Idaho not only holds the proud title of the 13th Largest State in the U.S. it is home to the worlds first nuclear reactor and you can visit. It is located about 15 miles from Arco which was the first city to be lit by atomic energy way back in July of 1955. The reactor opened in 1951 and was also the site of the first nuclear meltdown, but Idaho doesn’t mention that on it’s world firsts lists. The tours of the complex are self guided and you get a good insight into the early nuclear age, you can even see the famous hot cell where the plutonium 239 was produced behind 34 layers of oil separated glass which is about 29 inches thick. One cool place to visit is the reactor core where you can actually stand on a platform and view into the huge stainless steel core tank. There’s a few control desks you can sit at and pretend to be Homer, so bring your own donuts.
