The American Museum of Science and Energy is a family-friendly science museum in Oak Ridge, opened in 1949 as the American Museum of Atomic Energy following World War II. Today, the Smithsonian-affiliated museum is located within an 18,000-square-foot new facility on Main Street, which showcases a wide variety of interactive, hands-on science and nuclear technology exhibits. Permanent exhibits include a Van de Graad generator, a full interactive NOAA weather station, and an exhibit related to the city of Oak Ridge's "secret" history as an undisclosed nuclear testing facility for the Manhattan Project.
Visitors can also walk through the museum's WWII-era vintage flat-top house, preserved from the city's Manhattan Project era, and view photography from noted Manhattan Project photographer Ed Wescott. Bus tours explore sites connected to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, including the East Tennessee Technology Park and the Y-12 National Security Complex.
The American Museum of Science and Energy, 115 E Main St, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, Phone: 865-294-4531