Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

In 1961, the United States Air Force began burying top secret weapons beneath the prairie grasses of South Dakota. The Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles were designed to unleash massive destruction against America’s enemies. Although never launched, these weapons were a powerful deterrent during the Cold War.

The 44th Missile Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota operated 150 missile silos and 15 launch control facilities in the western part of the state. Two of these sites, the Delta One Launch Control Facility and the Delta Nine Launch Facility, have been preserved as a National Historic Site to provide visitors with a unique Cold War history lesson.

History

Most visitors driving along Interstate 90 most likely never knew how close they were to below-ground, nuclear-tipped missiles. The deadly missiles were buried beneath the rural landscapes of South Dakota and other Midwestern states for more than 30 years. The locations were top secret, but their destructive power was well-known and helped keep the peace during the Cold War.

On July 31, 1991, U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty; the treaty that called for the reduction of the number of nuclear weapons worldwide. Soon after that, the U.S. Air Force began deactivating the United State’s minuteman force, including the South Dakota sites.

The Delta One Launch Control Facility and the Delta Nine Launch Facility were ideal locations for long-term preservation because they were among the nation's oldest - with technology dating back to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Only minor modifications have been made to the deactivated sites and much of the original mechanical equipment and historic furnishings remain intact.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (to National Park Service)