Nuclear tourism in the USA, or How the nuclear test site became a tourist attraction

The American city of Las Vegas, located in the heart of the Mojave Desert, has been attracting gamblers and fans of enchanting shows for almost a hundred years. But they didn't always come to Sin City to play at the casino or watch a variety show. In the 50s of the last century, the city became the center of nuclear tourism.

In 1951, strings of exotic lovers were drawn to Las Vegas. There was a nuclear test site just 100 km from the entertainment capital, where tests were regularly carried out. The nuclear mushrooms were clearly visible from the windows of the rooms located on the upper floors of the hotels. Tourists came to stare at the explosions with whole families and tirelessly photographed the eerie sight.

Explosions at the Nevada test site were not uncommon. It is known that from 1951 to 1992, the US government officially conducted 1,021 tests. Of these, 920 were underground. To see mushroom clouds over the site of a nuclear explosion, people traveled thousands of kilometers.

Of course, enterprising Americans started doing business on this. Not only hotel owners profited from fans of the apocalyptic spectacle. In Las Vegas, they sold all kinds of themed souvenirs, posters and paintings, and even special glasses designed to protect the eyes from radiation.

In memory of those dashing times, descendants have hundreds of excellent photos. They show Americans watching nuclear explosions, often with whole families. Today, when much more is known about the effects of radiation than 70 years ago, these images are puzzling.