Defense Nuclear Weapons School

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Defense Nuclear Weapons School Nuclear Weapons Instructional Museum launched the Nuclear Weapons Heritage Model Display in its unclassified museum in late 2014. The hallway currently consists of 25 model displays of varying types. The model display is largely supported by the Albuquerque Scale Modelers club and is available to over 3000 visitors and DTRA students yearly.

The hallway model exhibit is an area that displays the history of nuclear weapons, delivery systems and launch platforms throughout the world. The exhibit area gives the students and visitors a glimpse of weapons delivery systems and platform history from the development and first use of an atomic bomb, through the cold war, to weapon delivery systems and platforms that exist today. It also represents the ingenuity, innovation and technical growth of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy from the Manhattan Project to many cutting edge designs today. The unclassified walking tour is supported by full scale nuclear weapons exhibits and scale models that inspire and educate the audience in a tour.

In addition to the unclassified tour, a DTRA student tour is available which covers 16,000 square feet of displays and exhibits. This museum is unique with many full scale nuclear weapons displays and the model display area adds an additional element of atomic history.  As an example, on display is a full scale Little Boy nuclear bomb, used with the B-29 bomber Enola Gay and a Mk-17 Thermonuclear bomb display, complete with a 1/72 scale B-36 Peacemaker model display. On several occasions and from distinguished visitors, the Nuclear Weapons Instructional Museum has been compared in quality and professionalism to the National Museum of the USAF and the Smithsonian Institution Museum in Washington DC.

The museum, when combined with the continued and growing professional displays, exhibits a unique, memorable, informative and educational experience for DTRA students and visitors. The unclassified tour with the model displays is truly an inspiring and intriguing experience for all.