Bradbury Science Museum remains free community hub for STEM learning

The Bradbury Science Museum, the public-facing museum of Los Alamos National Laboratory, continues to serve as a free, year-round education resource for Los Alamos County residents. Located downtown, the museum hosts roughly 40 interactive exhibits that trace the region’s complex history and showcase contemporary work in supercomputing, energy and environment research, and life sciences.

Visitors can explore the Manhattan on the Mesa exhibit and view artifact displays including full-scale models of Fat Man and Little Boy, alongside the Racing Toward Dawn history film. Hands-on learning is centered in the TechLab area, designed for children and family audiences to engage directly with science and technology concepts. Typical hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free; visitors are advised to check current hours and special closures before visiting.

For local families and educators, the Bradbury functions as more than a museum. Its free admission and frequent partnerships with schools reduce economic barriers to enrichment opportunities, supporting equity in science education across the county. Field trips and community events held at the museum help build early STEM pipelines that feed into regional career paths, from technical staff at the lab to roles in education and local business. That connection between education and the local economy reinforces Los Alamos’s identity as a place where scientific work and community life intersect.

Public health and safety considerations inform access to shared indoor spaces like the Bradbury. The museum’s schedule flexibility and advisories about special closures mean residents should confirm hours before planning group visits or school outings. As a convening space for families and students, the museum contributes to social wellbeing by offering learning, cultural context and a place for community gatherings.

The museum’s programming also carries civic weight: exhibits on the Manhattan Project and national-security research prompt community reflection on historical legacy, scientific ethics and the societal impacts of research conducted on the mesa. That framing matters for residents who live alongside a national laboratory and who bear the cultural and economic consequences of its presence.

For readers, the Bradbury remains a practical, no-cost option for hands-on science learning and local history. Check the museum’s current hours before you go, consider it for school or family outings, and expect ongoing partnerships and programming that connect Los Alamos classrooms and community life to the science underway on the mesa.