hm69 nike missile base

This is a wonderful tour offered only at specific times. We found details at the Everglades NP site and suggest you ask for specifics at the Visitor Centers in the park.

Took my family, wife, two teenage boys, and my mother in law. This review isn't so much about the missile crisis, the base, the COLD WAR, or the Nike missile, as.you will learn if you are lucky enough to take this tour with Scott. He is simply amazing and knowledgeable about the time, the people and the missile program. 10 minutes into the tour and you will realize this is not like any park tour you have ever been to. Scott Gabriel has a passion and unique method he uses to get the group involved...he asks for volunteers to help with getting the program started. Both my boys read from prepared cards...much to my surprise both boys pronounced Khrushchev correctly.Scott shares stories about the people that served here as well as the guard dogs, he explains that these are stories that actually come from the soldiers that served here at this base. You will laugh, and at times you may even cry. When you get "down range" to the LAUNCH AREA he adds a few more stories about the soldiers and the dogs. Between the headquarters buildings and the LAUNCH AREA ( 1 & 1/2 mile ) he will give you an assignment or two...my wife and my boys had a great time in t he cAr thinking about the music there soldier's would have listened to. Finally you get to the missile barn, the anticipation builds as we wait for Scott to open the doors...and wow, there right before your eyes is a Nike missile. Scott gives the group about 10-15 minutes to walk around inside the barn and take it all in while he stands outside, he has a group of involved people around him asking him questions.... he is just so passionate and patient. He then calls everyone together for a brief talk about the ins and outs of the weapon system, it is after that we learn be was a gunny sergeant in the Marine Corp and that be had 3 combat tours... now all that passion makes sense. He closes with the most heart felt tour closing you are ever going to hear. Then he will challenge you to tell a story about the future of not only the base, but the Everglades to. This has had an affect on my youngest boy (13 years old), Scott mentioned a book ( one minute till midnight ) my son had me stop at the bookstore in the visitors center on our way out of the park and HE bought a copy for himself, (the next day we had Scott sign it)), and my son is doing a book report on the missile crisis. The sole reason for this review is simple...at one point Scott says if all we get out of his tour is a missile, and a brief history lesson, than he waisted not just our time but his time as well. So as notes "this missile tour is a testament to not only our history and how close the superpowers came to nuclear war, but a silent reminder of the soldiers that served here", let this review be a testament and a reminder Scott, that my family and I will always remember the two hour Nike missile base tour, and it was anything but a waste of time... we have referred many people to not only the tour...but your tour and Everyone comes away with the same great feeling and understanding. Thanks so much. A. Archibald

Leon is an amazing tour guide--knowledgeable and passionate about the history here. We had 3 generations on the tour and all found it worthwhile and entertaining. Be prepared to stand the whole time but he will make you forget many of the pains. Go when it's record cold and there are no Mosquitos !

If you go on this tour, I would recommend you go on a day when Leon is giving the tour. He is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic! He makes you feel like you were there when the Cuban Missile crisis was happening. Go on a day when the weather is good because the tour is outside and make sure you use the restroom at the visitor center first! No restrooms available on the tour.

Its a bit tricky to find the way, but its well worth the drive. Be there at 2pm or you will miss the tour.

This is the site of the last Nike Hercules missile base in the US. It came on line in the early 60s, as part of the response to the Cuban missile crisis. It's a work in progress, with the start of the tour at a building now used by the National Park Service for offices. When it was an active base, the building was part of the tracking & launch control.After a talk that gives some of the background, the tour drives over to the missile site. They now have a refurbished Nike missile, with a few other pieces of equipment that were used at the base. They also have the pieces to reconstruct another missile.It's now one of the more popular tours in the park, and very, very interesting.

This is something great for the entire family to do together. The tour lasts around 2 hours and you get the local history as well as some war history and get to see lots of neat things. Our tour guide was Leon and he did a great job at telling stories and sharing his history as well as what went on there. The only downside is it's quite a ways out in Everglades National Park. There are no facilities at all while you're on the tour however there are bathrooms and snacks, etc. at the Visitors Center which is right before you enter the park.

This place is well worth the brief time you'll add to your Everglades visit. It's a wonderful bit of cold-war history told superbly by Leon Howell. See the hardware and learn how this piece of real estate played a role in our history. Be on time - bring water - and use the restroom before arriving.

Be on time! Don't show up at 2:05 or 2:10. Show up at 2pm or earlier, it's not that hard to be on time or early. The tour is incredible! A lot of history and really good stories. Leon is the best tour guide. Bring your own water and there are no bathrooms out there so prepare yourself. The tour is great, there isn't much more I can say about that

Make sure you get there by 2:00 pm! The road out there is super long too FYI you might think you're going in the wrong direction... Fantastic tour guide, lots of info!! Without a doubt worth the hour and a half

We got to the tour start area about 15 minutes late and no one was there so we drove around a little and found where the missiles are. The tour was going on behind a barbed wire fence and there is no entrance other than with the 2:00 tour. We didn't get that important bit of info from any website or review, so we missed it. It sure sounded interesting, so we will have to go back when we are in the area next time. There is no fee for the attraction, but you pay $10 to get into Everglades National Park.

In all of my years of visiting the Everglades, I had no idea that this place existed. Then, on another visit recently, the ranger mentioned it. What a treat. This place is worth visiting no matter what your nationality is. It has to do with the Cold War during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The ranger was very detailed and during the visit, we were taken to an actual warhead storage building to see an actual Nike Hercules Missile and all machinery related to the launching of these missiles during the possible war. The tours take place at 2:00 pm daily at the Royal Palm Trail, which comes up shortly after you pay the National Park admission fee (per car), unless you have a National Pass, then it is free. The attraction itself is free. The tour lasted around two hours and it is wonderful to visit a National Historic Site. You use your car in a caravan and then do some moderate walking. There are no bathrooms in any of these buildings. One would have to visit the Anhinga Trail which is very close by car.

This is a great tour. So much history and I had no idea that we were storing missiles in the Everglades. The guide really did a great job. Tour takes about an hour but there are days of things to see in the Everglades.

My wife and I were both defense consultants for many years and both of us worked on missile programs at one time or another. So we were excited when we saw the sign for this tour at the Visitor Center. We figured we'd get a good Ranger talk and see the outside of one or two buildings. Boy were we wrong!This is a great tour. The guide (a former Marine -- although I've heard there's no such thing) provided a good overview of the Cold War situation and told quite a bit about the Nike missile program and this base in particular. The tour includes the old launch control center (currently an administrative building for the NPS) and the separate launch complex, where the assembly building and a number of the launch site buildings remain. As we were standing outside that last building, we thought the tour was finished and were very satisfied with the tour. But then the guide said, ok now you can look at the toys. He opened the door and there's a Nike Hercules missile and some other equipment in the building. I've been a fan of ranger talks and ranger walks for more than 50 years. This one was one of the best.

On Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm, a park ranger will lead a great tour of the Nike Hercules Missile base in the Everglades National Park, not too far west of the entrance. Ranger Kirk Singer is a wonderful story-teller, and his Marine Corps experience adds perspective. Ranger Singer uses demonstrative aids to explain the history and purpose of this facility, which came about as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This is a reminder of how close we came to WW3, and why it is important to remember that.