DOE public bus tours in Oak Ridge end Aug. 31

Public bus tours of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge facilities end for the year on Friday, Aug. 31.

The tour includes stops at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, and East Tennessee Technology Park. The tour includes historical commentary on the transformation of the Oak Ridge Reservation during the past 65 years, a press release said.

So far this season, 1,099 visitors from 36 states have participated in the three-hour summer tour.

Since its start in 1996, the DOE public tour program has enjoyed widespread success, attracting more than 27,000 visitors, the release said. The tour allows participants to visit the entire reservation while receiving historical facts and updates about the world-class missions under way.

Tours are available Monday-Friday from 12 p.m.–3 p.m. at the American Museum of Science and Energy at 300 South Tulane Ave. in Oak Ridge. The tour is available to United States citizens ages 10 and older. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, with registration at AMSE beginning at 9 a.m.

Admission to AMSE includes the public bus tour, as well as access to the museum’s interactive and historical exhibits and live demonstrations. Admission is $5 per adult, $4 per senior citizen (those who are 65 years old and older), and $3 for students (ages 10-17).

Photo identification is required for all bus tour participants. If you need special accommodations, contact AMSE at (865) 576-3200 at least 48 hours in advance of the day you would like to take the public bus tour.

The tour program is sponsored by the DOE Oak Ridge Office and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Y-12 Site Office. Tour partners include UT-Battelle, which operates ORNL; B&W Y-12, contractor for Y-12; UCOR, the Oak Ridge environmental management contractor; and AMSE.

More information on the DOE facilities public bus tour and the museum is available at www.amse.org, or by contacting Lissa Clarke at AMSE at (865) 576-3218 or DiAnn Fields at DOE at (865) 576-0885.