Friday, Part 3 - Minuteman Missle National Historic Site

Did you realize that near the Badlands in South Dakota there is a missile silo which is available for viewing by the general public?

Well, there is.

Remember that scene at the beginning of "Wargames" where the two military officers are part of a simulation, and they argue over whether they are going to launch their missile or not?

That would be Launch Control Center Delta-01. They have guided tours of that twice per day in the summer, but only once per day in the off-season. All of their tours were booked for another two weeks, but I was able to get this picture from the National Park Service's website:


Have you ever wondered how they would hide a freakin' intercontinental ballistic missile in the middle of the U.S.A.?

Well, it's not exactly Times Square. In fact, the whole thing is eerily quiet. The Interstate is just far enough away that the sound of the cars just mingles with the sound of the wind. Chances are pretty good that you won't see anyone else out there, so it starts to feel like the day after the end of the world. Of course, the fact that you are standing over a weapon of mass destruction adds to that particular mood.

This portion of the tour is self-directed. I guess someone comes out and locks the fence at the end of the day. Here's the truck that they would use to patrol the grounds:


And I guess this is where they would sit and have coffee and enjoy the sunshine...


Oops, my mistake. That's where they keep the GIANT NUCLEAR MISSILE!!!!!!!!11!OMFG!


Okay, it's only a replica. Still, stop pointing it at me.