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Photo: Orange Suede Sofa, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Take a self-guided tour through the first nuclear reactor to produce electrical power, first breeder reactor, and first reactor to use plutonium as fuel.
Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) is a decommissioned research reactor and U.S. National Historic Landmark located in the desert about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Arco, Idaho. It was the world's first breeder reactor. At 1:50 p.m. on December 20, 1951, it became one of the world's first electricity-generating nuclear power plants when it produced sufficient electricity to illuminate four 200-watt light bulbs. EBR-I soon generated sufficient electricity to power its building and the town of Arco, and continued to be used for experimental research until it was decommissioned in 1964. The museum is open for visitors from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
It is possible to arrange guided tours in advance.
The Devil Boat
USS Hawkbill with the "devil" hull number 666 was a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine. After the decomissioning in 2001, her sail was preserved and donated to Arco, the place where development of nuclear submarine propulsion began in nearby laboratories. It is on display in a little park along the main street.
The mountain towers above the city and the cliffs are covered with numbers. Since 1920 the graduates of the local high school paint the year on them. The locals try to fool the visitors by telling them the numbers correspond to high water marks of the Big Lost River.