Radioactive beauty: The Black Hole, Los Alamos, NM

There is a place in New Mexico that isn't known for its art scene or landscape. Hard to believe, but this place has something no other can offer: recycled military lab equipment. Maybe not so beautiful, but certainly neglected and very, very interesting.


The Black Hole, home to long forgotten “nuclear waste,” has the world’s largest and most diverse selection of scientific and lab equipment, such as CRT oscilloscopes and X-ray converters. It is located just outside the lab buildings, and sits adjacent to a triangular church called the Omega Peace Institute. Once you pass the sign of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Sir Joseph Rotblat, you’ve entered The Black Hole zone.


It's a little like "Lost in Space" meets the Pentagon-- but the stoic landscape of burnt aspens create a more sci-fi than military feel.


Step inside the 17,000 square foot warehouse and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the endless rows of shelves overflowing with gages, valves and machinery. Some items are identifiable; however, many are simply mysterious reminders of past wars, both hot and Cold.


There’s even a library with books ranging from lab manuals to vintage collectors item magazines.


The salvage museum was the brainchild of Ed Grothus, a.k.a. "Atomic Ed," who started out as a machinist and then became a weapons expert working on atomic bombs during WWII. He quit working in the labs 1969 when his conscience could no longer tolerate his role in nuclear bomb development. He became an outspoken anti-nuclear protester and later a solar power advocate.


If you are looking for something unusual, this is the place to go. The Black Hole has provided materials to over 500 Universities and Research Institutions around the world as well as technical props for 4 major motion pictures. There was even a documentary made about Ed’s endeavors called, “Atomic Ed and the Black Hole,” which was released in 2002, complete with a Laurie Anderson’s “Big Science” soundtrack.


Ed passed away in 2009, but his legacy lives on with another Ed (a close friend of the family) who will give you a tour while assuring you the radiation has been removed from all items. I don’t know if I believe that, but it sure didn’t stop me from buying a Department of Defense water container that can also be used as a commode.



Click here to visit the site of: Atomic Ed and the Black Hole Documentary.