Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is a national historic site run by the National Park Service in South Dakota.

In the park service’s words

During the Cold War, a vast arsenal of nuclear missiles were placed in the Great Plains. Hidden in plain sight, for thirty years 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today. The Minuteman Missile remains an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. It holds the power to destroy civilization, but is meant as a nuclear deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Things to do

• Tour the Front-line of the Cold War at Delta-01 (45 to 60 Minutes): Learn what it was like to have the awesome responsibility of thermonuclear war at your fingertips. The thirty-minute guided tour of the control center at Delta-01 begins with a walk through of the grounds and topside support building. Visitors then descend via elevator 31 feet underground to the Launch Control Center t
• The Minuteman Missile Mobile Tour (20 to 60 Minutes): A Mobile Phone guided tour of Delta-09 and Delta-01 is available for visitors to learn the history of Minuteman Missile on the Great Plains and how it was operated for thirty years. Narrated by veterans who served in the Air Force at these sites, the tours explain the history, impact, and importance of the Minuteman Mi
• Spot a (Former) Nuclear Missile Silo (1 to 4 Hours): The South Dakota landscape hides former missile silo sites in plain sight - many of them can be found in-between Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Interstate 90, and Badlands National Park. Once you know where to look, these remnants of the Cold War are easily found.
• Get Your National Park Passport Stamped at Minuteman Missile (5 to 15 Minutes): The Passport program was started by Eastern National in 1986 and was established to help visitors discover the beauty and history found in America’s national parks. Cancellation stamps can be found at national parks and monuments. These rubber-stamp ink markings record the name of the park and the date of your visit.
• Visit the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility: For every 10 Minuteman nuclear missiles (know as a Flight) there would be a Launch Control Facility that housed Air Force personnel. Delta- 01 occupies an open, grassy tract of land approximately one-half mile north of Interstate 90. Approaching the site from the Interstate, it looks like a lone ranch house in the open
• Driving Delta Flight (3 Hours): This activity is a vehicle-based driving tour beginning at the visitor center, and visiting all eleven locations that made up Delta Flight. Follow in the path of Air Force personnel and travel the South Dakota back-roads to visit the ten silos and control center of Delta Flight, which once kept 12 megatons of destructi
• Consider Deterrence and Destruction at Delta-09 (10 to 30 Minutes): Gaze Armageddon in the face with a visit to the Delta-09 missile silo. The viewing enclosure over the silo allows for visitors to gaze directly down at a Minuteman II missile. Consider the meaning of 1.2 megatons of destructive power hidden in plain sight.

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: No entrance fee.

Hours: Daily, 9:00AM - 3:00PM. Visitors are invited to go inside the fenced compound and look down into the silo at a Minuteman missile in its historic state, protected by a glass viewing enclosure. A narrated ranger guided tour of Delta-09 is available year-round using your cell phone. Inclement weather may close this site on occasion.

Getting there

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is located at three sites along a fifteen mile stretch of Interstate 90 in western South Dakota. The Visitor Center is located immediately north of I-90, exit 131. The two historic sites which make up the park are four miles (Launch Control Facility Delta-01) and 15 miles (Launch Facility Delta-09) from the Visitor Center. No public transportation systems serve the park.

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

• Minuteman Missile NHS Visitor Center: Daily, 8:00AM - 4:00PM. For the summer season the visitor center will be open daily, from 8 am to 4 pm.

Weather

Rapid weather changes are common in the western South Dakota area where Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is located. Variations from season to season and from year to year are great. Characteristics of the climate are hot dry summers and bitterly cold winters. Wind is a constant on the Great Plains, winds in excess of 50 mph not uncommon. During the winter season, winds typically blow from the north-northwest and have been known to cause wind chills in excess of -40 degrees.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.

Nearby

The nearest national park is Badlands, about 26 miles away in a straight line.

Sources

• National Park Service Data API: Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (public domain)
• Official website

Last checked 1 November 2026.