Bradbury Science Museum Director Patrick Moore speaks to local Kiwanians during their Oct. 1 meeting. Photo by Brooke Davis

BY BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos

Local Kiwanians were treated to a presentation at its Oct. 1 meeting by Bradbury Science Museum Director Patrick Moore.

Moore talked about the history of the museum, its projects and activities, and goals for the future.

Dr. Moore grew up in Los Alamos and received his degrees from NMSU and Arizona Stata University with specialization in public history, 20th century United States cold war, American west, civil rights and urban history. For 18 years, he directed the graduate Public History program at the University of West Florida while also serving as an ASEE/NASA Fellow at the Kennedy Space Center.

Prior to joining LANL in 2024, Moore served as executive director of New Mexico Historic Sites and chair of History and Heritage for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Bradbury Museum is a LANL facility and is staffed by LANL personnel. Moore credited Norris Bradbury as the visionary that brought the museum from idea to reality. In 1993, the Bradbury Museum was moved from the Lab’s main technical area to its present downtown location, making it a much more accessible and enjoyable showcase for the LANL’s history, scientific projects and missions.

Moore is excited about the new weapons exhibit that just opened. He described the challenge of portraying such a complex mission that explains deterrence, testing, computer simulation, and plutonium processing in a fun, engaging and powerful way while adhering to US national security needs and concerns.

One future plan is renovating the environmental stewardship exhibit to include indigenous nations partnerships and LANL’s effects on the local environment. Another plan is to reinstate the traveling trailer exhibits that are used to visit schools. The museum’s goal is to inspire young people and to get them engaged and excited about science and the work done at LANL.

Moore ended by saying that although it is a small 5,000 square foot facility, the Bradbury Science Museum is indeed a world-class museum.