Mercury•Nevada Test Site

00.00     Title
00:15     Extraterrestrial Highway        
07:55     Project Adagio Nuclear Test Site    
11:30     Project Faultless Nuclear Test Site    
13:55     Mercury Nevada Test Site    
14:45     Fin
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Mercury is located about 60 miles north of Las Vegas on U.S. Highway 95 in an area that used to be called Jackass Flats. Thousands of drivers speed right by this little town each week without a thought as to why the Mercury road sign says “No Services.”  When travelers see a “No Services” sign, they usually just keep on rolling down the road, because they know that there will be no restroom facilities, gas, food, drinks and nothing to do.

Mercury actually does have modern amenities and services that are functional, but this town is officially closed for security reasons. The “No Services” sign is enough to make this town sound like the most boring place on earth, which is the actual intent.  Just a few simple words on a sign is all it takes to deter sightseeing tourists from taking a closer look and this message definitely keeps most travelers moving on down the line.

Why would a little Nevada town like Mercury be closed to the public when the tourism industry is a major source of income for this state? … The answer has something to do with how Mercury is not just an average little town. The town of Mercury was built by the Atomic Energy Commission for workers at the Nevada Test Site, which is where major nuclear weapons testing took place for over 40 years.

The old Nevada Test Site is now officially called the Nevada National Security Site. The nearby Jackass Flats and Frenchman Flats is where extensive nuclear weapons testing took place from the 1950s through the 1990s. The town of Mercury had a population of over 10,000 in the 1960s, yet this town barely even appeared on a map. The design of this town provided all amenities for test site workers, like movie theaters, restaurants, bars, a bowling alley, library and post office. Mercury even has an airport. The airstrip actually was built to accommodate a visit from President JFK back in the early 1960s.

After 1990 only subcritical nuclear testing has been done at the Nevada Test Site. The staffing numbers were dramatically reduced by that time and only a handful of workers remained in this town, so some of the civic facilities were shuttered. A dining facility, gym and living quarters are pretty much the only civic amenities that remain open in the historic town of Mercury in recent years.

Because the Nevada National Security Site has a long history of high tech research projects, it has top secret base status and a security clearance is needed to enter the town of Mercury. The Highway 95 offramp to Mercury leads directly to a guard house a few thousand yards outside of town. The guard house monitors all vehicular traffic visually and electronically, so even if no security personnel are present, they do know when a visitor or intruder approaches. At the guard house checkpoint, a huge Nevada National Security Site sign that states “No Trespassing” does let the tourists know that they are not welcome in the little town of Mercury. 

Mercury is no longer officially at a super high security level these days, but the status can change without prior notice. Mercury will probably never become a regular tourist destination that is open to the general public, but there actually is a legal way to tour this closed town and the old historic nuclear testing grounds. Official tours of the Nevada Test Site are organized by The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. Transportation to and from Mercury is provided and having lunch in the old military base restaurant is included in the ticket price. The Nevada Test Site Tour is affordable, but passage has to be booked well in advance. The time it takes to do the extensive security background check and the long waiting list will require patience.  

As can be gathered, a closed town that is off limits to the general public actually can be accommodating and tourist friendly, because all it takes to visit Mercury is going through the proper channels. An acquaintance who works at the neighboring the Paiute Reservation said that the food at the restaurant in Mercury is really good, which is a real plus. More information about the official Nevada Test Site Guided Tours can be found by visiting the The National Atomic Testing Museum website.