Oak Ridge: Join a Ranger Program

A group of people face away from the camera looking at a park ranger who is speaking. There is grass and trees in the background.

NPS

 
Learn about the Manhattan Project by joining a ranger for an interpretive program that will help you learn about the Manhattan Project and life in the Secret City. Programs include tennis court dances, historic walks, and kayak trips where visitors can paddle through history. For an updated list of programs at all three park units, please visit the park calendar.
 
A black and white aerial view of an industrial complex.
The former K-25 site as it looked in 1946.

US Department of Energy/Ed Westcott

Enriching Uranium in Happy Valley: Guided Ranger Walk at K-25

The largest plant site of the Manhattan Project, and the war, K-25 helped isolate the crucial uranium-235 from the more abundant uranium-238. To accomplish that goal, tens of thousands of construction workers relocated to Happy Valley. Learn more about their sacrifices and accomplishments on a ranger walk along the greenways through the former K-25 site.
  • When: This program is typically offered once per month year-round.
  • Route: Participants will walk along a mostly flat, paved greenway for approximately 1 hour.
  • Reservations: No advance reservations are required.
As information is available, details will be posted to our event calendar.
 
A group of people sitting on benches in a circular formation with a ranger speaking in the middle.

NPS

Building America’s Secret City: Guided Ranger Walk in Jackson Square

Jackson Square, or Town Center No. 1, formed the social and economic center of the wartime community of Oak Ridge. Stroll through the townsite to learn how Oak Ridgers created community in the atomic city. During the walk, rangers and visitors will discuss what it took to shape Oak Ridge during World War II through routines and traditions brought from near and far.

  • When: This program is typically offered once per month year-round.
  • Route: This program meets at the fountain in the center of Jackson Square. Stops include the Oak Ridge Playhouse exterior, the site of the former post office, the site of the former dormitories, the exterior of the Guest House, and the exterior of the Chapel on the Hill. Participants will walk up and down pavement for the duration of the walk (approximately 1 hour).
  • Reservations: No advance reservations are required.
As information is available, details will be posted to our event calendar.
 
A black and white photo of 3 couples dancing with onlookers in the background.
A tennis court dance in 1948.

US Department of Energy/Lillian Stokes

Tennis Court Dance

Join Manhattan Project National Historical Park as we recreate the open-air tennis court dances held during the Manhattan Project to entertain the 75,000 war workers and their families in Oak Ridge. These dances feature swing music from the 1940s and all ages are encouraged to try to jitterbug out on the court.
  • When: This program is offered once a month from May to October.
  • Route: This program takes place at the Jackson Square Tennis Courts and lasts one hour.
  • Reservations: No advance reservations are required.
As information is available, details will be posted to our event calendar.
 
A group of people stand behind a yellow and black striped gate watching a uniformed ranger speak.

NPS

Walk Through Wheat

Join rangers for a guided walk through the pre-Manhattan Project community of Wheat. As you walk the former townsite, rangers will discuss the families and communities the Manhattan Project displaced in late 1942. Stops include the George Jones Memorial Baptist Church, Roane College site and the Crawford Cumberland Presbyterian Memorial.
  • When: This program is typically offered 3-4 times per year.
  • Route: This program traverses the Wheat Greenway on a gravel and dirt path that's mostly straight and flat. There is a slight incline as you head to the church itself.
  • Reservations: No advance reservations are required. Those needing detailed directions to the Wheat Greenway should email us.
As information is available, details will be posted to our event calendar.
 
A black and white photo of a group of people with tripods set up and posing for photos in front of a car.

US Department of Energy/Ed Westcott

Photography Beyond Elza Gate: Walk at Worthington Cemetery

Join the park for a walking tour at the Worthington Cemetery Cedar Barrens at Elza Gate Park. This unique Small Wild Area (SWA) is 26 acres of barrens, wetlands pines and cedar thicket, making it an uncommon environment in East Tennessee. This is also an Ecological Study Area where over 125 species of birds have been identified. So, bring your camera or cellphone and experience the photography of the Manhattan Project.
  • Route: This program meets at Elza Gate Park along the Oak Ridge Turnpike. The walking tour is a .75 mile (1.2 km) loop through wooded terrain.
  • Reservations: No advance reservations are required.
As information is available, details will be posted to our event calendar.
 

Other Ranger Programs at Oak Ridge

Last updated: August 14, 2025

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

National Park Service, Manhattan Project National Historical Park
c/o NPS Intermountain Regional Office
One Denver Federal Center, Building 50
Denver, CO 80225-0287

Phone:

Hanford: 509.376.1647
Los Alamos: 505.661.6277
Oak Ridge: 865.482.1942

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