On July 16, 1945, the United States Army successfully detonated the world’s first nuclear weapon, and they called the test “Trinity.” The detonation was conducted in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 56 km southeast of Socorro, New Mexico. Weeks later, on August 9, 1945, Fat Man (a bomb of the same design as the one detonated) was dropped over Nagasaki, Japan.

The test site is now part of the White Sands Missile Range and it is only open to the public 2 days a year — one day in April and another day in October.

Today, October 3, 2015, I traveled and visited the Trinity Site!

A 3-hour-drive from Las Cruces, the site can be accessed from two directions — one is via the Stallion Gate Entrance (northern) and the other via Alamogordo (southern). I entered through the Stallion Gate Entrance as suggested by friends. There is no exact address that you can input into a GPS. Thus, I would suggest you use the map app on your smart phone. I searched for “Trinity Site Historical Marker” and the app was able to locate it.

I arrived two hours after it opened and there were already hundreds of people at the site. Parking was not a problem. Apart from the vast space assigned for visitor’s parking, there were also a number of uniformed men and women manning the flow of vehicles inside.

It is called “Jumbo.”

Displayed near the entrance gate was this massive containment vessel. This was supposed to be the bomb casing, but decided not to use it.

From the gate to the historical marker, I had to walk about a mile or so.

I reached the marker with all the visitors eager to take some pictures.

So this is the marker — the exact point where the world’s first nuclear weapon was detonated.

The periphery of the site was gated.

In one side of the gate were photos that told the story of the detonation.

…how the explosion looked like after 0.006 seconds.

…or after 0.053 seconds.

15 seconds after detonation, the classic mushroom cloud appeared.

What was left of the steel tower that hoisted the bomb during explosion.

The ruin of the tower still exist today.

Here is a replica of the Fat Man, the bomb that was dropped over Nagasaki, Japan.

The total destruction caused by the bombing is forever etched in the history books.

Outside the gated area are tables with displayed radioactive materials called “Trinitite.”

There were also people selling food and drinks.

Before I left the site, I (of course) posed for a photo with the marker.

If you get a chance, visit the Trinity Site and see in person this important slice of world history. You can check the Trinity website for next year’s open house dates.

If you decide to go, go early and avoid the crowd. The event is free, so that is one reason to put it on your bucket list.

Find your way.

Will you travel and visit the Trinity Site and Historical Monument?

See more of my New Mexico travels.

See also: My other travel adventures.