Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

After leaving Badlands National Park, we stopped for a quick visit to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site which protects two facilities that were once part of a Minuteman Missile field that covered the far western portion of South Dakota from 1963 through the early 1990s. A very interesting and informative visit to a remnant of the Cold War.

This is from the National Park Service website for the site:

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site's purpose is to tell the story of Minuteman Missiles, nuclear deterrence and the Cold War. Delta-01 and Delta-09 are striking examples of the alert status of United States nuclear forces during this time period. These sites, along with the new Minuteman Missile Visitor Center, contain exhibits that help visitors understand the story of one of the most important eras in both American and World History. The park presents an opportunity to reflect on a peaceful prairie that once held the power to destroy the world, serving as a public venue for examining the challenges and paradoxes of Cold War. Exhibits share stories of the technology that made it possible, service men and women, citizens near and far who feared the worst, the call for civil defense, and leaders at home and abroad who led the world to the brink and back.