Category: Oak Ridge, TN

Oak Ridge was established in 1942 as a production site for the Manhattan Project—the massive American, British, and Canadian operation that developed the atomic bomb. Being the site of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, scientific and technological development still plays a crucial role in the city’s economy and culture in general. Once a year, during the Secret City Festival, all the historical locations are open to tours.

Knoxville, TN: Getting Around & Accommodations

Getting Around:

    • Lyft, Uber or taxis to and from the airport.
    • Lyft, Uber or taxis to get around the city. No need to rent a car and pay for expensive parking.
    • Rental cars would be needed if you go to Oak Ridge.

Historical Knoxville Hotels:

Oak Ridge Hotels:

Oak Ridge, TN: Getting Ready & Getting There

Books: There are many books about the Manhattan Project, but these two particularly focus on what Oak Ridge was like during its time.

    • The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Keirnan: At the height of World War II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was home to 75,000 residents, and consumed more electricity than New York City, yet it was shrouded in such secrecy that it did not appear on any map. Thousands of civilians, many of them young women from small towns across the U.S., were recruited to this secret city, enticed by the promise of solid wages and war-ending work. What were they actually doing there? Very few knew. The purpose of this mysterious government project was kept a secret from the outside world and from the majority of the residents themselves. Some wondered why, despite the constant work and round-the-clock activity in this makeshift town, did no tangible product of any kind ever seem to leave its guarded gates? The women who kept this town running would find out at the end of the war, when Oak Ridge’s secret was revealed and changed the world forever.
    • Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard: In November 1944, eighteen-year-old June Walker boards an unmarked bus, destined for a city that doesn’t officially exist. Oak Ridge, Tennessee has sprung up in a matter of months—a town of trailers and segregated houses, 24-hour cafeterias, and constant security checks. There, June joins hundreds of other young girls operating massive machines whose purpose is never explained. They know they are helping to win the war, but must ask no questions and reveal nothing to outsiders.

Getting There – Drive if you must, or FLY.

    • Drive: It’s a long haul from just about anywhere other than Kentucky or Tennessee.
    • Fly: Knoxville is the closest major airport. My favorite airlines to Knoxville are American and Delta.