Albuquerque, New Mexico: National Museum of Nuclear Science and History

When the Sandia Atomic Museum opened at Kirtland Air Force Base in 1969, it displayed the most not-secret nuclear weaponry that the Cold War would allow, including an atomic torpedo. Its gift shop once sold civil defense manuals and atom bomb earrings.

In a comment regarding the Redstone missile in Warren, New Hampshire, Roadside America said that it was not aware of any other town exhibiting a Redstone missile. While technically true, for the past few years a Redstone missile has sat outside the National Atomic Museum in downtown Albuquerque. It has garnered much opposition from the neighborhood surrounding the museum. Some residents feel that it is simply an eyesore, while others have difficulty with what they feel is a symbol of war and destruction displayed so prominently. Recently, one city council member proposed a local law requiring that museum exhibits be prohibited from being taller than the museum, which would have effectively done away with the missile, but the act failed. So the missile still stands.

The National Atomic Museum is temporarily located just west of Downtown Albuquerque, in an area commonly referred to as old town. It is less than a block from both the Albuquerque Museum and the Museum of National History. You can't miss the NAM. There is a 60-ft. high Redstone missile sitting in front of it. The new permanent home for the museum is being built at Balloon Fiesta park on the northern end of Albuquerque, right off of I-25.