weldon spring site interpretive center

I had never heard of the place. We were driving past and saw the sign and stopped in. Don't get to climb a hill that is covering nuclear waste very often. Neat place we were only there about a half an hour, something different.

Excellent public information site with displays showing the Weldon Spring contribution to the Manhattan Project. Good 1-2 hour visit with teenage kids. Friendly and helpful staff. Quite interesting.

If you're into this sort of thing, and you have an hour or two to spare to read through the wealth of information here, this might be an interesting spot. There are a lot of slick, detailed displays in the museum/welcome center that would provide a very extensive explanation of the site to anyone who had the time and the interest level to read them, and the good folks who man the desk are very eager to tell you anything you might ever want to know about it. As a potentially quick stop along the way to somewhere else, though, It might not work for you. The climb up the stairs to the summit of the buried waste was a good way to stretch the legs, but it proved, ultimately, disappointing as far as scenery goes. I suppose what I am attempting to say is: I think this site would be interesting to someone who has an intrinsic interest in the subject, but might come across as somewhat bland to anyone who is simply passing through.

Weldon Spring has an interesting history. It was once the world's largest explosives manufacturing factory. By the time World War II ended, the factory had produced more than 700 million pounds of TNT. About a decade later, Weldon Spring became the site of a uranium ore processing plant--making yellow cake uranium. Almost a decade after that, the government made plans to use part of the uranium processing plant to manufacture Agent Orange. Thankfully, the Vietnam war ended before those plans came to fruition. The government still used Weldon Spring as training grounds for the troops, and that's how Karl Daubel came to the area. When it was determined that the area needed an environmental clean-up, Karl was asked to oversee the job. It was supposed to be a short-term assignment (back in 1989?), but the effort wasn't completed until 2001. Then, as Karl had a deep knowledge of what had occurred, he was asked to work as the interpreter for the museum. Karl was a great guide. He answered all of our questions (we're an inquisitive lot!) and was interesting.Karl explained that once the vicinity was remediated, there was more radioactivity in the surrounding areas than at the waste disposal site. The museum had a few artifacts and some interesting diagrams of how the waste was covered in layers to prevent radiation leaks. When we finished with the exhibits, we went outside to view the disposal cell which is an impressive 1,409 feet long, 1,465 wide, and 75 feet tall--covering 45 acres. Access to the top of the hill is easily accessible by stairways and trails, but it is quite the climb.

The history of the site: 20,000 people displaced in order to make room for TNT and then Uranium production site in support of WWII. Eventually the whole place was vacated and EPA had to step in. This site, in my opinion, does an very good job of capturing the whole story - from start to finish.

We drove past this place many times on our way to wineries along the Missouri River. It’s in a state park, attractive countryside with bike and hiking trails, lake and ponds, grasslands and woods.We thought we should take time to see what the area offered and stop at the Interpretive Centre and find out about the spring. On one of our last days in the region we pulled into the car park and were puzzled that that the signs said it was operated by the Department of Energy. Perhaps the stone mound we’d seen from the road was a dam...Entering the Interpretive Centre it seemed it wasn’t about nature and springs, streams and lakes. Completely puzzled by now I asked the helpful lady and gentleman at the entry desk what on earth we’d come to. I was given a brief explanation and taken to a screen where they played a short film that gave the details. When, in 1941, the USA found itself dragged into WWII by Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler’s declaration of war it needed to urgently manufacture explosives. An area of Missouri near St Louis with good road, rail and river links — this place — was identified for a huge manufacturing plant for high explosives. Problem was that there were three towns in the selected area. The unfortunate inhabitants were given just one month to move and if they couldn’t transport their houses away these were burned. Manufacture quickly started and the site grew.Later the plant processed material for atomic weapons. When it came time to decommission the site it was a dangerously toxic area with unlabelled and unknown atomic waste, polluted water and soil. When the clean up finished, dangerous and radioactive material was entombed in a highly secure facility and buried under an enormous 45 acre mound of grey-white boulders. As I approached this gigantic stone mound it reminded me of the mysterious European stone-age burial mounds, such as New Grange in IrelandI walked up a path to the top, climbing steps and a slope to stand 75 feet above the ground and look to the horizon in all directions. There are seats and interpretive panels at the top.The mound and its chamber underneath are designed to keep their lethal contents safe for one thousand years. But all the same there are constantly monitored ground water sensors along the Katy Trail along the Missouri River some miles south to detect should there be leakage from the site. I couldn’t help but wonder at such a distant time as 1,000 years. History suggests that the DofE will not still be monitoring, that the USA will not be, and that the very language on the warning signs will not be understood. And if some future treasure hunter or archaeologist should interpret that it is death to open the mound, will they take as much notice as the tomb robbers did in Egypt’s Valley of Kings who ignored similar death warnings to plunder tombs of pharaohs?The Interpretive Centre is excellent, though its story is depressing. The DofE have done a good job — check the land as you walk to the mound for a replanted prairie with wild flowers and native plants with name boards. Climb the mound for a tremendous view. The pharaohs’ built pyramids to hold their mortal remains safe for their eternal life. This version is a mound of stones entombing death. If you’re passing, then do stop and visit

This place has a wonderful interpretive center. It explains all about how the area was contaminated when uranium was processed here and then was cleaned up. The kids also learn about geology and soil! My kids even thought it was cool!

It is most interesting to visit the interpretative center and then climb the "mountainous" containment pile. View from up there is excellent.

The site is open during daylight hours but the interpretive center has specific hours. I highly recommend going when the center is open as it is very well done. It included the history of the site from the founding of the communities to the present.In addition to the toxic waste storage facility, there are several hiking trails in the conservation area that we were unfortunately unable to take due to time constraints.It is easy to get to, and definitely worth the detour (2 miles off the interstate).

Very friendly folks in the visitor center, very informative exhibits. Brief film gave a great history. You can walk to the top of the mound and see for miles.... Hard to believe there is so much former toxic waste under your feet...

To be so close to safely sequestered toxic waste is a unique experience. A great interpretive center and a nice hike to the top of the stone mound. Bring sun screen.

Leave it to the Department of Energy to make a tourist site of a toxic dump. It started life (or death) as a munitions plant during World War II. The Atomic Energy Commission -- one of the forerunners of the Department of Energy -- took it over in the mid-1950s to process uranium, adding radioactivity to the toxic sludge. Then the Army had plans to produce Agent Orange defoliants there. The whole thing became a Superfund site in the 1980s. They buried the stuff under 75 feet of dirt and built a viewing platform on top of it, with picnic tables and hiking trails. The Visitors' Center explains how safe the site is now. It is less than a mile from the water supply for 70,000 people and from the Francis Howell High School. Wear your lead underwear.