Over the past few months, I’ve discussed my fondness for South Dakota numerous times. Hopefully I’ve done the state justice, and you’re already convinced of its merits. But if you’re still on the fence, I present to you Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. Located just an hour west of the Black Hills, near Badlands National Park, Minuteman Missile NHS is one of the more unique sites managed by the National Park Service. The two highlights of the park are the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility (LCF) and the Delta-09 Missile Silo. Just 23 years ago, both of these sites were active components of America’s nuclear deterrent. Today they’re preserved as Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, and provide a really cool way to learn about the Cold War, as well as America’s current nuclear arsenal.
South Dakota was once home to hundreds of Minuteman II missiles, comprising a key part of America’s nuclear deterrent. Today the missiles are gone, removed as part of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which was negotiated with the Soviet Union and signed in July 1991. At the time the treaty was signed, there were 150 Minuteman II silos, and 15 associated Launch Control Facilities (LCFs) spread across South Dakota. Only Delta-01 and Delta-09 survived, as special language was inserted into the treaty, allowing for their preservation as a historic site.
Visiting the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility can be a pretty eye opening experience. You might think that a facility like this would have been top secret, and very well hidden, and you’d be half right. Technically the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility, and the surrounding missile silos it controlled, would have been top secret, except to anyone who lived nearby. Throughout their existence, these facilities were hiding in plain sight. Delta-01 in particular is out in the open for everyone to see. It’s located just off of I-90, and is clearly visible from the Interstate. I like to picture all of the tourists driving by on their way to the Black Hills or Yellowstone, never realizing the building on the side of the road is a top secret nuclear facility.
In reality, hiding these facilities would have been an impossible task. First off, constructing them was a monumental undertaking, and everyone in the area knew what was going on. Second, military facilities surrounded by barbed wire, and located in the middle of farmland, are pretty conspicuous. In fact, if you drive through the Great Plains today, you’ll see buildings that look just like Delta-01, except they’re not historic sites. Located in Wyoming, North Dakota, and Wyoming are the 450 Minuteman III missiles, which currently comprise America’s land based nuclear arsenal.
I’ve driven by quite a few of them during my trip, and I still get a kick out of seeing them. The silos are all located along country roads, typically not far from the Interstate, and they’re easier to spot than the LCFs. They look like empty lots surrounded by barbed wire, and once you get close enough, the concrete doors topping the silo are hard to miss. Once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all, so if you know what to look for, they’re pretty easy to spot. The LCFs are a little tougher, but only because buildings inside of barbed wire could be anything, at least from a distance. But once you get close enough, the LCFs are pretty obvious as well.
Touring the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility is cool on several fronts. The historical significance is obvious, and would make it a cool tour all by itself. But what I find most fascinating, is the fact that the active Minuteman III sites look almost identical, and largely use the same technology. So when touring Delta-01, you’re getting a look at a site that looks very similar to the LCFs still in use today. Maybe it’s just me, but I think that’s pretty cool.
Visiting the Delta-09 Missile Silo is pretty cool as well. The silo is now topped with a glass cover, which allows you to see inside the silo. There’s several information displays flanking the silo, and the National Park Service also offers an audio tour. The silo isn’t as cool as the LCF, but if you’ve never seen one before, it’s pretty interesting.
After visiting Delta-01 and Delta-09, I highly recommend making a trip to the visitor center. There are some wonderful displays, and all of the Park Rangers are former Missileers, who can answer any possible questions about the silos or LCF. For those of you who are interested, but have no intention of ever seeing South Dakota, the park film below is worth a watch. Not a complete substitute for visiting, but it’s very interesting and conveys a lot of the same information.
https://www.nps.gov/mimi/learn/photosmultimedia/parkfilm.htm
If you’ve read this far, I’ll assume you’re interested, and offer a bonus trip. On your way back to the Black Hills, stop in Rapid City, and check out the Berlin Wall Memorial. In addition to the actual wall, there are several informational displays, which I thought were quite good.
Is there a missile in the silo, as at the Titan Missile Museum?
Yes, there’s an unarmed missile still in the silo.
Definitely need to visit South Dakota since you keep telling us about it’s beauty and all these cool places to visit there. It’s a little weird the silo door looks like a Domino’s pizza box. 😜