Black Hole - Los Alamos, New Mexico - Improbable Museum of Nuclear Waste

The Los Alamos Sales Company, better known as the Black Hole of Los Alamos, describes itself as "An Unusual Place.'' It is part surplus store, part junkyard, and part museum with a focus on "nuclear waste,'' the second most visited tourist attraction in Los Alamos after the Bradbury Museum.

Gathered here and covering 17,000 square feet are used, salvaged, and recyclable supplies and materials, including oscilloscopes, galvanometers, Geiger counters, centrifuges and more, much of it purchased at auction from the Los Alamos Lab. Many items are for sale, but others are simply for show, photography, use in movies, or creating works of art.

The Black Hole was the brainchild of a former Los Alamos National Laboratory machinist, Edward "Atomic Ed'' Grothus (1923~2009). In 1980, he opened what would become an incredible five-acre collection of used scientific devices, electronics, laboratory supplies, nuclear by-products, government surplus items, and pre-owned test equipment. It gained its nickname because, as Grothus once put it, "Everything goes in and nothing comes out.''

The Black Hole of Los Alamos is located at 4015 Arkansas Avenue Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544-1620. Operating hours are from 10am to 5pm on Tuesday through Saturday; closed on Sundays, Mondays, and national holidays.