Back in August, we did an evening tour of the only accessible Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile site at the Titan Missile Museum.  It was impressive enough that we took our visiting parents and brother on Saturday to see it during the museum's 25th anniversary.

Previously, we did the Moonlight Madness tour however those only run on select days during the summer so this time around we did a day tour. If you have the option, take the evening tour. While impressive during the day, the Titan II missile is even more impressive during the evening when it is lit up.  It's also more visible because the sun isn't reflecting off the viewing area.

We had an hour before our tour so we looked about the museum/store while we waited.  And goofed off a little....  This is our impression of a costume on display....

Restricted files and a miniature of the missile and what exists on each level surrounding the missile.

Approximately 7 out of the 20 are estimated to potentially reach their targets.

One of our tour guides explaining which sections we'll be touring before we watched a short video.

Radar Surveillance System

My goofy husband, walking in front of my camera as I snap the picture...

Rocket engines

See what I mean about the window glare?  During the Moonlight Madness tour you can see very clearly through the windows because the missile area is lit up.  And leaning against the glass is not quite so hot under the Arizona moon.

They're peering down the dome glass cover over the Titan II missile.

Elevator and stairs leading down to the missile area and control center.

55 steps down (they stress this because I think they get quite a few of the older generation doing the tours --in which case, if the 55 steps are a bit much, there's the elevator).

Chuck Penson is the guy in the video you have to watch before the tour. He's also an archivist at the museum.

The control center.

They still used an old fashioned punched tape reader.

Maniacal laugh before destruction...?

This missile was deactivated in 1982.  All other Titan II silos throughout the country were demolished (53 others).

I did a search of the other 17 destroyed missile sites here in southern Arizona and apparently at some point, the museum had run a tour exploring some of the ruined missile sites. I'm hoping there'll be another in the near future, if not, we'll just have to do some of our own exploring!