Manhattan Project Tours a Highlight of Secret City Festival

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (June 14, 2012) - One of the highlights of the annual Secret City Festival are the series of Manhattan Project tours that run all day Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16.

Three of the tours depart from the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE) at scheduled times. In addition, the Secret City Scenic Excursion Train will be chugging along during the festival. Normally, the train only runs on the Saturday of the festival, but this year, trains will be departing on both Friday and Saturday.

Visitors will have a unique opportunity to tour four historic Manhattan Project World War II plants. On Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16, anyone over the age of 10 can ride an air-conditioned tour bus for a free 2-hour lecture tour of Historic K-25, along with the Happy Valley Construction Camp, and the Wheat Community. Tours leave from AMSE.

Also on Friday, June 15, visitors can take the DOE Facilities Bus Tour, which is included with a $1 admission to AMSE. This tour includes stops at the Y-12 New Hope Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) Spallation Neutron Source and X-10 Graphite Reactor, and a tour around the East Tennessee Technology Park.

On Saturday, U.S. citizens can tour the first building completed at the wartime Y-12 Plant. Shuttle buses will leave all day long from AMSE for a check-in at Y-12, followed by lecture tours of the Historic 9731 Pilot Plant building that still has huge Calutron Magnets in place.

Secret City Scenic Excursion Train
(Southern Appalachia Railway Museum)
$17 Adults, $13 Children (3-12)
Friday 1pm and 3 pm
Saturday 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm
Train Boards at Heritage Center

K-25 Site Tours (including the Happy Valley Laborers Construction Camp, Wheat Community, and the K-25 Building)
Admission: Free
Friday at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Saturday at 9:00 am, 11:30 am, and 2:00 pm.
Tour length - 2 hours
There will be no citizenship requirements.

Y-12 National Security Complex Tour
Y-12 Tours run all day Saturday, June 16, leaving from the New Hope Visitor Center every 20 minutes. On-line registration is available at the Y-12 web site: Y-12 National Security Complex Tour . Tours will last approximately one hour. Shuttles will run between AMSE and New Hope. Must be a US Citizen (valid driver's license) and all minors must be accompanied by an adult. This year, visitors will tour Building 9731, Chestnut Ridge, and Alpha 3.
Saturday, June 16 from 9 am - 4 pm

DOE Facilities Public Bus Tours
Required registration begins at 9 a.m. Space is limited. Restrictions apply (Must be 10 or older, a US Citizen, and have picture ID). All tours leave from AMSE.
This tour is free with AMSE admission with stops at Y-12's New Hope Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source and Graphite Reactor and a tour around the Oak Ridge Technology Park.
Friday, June 15 from Noon - 2:30 pm

ORNL Graphite Reactor Tours
Registration required and space is limited. Restrictions apply (Must be 10 or older, a US Citizen, and have picture ID). Free tour leaving from AMSE
Friday: 10-11:30am, 4 - 5:30 pm
Saturday: 10 - 11:30 am, 12 - 1:30 pm, 2 pm - 3:30 pm, 4 pm - 5:30 pm

The full Secret City Festival schedule with times for all events can be found at www.secretcityfestival.com . The Secret City Festival is presented by the City of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Arts Council of Oak Ridge. Visit www.secretcityfestival.com for festival information, event details and news updates. Check out our Secret City Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SecretCityFestival .

Contact:
Katy Brown, President
Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau
P: 865-482-7821
E: Katy@OakRidgeVisitor.com

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