Los Alamos in Los Alamos County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer & Gen. Leslie Groves Sculptures

Los Alamos Historic District Walking Tour

Photographed by James Hulse, March 25, 2025

1. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer & Gen. Leslie Groves Sculptures Marker

Inscription. These sculptures of the Laboratory Director (Oppenheimer) and the Military Director (Groves) of the Manhattan Project, were designed to memorialize the historic photo of the two men standing at Ground Zero at Trinity Site after the successful plutonium bomb test on July 16, 1945. The sculptures honor two gifted World War II leaders with almost polar opposite personalities whose unique partnership won the wartime race to build an atomic bomb. The sculptures are part of the County Art in Public Places collection, and have become iconic symbols in the community and one of the most popular spots for visitors to take photos.

Below: Gen. Leslie Groves (center), head of the Manhattan Project, presented the Army-Navy "E" Award flag to the Laboratory on October 16, 1945, with Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer (left) and University of California President Robert Sproul (right) looking on. (photo courtesy (LANL) Right top to bottom: Oppenheimer and Groves at Ground Zero at Trinity Site in 1945; Groves and Oppenheimer strategizing during the Manhattan Project. (photos courtesy Los Alamos Historical Society)

Pick up a copy of the Historical Walking Tour Guide at the Los Alamos History Museum, Bradbury Science Museum, Los Alamos Nature Center, any of the Visitor Centers, or one of the visitor guide kiosks around town. Download one by scanning the QR code, or go to visitlosalamos.org.

Erected by Los

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Alamos.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Heroes. A significant historical date for this entry is July 16, 1945.

Location. 35° 52.893′ N, 106° 18.114′ W. Marker is in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in Los Alamos County. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue and Bathtub Row, on the right when traveling west on Central Avenue. The marker and statues are along the street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2132 Central Ave, Los Alamos NM 87544, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern New Mexico.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Manhattan Project Era (here, next to this marker); Historic Fuller Lodge (within shouting distance of this marker); Ashley Pond Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Manhattan Project National Historical Park (within shouting distance of this

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer & Gen. Leslie Groves Sculptures and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 25, 2025

2. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer & Gen. Leslie Groves Sculptures and Marker

marker); Los Alamos Post Office (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Post Office (about 300 feet away); The Baker House (about 300 feet away); Memorial Rose Garden (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Alamos.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Fuller Lodge (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Also see . . .
1. Los Alamos where discoveries are made. Los Alamos County (Submitted on April 12, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

2. Historical Walking Tour Map. Los Alamos Historical Museum

Walk from the Stone Age to the atomic age. Your walking tour spans eight centuries of Los Alamos history, from ancestral Pueblos, through homesteading on the Pajarito Plateau, to the future of science and technology. We hope that it will be just the beginning of your acquaintance with Los Alamos.

(Submitted on April 12, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer & Gen. Leslie Groves Sculptures image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 25, 2025

3. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer & Gen. Leslie Groves Sculptures

Credits. This page was last revised on April 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 273 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 12, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.