Nuclear Energy
.jpg?width=1600)
Nuclear Energy is a historic site in Illinois, at a modelled elevation of 180 m. Mount Lieber stands 214 m to the east-southeast, 22 miles off. The nearest named place is David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, a museum 0.1 miles away. Historic Route 66 passes 6.0 miles off. 25 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Nuclear Energy (1964–1966) (LH 526) is a bronze sculpture by Henry Moore on the campus of the University of Chicago at the site of the world's first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1. The first human-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was created here on December 2, 1942. The sculpture is set in a granite paved quadrangle, with the paving stones radiating outward from the sculpture, and memorial plaques mounted on an adjacent wall. The memorial site is a National Historic Landmark and Chicago Landmark.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1967.
Wikidata Q4355111, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Built
- 1967-12-02
- Material
- bronze
What to expect
How to reach it
- 6.0 mi off the Historic Route 66, National
- 19.9 mi off the Lincoln Highway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Des Plaines River · 12 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Yes And: 0.3 mi
- Dialogo: 0.3 mi
- Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: 0.3 mi
- Fountain of Time: 0.5 mi
- Wonder of Woodlawn: 0.6 mi
- Florence Stout Park: 0.3 mi
- Bessie Coleman Park: 0.3 mi
- Bixler Park: 0.4 mi
- Butternut Playlot Park: 0.5 mi
- Nichols Park: 0.5 mi
- Frederick C. Robie House: 0.3 mi
- Carl von Linné Monument: 0.3 mi
- Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Memorial: 0.7 mi
- Obama Kissing Rock: 0.7 mi
- Ulysses S. Grant Boulder: 0.7 mi
- Readers' Garden: 0.3 mi
- Midway Plaisance Park North Winter Garden: 0.4 mi
- Amanda's Garden: 0.4 mi
- Midway Plaisance Park South Winter Garden: 0.5 mi
- Dr. Alison Davis Garden: 0.5 mi
- Jackson Park - Grove 9: 0.8 mi
- Jackson Park - Grove 10: 0.8 mi
- Jackson Park - Grove 8: 0.9 mi
- Jackson Park - Grove 7: 0.9 mi
- Jackson Park - Grove 6B: 1.0 mi
- Japanese Garden: 1.0 mi
- Al Capone's House: 2.3 mi
- Michelle Obama's Childhood Home: 2.6 mi
- Doane Observatory: 5.1 mi
- Beluga: 5.2 mi
- South Shore Nature Sanctuary: 2.7 mi
- Burnham Wildlife Corridor: 3.4 mi
- Rainbow Beach Dunes: 3.7 mi
- Burnham Wildlife Corridor: 3.7 mi
- McCormick Bird Sanctuary: 4.0 mi
- 57th Street Beach: 1.1 mi
- 49th Street Beach: 1.3 mi
- 63rd Street Beach: 1.6 mi
- 41st Street Beach: 2.0 mi
- South Shore Beach: 2.6 mi
- Obama Center Sled Hill: 1.0 mi
- Mount Bridgeport: 4.2 mi
- Soldier Field Sledding Hill: 4.6 mi
- Players Hill: 10.3 mi
- Horner Park Hill: 12.6 mi
- Rosemont Waterfall: 19.1 mi
- Sawmill Creek Waterfall: 19.7 mi
- Canyon Creek Cascade: 21.8 mi
- Canyon Creek Falls: 21.9 mi
- Rain Garden Springs: 14.2 mi
- Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis: 14.8 mi
- Swallow Cliffs: 15.6 mi
- Tedens: 20.3 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Nuclear Energy. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Lieber | ESE 123° | 214 m | 22.4 mi |
| Mount Trashmore | NNW 341° | 204 m | 16.8 mi |
| Chanute Hill | SE 125° | 195 m | 21.1 mi |
| Players Hill | NW 304° | 187 m | 10.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:55 | 18:26 | 19:03 |
| June solstice | 05:16 | 19:47 | 20:29 |
| September equinox | 06:38 | 18:13 | 18:49 |
| December solstice | 07:15 | 15:38 | 16:23 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 26 | 29 | 38 | 48 | 58 | 68 | 74 | 74 | 67 | 54 | 43 | 31 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Chicago Northerly IS, 4 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
National Register of Historic Places, reference 66000314OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site- National Register of Historic Places — First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of, reference 66000314, listed 10/15/66.
OpenStreetMap element node/4410755155
Day trips start here
- Chicago/Hyde Park · 1 mi
- Chicago/Bronzeville · 2 mi
- Chicago/Chatham-South Shore · 3 mi
- Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown · 4 mi
- Chicago/Near South · 5 mi
- Chicago/Pilsen · 5 mi
Take the scenic way to Nuclear Energy.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

.jpg?width=480)