Fernald Preserve

About 15 miles southwest of Hamilton, the Fernald Preserve is a former nuclear weapons production facility turned 1,050-acre nature preserve. The on-site museum, the Fernald Learning Center, tells the full story of uranium processing operations, the contamination that resulted, and the extraordinary remediation effort.

The trails through restored prairie and wetland habitat are open daily and free. The juxtaposition of environmental disaster and ecological recovery makes this one of the more thought-provoking outdoor spaces in Ohio. 7400 Willey Road, Harrison.

things to do sight
A story
From 1951 to 1989, this site produced uranium metal for the US nuclear weapons program. After a massive cleanup effort that cost $4.4 billion and took 20 years, it reopened as a nature preserve in 2008. Walking the trails past the meadows and wetlands, it's hard to square the peaceful landscape with what was made here during the Cold War.