Skip to Main Content

Mars Bluff, South Carolina: Atom Bomb Dropped Here

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

Address:
Crater Rd/4776 Lucius Circle, Mars Bluff, SC
Directions:
On E. Palmetto St./US 301, roughly 6.5 miles east of Florence. The marker is on the north side of the highway, 1.2 miles east of Freedom Blvd or .3 miles west of Francis Marion Rd/Hwy 327. To reach the crater, drive up the road (Crater Rd) next to the marker, then turn sharply right as it bends around an abandoned trailer park. When you get to a gate leading out of the trailer park, you'll see a small, overgrown path on the left leading into the woods, to the crater. Private property. Visitors are assumed to have gained permission from the owner to visit.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Sign for Atomic Bomb Crater Site.

Atom Bomb Dropped Here

In 1958 an atom bomb fell out of a plane and blew a crater into the gummy soil of Mars Bluff, South Carolina. The atomic part didn't explode.

Roadsideamerica.com Report... [10/03/2010]

Visitor Tips and News About Atom Bomb Dropped Here

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Photo of bomber.

Atom Bomb dropped Here

We followed the Lucius Road tips and easily located the crater. Huge wooden cut out the size of the actual bomb is still there along with newspaper articles in a glass case!

[Shelly Duffer, 03/10/2024]
Atom Bomb Dropped Here

4776 Lucius Circle, Florence SC is indeed the correct address. We plugged it into our GPS and it led us directly to the vacant lot. It's nestled between two houses. We asked a neighbor, where the entrance was, and she pointed to dead tree on the lot. She said the entrance is just behind it. The tree is near a shed with a red roof. Just beyond the entrance you can see the news article case to the right, and the hole is just beyond it. We cleared some of the sticks for the next visitors.

[Levi, 11/21/2018]

News clipping.

Atom Bomb Dropped Here

The vacant lot is actually at 4776 Lucius Circle. The crater, bomb cutout, and kiosk with newspaper clippings are all still intact, just into the woods behind the lot as of May 2017. Neighbors are friendly.

[Dennis & Maureen, 05/24/2017]
Atom Bomb Dropped Here

That path through the woods is overgrown to the point of being impassible. The abandoned RV park is chained off as well. The crater is easily accessed from between two houses on Lucius Circle. There are no signs posted. It is unclear if this is a legitimate entrance or not.

[Jacob Krejci, 08/23/2015]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Bomb Crater MarkerBomb Crater Marker, Florence, SC - < 1 mi.
Grave of Woman Who Pretended to be a ManGrave of Woman Who Pretended to be a Man, Florence, SC - 6 mi.
Confederate Tributes to the Pee DeeConfederate Tributes to the Pee Dee, Florence, SC - 6 mi.
In the region:
Newsboy Statue, Tabor City, NC - 46 mi.

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create Your Own Bizarre Road Trips! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

South Carolina Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights