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For many, radiation is seen as a modern-day ghost of death, a silent killer that reduces once-vibrant individuals to mere shadows. This technological nightmare has claimed lives and turned entire regions into barren wastelands. While we are exposed to various forms of radiation daily, excessive amounts can be deadly, causing severe damage to the body.
Despite the terrifying associations with radiation, it's quite surprising that some places with an above-average presence of radiation attract tourists. In fact, several locations around the world—ranging from nuclear testing sites to radioactive mines and disaster zones—welcome visitors year-round. Here are five noteworthy examples.
5. The Mesmerizing Blue Waters
In the 1950s, Australia’s Mary Kathleen uranium mine opened in the northwestern region of Queensland, with the nearby mining town located just 3.7 miles (6 km) away. At its peak, the town housed about 1,000 people and featured a school, post office, movie theater, bank, and more. The mine operated until 1963, providing uranium to the UK Atomic Energy Authority until Mary Kathleen Uranium Limited’s contract was completed. The mine was briefly reopened in 1974 and supplied several international power companies until its closure in 1982, after which it ran dry.
The site was eventually shut down, and the town's structures were demolished. All that remained were the foundations, a sign in what used to be the town square, and a pit now filled with murky, green water. Over time, due to various chemicals leaching from the rock, the water transformed into a brilliant, striking blue. This new vibrant hue attracted a different kind of visitor: Instagram users. Much like a similarly colorful site near Novosibirsk in Russia, the vivid blue water in the pit of Mary Kathleen has drawn tourists eager to capture photos that will make their social media followers envious.
But is it safe to visit? Dr. Gavin Mudd of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology states that while radiation levels at the site are higher than the normal background radiation, spending a few moments there snapping pictures by the striking blue water won’t pose any significant radiological risk. However, he recommends minimizing time spent at the site, avoiding swimming in the water, and certainly not drinking it. Despite the slight radioactivity, the stunning color is a result of chemicals in the water that are not fit for consumption.
4. Climb a Monument to Nuclear Waste
Near Weldon Spring, Missouri, there stands a stark gray mound of rock surrounded by a green landscape. This unassuming pile of earth has a complicated past. During World War II, explosives were manufactured here, and in the Cold War era, uranium was enriched for nuclear weapons at the Weldon Spring Site until the late 1960s. Left behind were large deposits of uranium, radium, TNT, asbestos, and other hazardous materials. The solution was to seal it all inside a giant man-made hill. Today, this mound has become a tourist attraction.
The mound is formally known as the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Disposal Cell, but it’s also called the 'Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail.' Visitors can climb a staircase to the top of the hill, where they’ll be treated to sweeping views of the flat landscape around it. The peak is also a favorite spot for amateur astronomers at night and birdwatchers by day. Close by, a small museum offers information about the mound and its history. You might be relieved to know that more than just rocks were used to create the disposal cell, making it a more sophisticated structure than it might first appear.
According to two former security guards at the Weldon Spring Site, some tourists are hesitant to climb the hill, given the radioactive waste buried beneath. The fact that nothing grows on the mound likely doesn’t help ease their fears (this lack of vegetation was intentional when the mound was built). However, one of the guards mentioned that after working there for 11 years, he experienced no negative effects.
3. Take a Tour of Chernobyl’s Control Room
If you’ve been keeping up with Mytour, you’re probably aware that visitors can explore the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (LV LINK 2) and participate in tours. The success of the HBO miniseries Chernobyl has only fueled more interest in the area. And now, tourists even have the opportunity to step into the control room of Reactor 4, where the fateful decisions that led to the world’s worst nuclear disaster were made. Until recently, access was restricted to cleanup crews and occasional researchers or journalists.
However, this isn’t quite the same as a leisurely stroll around Pripyat. The radiation levels in the control room are reported to be up to 40,000 times higher than normal. Tourists must wear hazmat suits and industrial boots, limit their stay to five minutes, and undergo two radiation screenings once they leave the room.
This new tour option follows Ukraine’s formal designation of Chernobyl as an official tourist destination in July. While tours had been happening before this, they weren’t officially sanctioned. By October 2019, an estimated 85,000 visitors had ventured into the Exclusion Zone that year. Day trips typically cost around $100, though the price for a visit to Reactor 4's control room is yet to be determined.
2. A Dose of Radon for Health?
Radon is widely regarded as a dangerous gas. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and radioactive. Both the US Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization classify it as a carcinogen. Despite its harmful reputation, some individuals believe that radon can help treat conditions such as arthritis. As a result, there are several caves and mines around the world where people intentionally expose themselves to high radon levels. One such place is the Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine in Boulder, Montana.
The facility originally operated as a uranium mine starting in 1949 but transitioned to offering radon therapy three years later. Visitors can descend 85 feet (26 meters) underground to relax while inhaling radon-rich air. The mine maintains a temperature of around 56°F (13°C), so it’s advisable to bring warm clothing, though heat lamps are also available. For those with claustrophobia, an aboveground “inhalatorium” is available, where radon from 105 feet (32 meters) below the surface is pumped into the air.
Most experts agree that exposure to radon should ideally be avoided, although if the levels in the air are under 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), no immediate action is required. In the Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine, visitors are exposed to an average of 1,700 pCi/L. A standard radon therapy session typically lasts between 30 and 60 hours, spread across ten days.
1. Explore a Nuclear Test Site
Between 1956 and 1963, the British government conducted nuclear tests at Maralinga, located in South Australia. A total of seven nuclear devices were detonated, with the largest having a yield of 27 kilotons. In the late 1960s, an initial attempt at cleanup involved turning over the topsoil to mix it with the cleaner soil beneath. Twenty-two pits, filled with remnants of nuclear explosions, were sealed with concrete. These pits are estimated to hold around 8.8 pounds (4 kg) of plutonium. A more comprehensive cleanup took place in the late 1990s, which included the removal and burial of hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of radioactive soil, and even the burial of the vehicles used for the operation.
The land was eventually returned to the Maralinga Tjarutja people. Rather than live on land that had been the epicenter of multiple nuclear explosions, they chose to develop it into a tourism site. Visitors today can take a bus tour around the Maralinga area, including stops at the abandoned military village, airfield, and markers indicating the sites of past nuclear detonations. Pieces of sand turned into glass by the explosions still litter the desert landscape. Tourists can also visit the burial site of the vehicles used during the final cleanup, which are now buried beneath 16 feet (5 meters) of clean soil.
While Maralinga experienced far fewer nuclear blasts compared to other global test sites, most of the area is considered safe for visitors. However, one zone remains restricted and will remain off-limits for the next 25,000 years. Tour buses do not enter this area. Those visiting the open parts of the site are advised against digging into the soil, but if this precaution is followed, they will be exposed to less than 1 millisievert of radiation during their tour.
