Minuteman Missile Site
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| Distance | About 60 miles |
| Time Needed: | The film and tour takes about more than two hours |
| Best Time To Go: | The tour and talk is scheduled only twice a day at 9:30 a.m and 1:30 p.m.. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, In September the talk and tour is scheduled at 1:30 p.m.. Reservations are strongly recommended because tour groups are kept small. The site will begin taking reservations for the 2007 summer season on April 2nd, 2007. Reservations for the fall, winter and spring season are taken three months in advance. |
| Directions: | Follow Interstate 90 to Exit 131. Visitor center is nearby. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Highlights: | View an actual de-commissioned missile launch site and control center |
| Description: | Administered by the National Park
Service, the Minuteman Missile Site near Wall is an authentic relic of
the cold war. Missile silos were dotted all over the plains of
western South Dakota from the 1960s until the 1990s and held enough
destructive power to annihilate civilization. The missiles that would
have been fired from the site in the event of nuclear war would have
traveled 6,000 miles to their targets in less than 30 minutes. The tour includes a short film and then visitors are guided by a park ranger to the actual missile site about 15 miles away from the visitor center. The site tour includes a visit to the launch center and a visit to a silo. Entry is via a small elevator so only six persons at a time are permitted in the control area. For more information you can visit the NPS web site at http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm During the cold war, the idea behind missile deterrence was called MAD or mutual assured destruction which prevented either side from launching. A tour to the missile site demostrates just how mad that was. |
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