Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

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Tour Description

Learn how U.S. Air Force personnel secured and maintained a missile field at the ready inside a once restricted facility during the Cold War. The ranger-guided tour of Delta-01 takes visitors inside the secured fence and features a walkthrough of the grounds and topside support building. To protect the historic facilities and to provide for visitor safety, each tour is limited to six participants and a park ranger. This tour lasts forty-five minutes, beginning and ending at the entry gate to the Delta-01 compound. The tour is moderately strenuous and requires a quarter mile round trip walk. All tour participants must be able to walk and stand unassisted; modern seating is limited on the tour.

Respiratory protection for staff and visitors: All tour participants will be encouraged to wear a cloth face covering for the duration of the tour. Staff and volunteers leading tours will wear a cloth face covering during the duration of the tour.

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Remember fallout shelters, Sputnik, and the missile gap? Remember duck-and cover-drills, the Iron Curtain, the Red Scare and first-strike capability? The deadly drama underlying the Cold War is relived at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site near Wall where visitors can see how the end of the world could have begun. The site is the first national park in the world dedicated to commemorating the events of the Cold War. Two 1960’s era Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) sites have been preserved for public viewing. Delta-09, an underground missile silo on the edge of Badlands National Park, held a Minuteman II missile that could send a nuclear weapon to the Soviet Union in 30 minutes. Delta-01 control center includes the topside support building and the underground control center capsule.

Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a ranger-guided tour of Delta-01, located at I-90 exit 127. Tours are by reservation only and limited to 6 people per tour. Self-guided tours are available at Delta-09 missile silo, located at I-90 Exit 116. The visitor center is located at I-90 exit 131 and features exhibits that allow visitors to explore Minuteman’s role in the Cold War. A new park film will make a debut in 2017.

Hours:

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site park headquarters are open daily for the off-season from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Day.

Fees:

Park Entrance Fee - FREE

The park does not charge an entrance fee but does have expanded amneity fees for Delta-01 tours

Delta-01 Tour expanded amenity fee - Adult - $12.00 - Youth (ages 6-16) $8.00

All ranger-led tours of the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility require advanced reservations and an amenity fee. Reservations can be made online or by phone at 866-601-5129. Reservations can be made up to 90 days prior to tour date. The forty-five-minute ranger-guided tour of the control center at Delta-01 begins with a walk through of the grounds and topside support building. Visitors then descend via elevator 31 feet underground to the Launch Control Center. Each tour is limited to six participants.

Directions:

Park headquarters is located at 24545 Cottonwood Road, Philip, SD 57567, just north of I-90 at exit 131. The Launch Control Facility Delta-01 is 4 miles west of the headquarters. Launch Facility Delta-09 (missile silo) is located south of I-90 just off Exit 116. It is approximately 15 miles west of park headquarters.