BRMA Members

The B Reactor Museum Association (BRMA) is an all-volunteer organization formed to preserve the historic B Reactor on the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. That goal was realized with the creation of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes B Reactor and other key sites at Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Today, BRMA proudly partners with the National Park Service and Department of Energy to help manage and grow the Hanford unit of the park.

Join us in preserving this legacy and sharing the story of the B Reactor with the world.

Original BRMA Goals

  • Restore the reactor building and contents to reflect its appearance during operation.
  • Add exhibits that reflect the history of the Hanford Site.
  • Provide public access to B Reactor, including road access from Highway 240.
  • Educate the public as to the historical and technological significance of B Reactor.
  • Promote other attractions in the area to increase visitors to B Reactor.
B Reactor Sign

Our Board

Officers

President

Dave Marsh

Vice President

Robert Franklin

Treasurer

At Large

Secretary

At Large

Chairpersons

Government &
Community Relations

David Reeploeg

Historian

Burt Pierard

Products & Sales

Rick Bond

Interpretive Projects

Ben Johnson

Communications

Bethany Close

Membership

At Large

Timeline of Achievements

Ongoing Work

Since 1990, the B Reactor Museum Association (BRMA) has been dedicated to preserving and sharing the story of the B Reactor through ongoing projects and partnerships:

  • Sharing History Online: BRMA launched its website in 1996 to tell the story of the B Reactor and highlight preservation efforts at the Hanford Site.
  • Supporting the Visitor Experience: Our gift shop, located inside Xenophile Books, features exclusive items crafted from authentic reactor-grade graphite and other Hanford-related memorabilia.
  • Leading Public Tours: In 2000, BRMA helped establish the B Reactor Tour Program. Today, while the Department of Energy oversees the program, many of our members proudly continue as volunteer docents for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.
  • Advocating for Preservation: BRMA played a key role in achieving major milestones that led to the creation of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, ensuring B Reactor’s story remains accessible for generations to come.

Milestones

1994

BRMA initiated the process to obtain National Landmark status for the B Reactor. This nomination was the first step in preservation of the Reactor for future museum/National Park status.

2001

Gene Weisskopf completed the Historic American Engineering Record document for B Reactor. Available on the BRMA website, this document serves as THE historical resource for the B Reactor and is a key component of the B Reactor Tour Program.

2007

With the assistance from the Murdock Charitable Trust and the Atomic Heritage Foundation, BRMA developed three exhibits currently at the Reactor. The first is a 1/10 scale model of the Reactor Core, the second is a scale model of the 100-B Area, and the third is the B Reactor graphite model.

2010

With Atomic Heritage Foundation and Department of Energy – Richland the BRMA developed videos for visitors to B Reactor.

2019

BRMA funded the animation for the NPS “Hanford Made” video shown at the MAPR Hanford visitors center and available on YouTube.

2019-2020

BRMA funded exhibit panel fabrication for the “Reflection Room” and the “Health Physics and Warning Sign Displays” at the B Reactor.

2023

Virtual Tour

BRMA funded travel costs for 360-degree photography necessary for the B Reactor Virtual Tour.

BRMA provided the narrative for the B Reactor Virtual Tour video.