Is a tour necessary to see the Minutemen Missile Silo?

We are taking a couple of hours to drive though the Badlands National Park on our way to Keystone. Is it possible to see any part of the missile silo without a tour, or does one need to book a tour to see any part of it?

Thanks!

Is a tour necessary to see the Minutemen Missile Silo?

I was wondering the same thing-- the website is not clear to me. Hopefully someone can answer this for both of us?

Is a tour necessary to see the Minutemen Missile Silo?

Well, we%26#39;ll be up there in a few days. If I end up finding out first hand, Ill let you know!

thank you-- I appreciate that. We%26#39;ll be traveling by car from Ohio... (and all the way to Yellowstone and back), so I TRY to figure out things ahead of time to save ourselves time and $$$.

Have a great trip out there! :)

Looks like I might have to miss it. I%26#39;m also will be going to the Black Hills from Ohio via Badlands. But it looks like they have only two tours a day.

nps.gov/mimi/鈥ummer-tour-schedule.htm

Bummer - probably won%26#39;t align with our schedule. When we went to the Titan Missile Museum in Tucson, Arizona (http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/), it had more tours than that. You could just walk up and get in the next one (like every half hour or so).

At the Titan Missile, you could go in the visitor center at any time. You could only go out into the yard with the silo, or down into the silo, with a tour guide. You could see the yard but there wasn%26#39;t much to see above ground in the yard. Basically it was a sliding cement cap (for the silo hole) surrounded by a chain link fence and some motion detectors. Maybe I%26#39;ll stop by if it%26#39;s convenient. Even if I don%26#39;t get to go into the silo, the visitor center might be interesting. They do have a visitor center even if you don%26#39;t get the underground tour, right?

Does anyone know the difference between Minuteman missiles and Titan missiles?

well that stinks! We were IN Tucson 2 years ago-- made the more southern trip out west then and spent 2 days in Tucson. Went to the saguaro parks, saw the plane bone yards, San Xavier mission... didn%26#39;t realize the missile site was even there. I always miss something. Long haul back out there too. Oh, well-- Being from Ohio I am sure you can appreciate the idea of living out in the southwest :) Hmm... weather or family. Family always wins out. sigh...

we just got back from there. They have open house Thursday morning from 9 to 12. They take groups of 6 at a time down into the underground launch control room. Do not miss this!! From there you go over to the missile silo 6 miles away and look down and see the missile... a 60%26#39; tall missile in a 80%26#39; deep hole.

You have to make a reservation for the tour (605)433-5552. I waited too long and missed my chance for our trip. The nice guy at the number suggested I show up early and get my name on the waiting list. When they say the tour leaves at 9 or 1 they mean it. Any spots left empty are filled with the waiting list. He also informed me tat the Delta 9 facility has a ranger available in the mornings and that might be another solution.

We had no trouble doing the tour without a reservation last Thurs June 11, 9 am. We stayed at Badlands INN Wednesday night.

According to the message board outside of the visitor%26#39;s center one can take a ';cell phone tour'; on their own. I assume that you can hear a narration of the actual tour. I do not know if this allows you only limited access. (The line to speak to the information desk was too long and we only had a few hours to spend in the badlands.)

thanks for letting me know- I guess you ended up NOT doing any tour then? We%26#39;re sort of in the same ';boat'; We%26#39;ll be hitting the Badlands on the way to Keystone. Altho, we%26#39;ll be there for 3 nights, (in Keystone) so-- maybe there will be time for a trip to the missile site while ther?. I think the real ';tours'; are only on Thurs and we will be there Fri thru Sunday (of course) :)

Appreciate the help-- How was your trip by the way? We plan to do the Badlands (giving ourselves 2 and 1/2 days travel time, so I am thinking all afternoon in the Badlands) then 2 full days for Mt Rushmore/Custer State park, then headed to Devil%26#39;s Tower to Cody over night only then 4 nights in Yellowstone and then onward to Tetons for 2 night and 2 nights in Rocky Mts natl park before heading home. What did you see that you loved? and how much time did you need for the Badlands and the Keystone area?