Bringing a Group

A park ranger speaks to participants in a bus tour group at the Delta-09 missile silo.

NPS/Minuteman Missile NHS

For larger groups, the park offers several options to make the most of your visit.

Visitor Center

For groups short on time, the visitor center provides a basic orientation and visitor amenities. The exhibit area provides immersive exhibits illustrating the Cold War, life and work in the missile fields, and the nuclear arms race. Depending on your scheudle, you may also have time to view the thirty minute park film, "Beneath The Plains." Plan to spend up to an hour in the visitor center with your group.

The Delta-09 Missile Silo

In addition to the visitor center, take your group to the Delta-09 missile silo. Visitors can tour the site on their own. Inside a one acre fenced compound is the Delta-09 silo, 12 feet in diameter and 80 feet deep made of reinforced concrete with a steel-plate liner. The door to the silo has been welded and fitted with a glass roof, and an unarmed missile placed inside. For safety reasons, tours are not conducted underground. In addition to the missile and silo, visitors will see support structures such as antennas and motion sensors.

The Delta-01 Launch Control Facility

In addition to the visitor center and the silo at Delta-01, take your group for a short stop at the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility. Visitors can walk from the parking area to the front gate on their own. Inside the fenced compound is the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility, where ten Air Force personnel monitored and secured the ten missiles of Delta Flight. Because of safety restrictions, tours of the launch control facility are limited to six visitors at a time and requires advanced reservations. Because of the group size limitations, large groups should not plan to tour the interior of Delta-01.

South Dakota Air & Space Museum

In addition to a visit to the park, the South Dakota Air & Space Museum near Rapid City, South Dakota, offers a number of Minuteman Missile related exhibits and attractions. View the control center trainer used to train missiles officers and take the base tour to visit a silo trainer.

 

Commercial Bus and Motorcoach Tours

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is conveniently located along the route many commercial bus and motorcoach tours take through Western South Dakota. A visit to the park provides a unique experience for groups traveling to and from Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park. While it is not required, tour groups are encouraged to notify the park of their visit by calling 605 433-5552. There is no entrance fee to visit the park. Bus parking is available at all three units of the park.

What to Do During Your Visit

1. Start your visit at the Visitor Center and enjoy the in-depth exhibits which explore the Cold War and the world of the missile fields. Allow at 30 minutes to an hour here.
2. Shop the bookstore at the Visitor Center for books, souvenirs, and gifts. Profits from sales are returned to the park to enhance educational and interpretive activities and fund research.
3. Watch the 30-minute park film.
4. Take your group to the Delta-09 missile silo, located south of I-90 exit 116. Allow up to 30 minutes here.