched some of the ICBM's.You need to do your homework on this free tour. Get your tickets early because space is limited.If the National Park Service worked it better they could have more people attend the tour. If it hadn't been for others on our tour we would have not known about the tour of the missile silo 6 miles away. If you go to the web site they have a telephone number to call that gives you a commentary of the self guided tour. We stopped by the office for tickets and then went back to Wall Drug to have lunch and spend some money before making it back for our tour. Consider this, its FREE. Not much else out there is, except the ice water at Wall Drug.

I have been here before, always very interesting. They have a nice movie at the check in site and the tour of the missile control site was super. We had a retired major give our tour who actually worked at this site. I especially liked it as I lived through this time, very informative.

Definitely worth every effort, including being there VERY early to get tickets which disappear almost immediately upon opening. If you are of the generations that lived under the threat of the bomb, the place will seem spooky because it is sooo realistic. It is one thing to see replicas in countless movies but an altogether different one to see the real place where two guys were spending 12-hour shifts ready at all times to turn those keys...The nearby silo is not worth an effort; instead, drive to the Ellsworth Air Base to see the other part of the installation - and much more

The Visitor Center is located just off I-90, exit 131, next to a large Conoco gas station. The Visitor Center is just 2 nondescript trailers so don't look for something big. This is a free tour offered by the National Park Service. You have to get tickets as only 6 people can fit on the elevator going down to the bunker. The bunker is located off site of the visitor center. The visitor center has a very informative movie. If you grew up in the 50s-60s, this is very interesting. The ranger who took us on the tour was a major during this time and his personal stories made the tour very interesting. We got to the Visitor Center at noon and got tickets for the 1:00 tour. Saw the movie, drove to the site. There is only a small gas station store if you need food. There is also a missile silo at a third location which is also free and no tickets are needed. Wheelchairs or walkers could not be used for this tour as the bunker is very small.

What an eye opening experience. I had no idea what we were going to see and learn. The ranger was very informative and passionate about the missile programs history. We visited both sites. I think everyone should visit. And did I mention it was free?