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Welcome to the Savannah River Site Tour Program
Dedicated to maintaining the highest possible safety and security standards, the Savannah River Site (SRS) is a key U.S. Department of Energy industrial complex, responsible for supporting our nation’s nuclear defense; preventing nuclear weapon proliferation; environmental stewardship and cleanup; waste management; and disposition of nuclear materials. More specifically, SRS processes and stores nuclear materials in support of the national defense and U.S. nuclear non-proliferation efforts. The Site also develops and deploys technologies to improve the environment and treat nuclear and hazardous wastes left from the Cold War.
The SRS complex covers 198,046 acres, or 310 square miles, encompassing parts of Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale counties in South Carolina, bordering the Savannah River.
The Site is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed and operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, a partnership formed by the Fluor Corporation with HII. SRNS is responsible for the Site’s nuclear facility operations; environment; safety; health and quality assurance; and all the Site’s administrative functions.
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SRS Public Tour Program Registration
In 2025, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC will again offer the public twenty-three driving tours of Savannah River Site (SRS), as well as two in-depth walking tours of the site of the historic former town of Ellenton, providing openings for approximately 850 members of the public.
All tours will begin at the Savannah River Site Badge Office. (see attached map) Guests will be given an overview presentation, safety and security briefing and driving tour of the site. The Mission Related Public Tours will include a general site driving tour along with a visit to the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). At SREL, visitors will get an overview of the ecology lab's history and mission and get an up-close view of animals that are native to the Savannah River Site.
Due to high demand, there will again be eight Historic Tours available in 2025! In addition to four tours that will stop at the Dunbarton Town site, we will offer four tours that will be going to the Ellenton Town site. All Historic tours also include a tour of the SRS Curation Facility and a driving tour of C Reactor. For an in-depth dive into the history of the Savannah River Site to supplement your Historic Tour, consider planning a visit to the SRS Museum located in downtown Aiken. Admission is free and the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For reference, the Dunbarton Tours will be held in March and the Ellenton Tours will be held in October and are noted with a hashtag (#) on the calendar below.
Site tours provide an opportunity for those interested in SRS to better understand the Department of Energy’s facilities, missions, and workforce that changed the face of Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale Counties, nearby cities and helped win the Cold War. Guests will also learn about facilities supporting current and future missions of the Savannah River Site for both Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
All tour participants must register separately, with separate email addresses, as each participant will be asked to provide their Social Security Number during registration for security purposes. If you choose not to provide the information, you will not be allowed to participate in the tour.
2025 Public Tour Dates
Click on a date (below) to reserve that tour.Historic Tours begin at 12 pm and Mission Related Tours begin at 12:30 pm at the badge office. |
January
Thur-23
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February
Thur-6, Thur-20 |
March
*Tues-4, *Thur-6
*Tues-11, *Thur-13
Ellenton Walking
Tues-18 |
April
Thur-3, Thur-24
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May
Thur-8, Thur-15 |
June
Thur-5, Thur-12 |
July
Thur-10, Thur-24 |
August
None Scheduled |
September
Thur-11, Thur-25 |
October
# Tues-7, # Thur-9
# Tues-14, # Thur-16
Ellenton Walking
Thur-30 |
November
Thur-6 |
December
Thur-11 |
* - Denotes Historic Dunbarton Tour
# - Denotes Historic Ellenton Tour
All tours are free of charge and each public tour will accommodate 34 participants, while historic tours will accommodate 50 participants. Tour participants must be 18 years of age or older and must be U.S. Citizens. Proper identification is required at check-in the day of the tour. Click here to view a list of acceptable IDs.
Registration for each tour will close one week before the date of the tour so please be sure to register early. If you are coming as a group, each individual in the group will need to self-register, as well.
Seats are limited and participants may reserve only one mission-related and one historic tour per year. Seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list is maintained and you will be notified by email should a seat become available.
If no internet access is available, individuals may call 803.952.8994 for assistance. |
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Other Site contractors include: |
- Savannah River Mission Completion, comprised by parent company BWX Technologies, Inc., with partners Amentum and Fluora subsidiary of the AECOM, is responsible for all facilities associated with managing and disposing of liquid waste..
- Savannah River National Laboratory, which is managed and operated by Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC, is the applied research and development laboratory at SRS
- Centerra Group, LLC, which provides security services;
- The University of Georgia, which operates the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.
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Identification
A REAL ID OR a Passport are both accepted as the ONLY ID that you will need. If you have neither of those, you will need two forms of government ID, one of which must be a current and valid photo ID (acceptable ID list).
Special requests for dates and times are accommodated when
possible, but no tours can be given evenings, weekends
or holidays.
Prohibited items (contraband)
Some items are not allowed anywhere at SRS.
These items are real or simulated firearms and ammunition,
stun guns, alcohol beverages, illegal
drugs & paraphernalia, explosives, hand-held weapons, knives with a blade 2.5" in length or greater, chemical
irritants, and items prohibited by state and federal
law.
Other items are not allowed in fenced security areas. These are copying
devices, electronic recording devices, cameras, undeveloped film, radios,
cellular telephones, MP3 players, sports watches or pedometers with Bluetooth capability, watches with data ports, pens with recording or scanning devices. Photography and videography are strictly prohibited while on site.
No backpacks or overly large bags will be allowed on the Tour. Also, No cellular or Bluetooth devices with video or audio recording capability (including, but not limited to smart phones) are allowed on SRS public site tours. Please ensure that you leave these devices in your vehicle prior to entering the badge office. If you need to be reached during the tour, persons can contact the Savannah River Site (SRS) operator at (803) 725-6211 and ask to be connected with the tour guide. |
What to
expect
Tour length varies by tour agenda, but most tours take about three hours. Please allow
an additional 30 minutes for the badging process.
There are no charges for any SRS tour.
Wear
comfortable clothes and shoes (no flip-flops). Closed-toed, low heeled shoes are required. All shoes must be affixed to the foot and include, at minimum, a backstrap. Some facilities may require additional personal protective equipment. On-site transportation
will be provided via climate controlled vehicles,
however allowance
for local weather should be considered. Please check local
weather conditions and forecasts for the day of your visit
and plan accordingly.
If the nature of your
tour is to be outside, please bring sunscreen and non-aerosol
insect repellent.
You should also notify
the tour coordinator of any
special mobility requirements/handicap restrictions
prior to your visit.
Also, please be aware that all packages, briefcases, handbags and vehicles
can be inspected at any time. All persons participating in a public tour further acknowledge that as a condition of access, they consent to screening by site security personnel for all prohibited items, to include a cursory check of any personal articles and by passing through a metal detector prior to boarding the tour bus. This is for the protection of SRS property
and employees.
For additional information and directions to the badge office please review our Visitor Guide. |
SRS
Monthly Weather Averages* |
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*Averages from the Central Climatology Facility near N-Area for the years 1996-2022.
Please check
local weather conditions and forecasts for the day of your visit and plan accordingly. |
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