Tood Nickols and Kristen Hollis of the Los Alamos Historical Society at the December 2 Kiwanis Club meeting. Courtesy photo

BY BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos

Guest speakers at the December 2 Kiwanis meeting were Todd Nickols, Executive Director and Kristen Hollis, Assistant Director of the Los Alamos Historical Society. They gave an interesting presentation outlining the mission of the organization and an update on their activities.

The society’s mission is to preserve, promote, and communicate the remarkable and inspiring stories of Los Alamos and its people for the community, for the global audience, and for future generations.

They run the Los Alamos History Museum and are continually updating and changing the exhibits that present the stories and perspectives from many eras: Ancestral, Homesteading, Los Alamos Ranch School, the Manhattan Project, and the Cold War. Close to 50 volunteers work for the historical society as docents for the museum buildings and gift shop, and as walking tour guides.

The “Oppenheimer” movie and the interest it generated provided a boost in tourism. Prior to the movie, there were about 30,000 visitors per year and after its release the numbers jumped to 55,000 to 60,000.

Educational programs include a monthly public lecture series covering a variety of historical subjects and extensive free programs for students from elementary levels through high school. These include group tours, hands-on programs, and in-class visits. The Oppenheimer House, built in 1929 of stone and beam construction, is currently undergoing major renovation to address and repair major deterioration and structural issues. It is hoped that the building will be fixed up and able to accommodate visitors in the future. The Los Alamos Historical Society is looking forward to its completion and the implementation of new and visionary exhibits for the pubic to enjoy.