Telling the Columbia Basin’s Story — From Ice Age to Atomic Age
The REACH Museum
Overlooking the Columbia River, the REACH Museum connects past to present, tracing the story of the region from ancient landscapes to the Manhattan Project and beyond.
Interpreting a Land Shaped by Science, Nature, and War
The REACH Museum’s Manhattan Project gallery immerses visitors in the story of Hanford’s development, showcasing how a secret wartime mission reshaped the land, displaced communities, and launched the Tri-Cities into the atomic age. Artifacts, photographs, and first-person accounts help ground the scientific achievement in the human experiences that defined it.
The museum also highlights the prewar towns of White Bluffs and Hanford, which were evacuated and erased to make room for the site. Through interpretive panels and memorial installations, the REACH honors the lives disrupted by the project — ensuring their stories remain part of the region’s identity.
Beyond its exhibits, the REACH hosts educational programs, rotating displays, and community events that engage all ages in learning about local history. It serves as a vital interpretive bridge, connecting the region’s environmental and cultural past with the scientific and societal legacy of World War II.