History Left A Definite Mark At This One Fascinating Spot In South Dakota

During the Cold War, from the 1960s to the early 1990s, South Dakota was home to a huge missile field that contained more than 150 Minuteman Missiles. Luckily, the mark left by history is much smaller that it could have been. Today, you can visit a launch control facility and even see a Minuteman Missile in its silo.

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is located at 24545 CottonWood Road in Philip, South Dakota. Start your tour of this facility with a trip to the Visitor Center.

You'll find lots of information about the Cold War and the nuclear weapons that the United States developed and stockpiled during that time. Exhibits tell stories about this time in our country's history.

You'll be able to step back in time, when the threat of nuclear war was a constant fear. A 30 minute video teaches you all about the Minuteman Missile and its capabilities.

Check out these LIFE magazine covers, which also give you a good idea of just how scary the Cold War was to those who lived during those years.

Take a stroll outside to Launch Facility Delta-09 where you can peer right into a missile silo and see a replica of the Minuteman II Missile.

The missile had the capability to travel 7,500 miles. It was 66 times more deadly than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during WWII.

This exhibit in the Visitor Center pretty much explains the power of this nuclear weapon.

Make a reservation to tour the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility. You'll start with a tour of the topside support building, which included a bunk room for visitors and maintenance crews, a dining room and a rec room.

The Launch Control Center is located 31 feet underground, where personnel called "missileers" controlled and monitored ten Minuteman II missiles.

You'll see the control room where two people worked 24-hour shifts. Over many decades, men waited underground, hoping that they'd never receive a launch command. Luckily, they never did.

The entire ranger-led tour lasts about 30 minutes and accommodates just six people at once, so you'll be able to ask plenty of questions.

The Launch Control Facility is closed until February 1, 2018. After that time, you may make a reservation to tour the facility with a park ranger. Click here for more information. The Visitor Center and missile silo are currently available to the public.

Have you ever visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site? We'd love to hear about your visit!