Oppenheimer film locations open to visitors across New Mexico
Director Christopher Nolan filmed scenes for the movie “Oppenheimer” at historical sites across New Mexico. The production used real Manhattan Project locations where scientists designed the atomic bomb. The movie was released on July 21, 2023. It tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Crews filmed in Los Alamos in the spring of 2022. Other state filming locations include Lamy, Ghost Ranch, Belen, and Santa Fe. Scenes were also filmed in California and New Jersey.
The Oppenheimer House sits at 1967 Peach St. in Los Alamos. The Los Alamos Historical Society owns the home. It is not currently open to the public. Visitors can view the exterior.
The house was built in 1929 for the Los Alamos Ranch School. Oppenheimer lived there from 1943 to 1945 with his wife Kitty, daughter Toni, and son Peter, according to Visit Los Alamos.
Fuller Lodge stands at 2132 Central Ave. in Los Alamos. Los Alamos County owns the building. It is free and open to the public, according to Visit Los Alamos. It served as a community center for Manhattan Project workers.
The Civilian Women’s Dormitory is located at 1725 17th St. in Los Alamos. Los Alamos County owns the site. Visitors can view the outside. The dorm housed civilian women and non-military staff.
The United Church of Los Alamos is located at 2525 Canyon Rd. in Los Alamos. The active church opens to the public at certain times.
The Lamy Train Station is located at 152 Old Lamy Trail in Lamy. Amtrak operates the active station. It served as the first stop for staff traveling to Los Alamos, according to the National Park Service.
Crews filmed bomb test scenes in Belen, according to the New Mexico Film Office. The scenes represent the real Trinity Test Site.
A movie set was built at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu. Ghost Ranch provides paid tours of the set. The site includes a reproduction of the main Los Alamos security gate.
The Ghost Ranch set also features:
- A building based on blueprints of Oppenheimer’s office
- Two Quonset huts used for a theater and an auto repair and storage shop
- A church and log cabin-style buildings
- The main road driven by actors Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt
The real Trinity Test Site is located at White Sands Missile Range. Workers detonated the first atomic bomb there in 1945. The site opens to the public in April and October.
Los Alamos National Laboratory remains in operation. The public cannot enter most laboratory buildings. The Bradbury Science Museum is free to visit. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park offers limited behind-the-fence tours each year.
Dorothy McKibbin checked in new project staff at 109 E. Palace Ave. in Santa Fe, the National Park Service stated. She issued passes to enter Los Alamos. The National Park Service and Los Alamos provide self-guided tours.
The Manhattan Project developed the first nuclear weapons during World War II. Los Alamos served as the central research base for the secret military mission. Historical organizations and federal agencies manage the surviving properties.
Visitors can still access public properties and historic walking routes throughout Los Alamos.
