Reservations are Required for the Delta-01 Tour and can be made between 24 hours and 90 days prior to arrival. Tour reservations inside 24 hours are not available. No same day tours in the Summer season. | How to Book: The TOTAL number of slots available per tour are indicated by clicking on the Adult Ages 17+ drop down box. If there are no matches for the date you searched, you will get this message ‘NO RESULTS FOUND’. Change your dates to check other availability. If for example, the Adult drop down box states 2 slots available and the Child states 2, there are ONLY a TOTAL of 2 tours available for that time slot.
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The Minuteman Missile Underground tour is currently undergoing mechanical issues and repairs. Underground tours have been halted until April 1, 2024 at this time. Surface tours will be available for sale starting Monday March 11, 2024 – with the first available tour to book being March 16, 2024. Surface tours will be available Tuesday thru Saturday at 1:00 and 2:00pm. A total of 6 people will be able to reserve advance tickets to the tour. Additional space may be available directly at the Welcome Center the day of the tour. To check on this availability – please go directly to the welcome center to inquire the day of tour.
The historic Delta-01 compound is built to execute a nuclear war. The park is offering a tour that focuses on the topside structure and uses accommodations to explore the underground launch control facility. The guides will take the visitors through the top side of the Delta-01 Launch Control Center and show a short video/virtual tour of the capsule below.
Notice: The visitor center at Exit 131 is open Tuesday through Saturday.
View 90 Day Window Reservations Oct 2023 – April 2024
View 90 Day Window Reservations May – January 2025
Please read Tour Safety Restrictions below:
During the Cold War, a vast arsenal of nuclear missiles were placed in the Great Plains. Hidden in plain sight, for thirty years 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today. The Minuteman Missile remains an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. It holds the power to destroy civilization, but is meant as a nuclear deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war.
Visit the once secret facilities where Air Force personnel controlled and maintained ten nuclear missiles, part of a force of 150 missiles located in South Dakota. Discover the Cold War events that shaped our lives and still remain through a tour of the underground control center at Delta-01. At the Delta-09 silo, view a nuclear missile which once carried a 1.2 megaton warhead.
Accessibility
Built to execute a nuclear war, the historic Delta-01 compound cannot be made fully accessible. For those visitors unable to safely experience the underground control center, the Visitors Center at exit 131 offers a Virtual Tour experience that can be enjoyed by all.
Tour Safety Restrictions
The Delta-01 tour is moderately strenuous and requires a quarter mile round trip walk to and from the Delta-01 compound. All tour participants must be able to climb two 15 foot ladders, walk, and stand unassisted. Visitors who wish to participate in the underground part of the tour must fulfill the following requirements:
- Be physically capable of climbing two 15 foot ladders unassisted. These ladders are permanently attached to the wall and are very sturdy.
- Children must be at least 40” tall, six years of age, and be able to climb the ladder unassisted. At least one adult must accompany child on Delta-01 Tour.
- Be comfortable in a small elevator in close proximity to six other adults.
- Be comfortable with heights of approximately 35 feet or about 3 stories. The elevator door is an open grate, not a solid door.
- The underground control center was not designed to accommodate the general public. It is accessed by an elevator and a ladder. In the event of an elevator failure, visitors that are underground will need to be capable of climbing the ladder for a safe and timely exit. Entering the control center also requires passing through a narrow corridor.
- Why only six per tour? Because the facility was built for nuclear war. A small elevator and tight space.
- Arrive 15 minutes early tour time to ensure you have time to walk from the parking lot to the front gate at Delta-01, where all tours start.