The Turnpike Gatehouse on Oak Ridge Turnpike in west Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Submitted photo)
A program in west Oak Ridge on Friday, May 20, will give visitors some insight into what life was like in the city during the Manhattan Project with all the security, the need for secrecy, and the concern for spies, a press release said.
The program will be presented by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. It starts at 3 p.m. May 20 at the Turnpike Gatehouse, which is located at 2900 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.
Visitors that are taking the U.S. Department of Energy public tour are encouraged to attend the program after the tour, the press release said.
This program is free and open to the public. Parking is limited, so please try to carpool if possible.
The gatehouse is also at a trail head for the North Boundary Greenway, and visitors can go for a self-guided hike after the program.
Visitors can access the Turnpike Gatehouse from Oak Ridge by following the Oak Ridge Turnpike west as if you are leaving town. Parking will be next to the Gatehouse on the north side of the road. Maps are available at the National Park desk in the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.
“Join Manhattan Project National Historical Park and help us celebrate our centennial by finding your park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee,” the press release said. “This year is the National Park Service’s 100th birthday; join us as we create activities which provide you with opportunities to create priceless memories when discovering national parks.”
The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park includes Oak Ridge; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington.
Find more information on the park at https://www.nps.gov/mapr/index.htm or call the park at (865) 576-6767.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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