Located in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, the main gate to the Los Alamos laboratory served as a barrier protecting United States’ atomic research from the public. During the Second World War, German scientists discovered uranium fission, and the United States feared Germany might be the first

nation to develop an atomic bomb.

As a result, the United States government purchased the Los Alamos Ranch School for boys in 1942 and turned the series of buildings into scientific laboratories.

Admittance into the atomic research facility during and after the war was not an easy task, and the War

Department set strict guidelines for the project’s security. The main gate enforced the government’s strict

security standards.

Additionally, the number of scientists at the facility fluctuated; at the height of the Manhattan Project, the population at Los Alamos increased by the thousands.

Throughout the late 1950’s, Los Alamos remained government owned; however, the community longed for a more inviting atmosphere. The government decided to open the atomic town to the public.

Los Alamos improved public relations by ridding itself of its previous unwelcoming environment. The city offered a cultural tie to the locals and provided travelers with a chance to visit the birthplace of the atomic bomb.

The main gate at Los Alamos remains as a reminder of the elusive nature of atomic energy development during the Second World War, and signified the beginning of the Cold War.