National Historic Landmark · atomic pile · Chicago, Illinois

First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of

Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

Chicago pile I bannerChicagoPileTeamControl Rod Circuitry for the Chicago Pile, The World's First Nuclear ReactorDeutsches Museum 2
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

The record

Property typeSite
AddressS. Ellis Ave. between E. 56th and 57th Sts., Chicago, IL
CountyCook County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forScience
Level of significanceNational
Also known asThe Enrico Fermi Memorial
Reference number66000314
Type of placeatomic pile
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark, Chicago Landmark
Contributing resources1 site

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressS. Ellis Ave. between E. 56th and 57th Sts., Chicago, IL
Coordinates41.7925° N, 87.6011° W · Directions ↗
Also in Chicago419 listed places in Chicago → · walking tours →
Nearest national park unitPullman National Historical Park · 7 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyWest Beach Picnic Shelters 23 miles · Chellberg Farm Picnic Shelters 29 miles · Dunbar Group Site 32 miles
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

Explore

Map

Local history books for Chicago

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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Illinois

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of listed on the National Register?

Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Where is First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of?

S. Ellis Ave. between E. 56th and 57th Sts., Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. The nearest national park unit is Pullman National Historical Park, 7 miles away.

Source: Pullman National Historical Park

Where is the nomination form for First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of?

Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is West Beach Picnic Shelters, 23 miles away. Chellberg Farm Picnic Shelters is 29 miles away, and Dunbar Group Site is 32 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000314. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place.