Contact: Tara Beresh, Curatorial and Collections Manager, tara@moabmuseum.org
435-259-7985
For immediate release
[Moab, UT] – With a FREE public opening from 9 am – 5 pm on Saturday, February 15, 2025, the Moab Museum opens a new exhibition that transforms the gallery space —
U92: Moab’s Uranium Legacy. Audiences will be Immersed in Moab’s uranium boom, a time which sparked a “frenzy” that lured thousands to Moab and a subsequent boom of the town that elevated Moab to the “richest town in America” for a short while.
The first phase, opening in February 2025, highlights the Cold War-driven uranium boom, the people who lived it, and the vibrant yet challenged infrastructure that emerged. The second phase, debuting in July 2025, draws on first-person accounts to explore the enduring environmental, health, and cultural impacts — and future consequences.
Visitors will follow the contributions of notable figures, both well-known and unsung, who played key roles during this important moment in American history. Alongside personal narratives of “boom,” visitors learn about the “bust” that launched the modern recreation economy and serves as a testament to Moab’s unwavering resilience.
Many uranium miners have passed, taking their memories with them; those still living are in their eighties and nineties. The Museum team has engaged many individuals and their families to capture first-hand accounts of life in Moab during the uranium frenzy that forever shaped the community. Collaborations with the Atomic Legacy Cabin in Grand Junction and scientific support from the Uranium Mill Tailings Remediation Action (UMTRA) project have been essential to ensure historical accuracy and enrich the exhibit narrative.
Every shared memory helps us understand more fully what Moab’s uranium era meant to those who lived it. We’re especially grateful for insights from the many community members who contributed stories that add depth and authenticity to the exhibition. This exhibition is a tribute to their legacy as much as it is a chronicle of Moab’s past.
U92: Moab’s Uranium Legacy opens to the public on Saturday, February 15, 2025. If you or someone you know is willing to share stories from the uranium era, we would love to hear from you; Please reach out to Tara (tara@moabmuseum.org) or Allie (allie@moabmuseum.org) at the Museum.
Events during the exhibit opening
U92 Moab’s Uranium Legacy opens FREE to the public on Saturday, February 15th, with programming from our partners from 11 am to 3 pm. Visitors are invited to explore a transformed Museum space and immersive exhibition following the boom and bust of our town which found itself at the center of the Cold War. Activities and community history opportunities with the Department of Energy, Utah Historical Society, the MARC, and Moab Museum staff will be hosted on the lawn.
Moab Museum Uranium Memories Project:
Share your uranium story, and join us in kicking off a year-long effort to tell a more complete uranium story with the Uranium Memories Project! Visitors are invited to share their own memories, or memories of loved ones involved in uranium mining or milling, to help us tell the story of Moab and add new perspectives to the Moab Museum’s Oral History Collection. At this table, participants may share a short story or schedule time to conduct a full oral history interview. This program has received funding from Utah Humanities and Utah Historical Society.
Utah Historical Society Scan & Share: (registration)
Visit with the Utah Historical Society to preserve and share your historical materials related to your connection with Moab’s uranium history. Bring up to ten of your photos, documents, letters, art, and other items to be scanned, digitized, and added to the Peoples of Utah Revisited online collection. These items can be historical or contemporary: from long ago to yesterday! *All of your items will be returned to you after they are scanned on the day of the event.
Department of Energy:
Environmental Management: Representatives from the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and Moab’s Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project will be present. Visitors will also make and decorate seed balls using native seeds from the region.
Legacy Management:
Radiation is all around us, all the time, from natural and human-made sources. With the Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management, visitors will have the chance to learn what radiation is, the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and the different types of radiation by safely exploring everyday items and examples of radiation.
MARC:
Join the staff of the Moab Arts and Recreation Center in a paint-a-square mural project! Visitors are invited to paint a small watercolor square to contribute to a larger recreation of a historic photograph from the Museum’s collection.
Have a press release or story you’d like to see published on Discover Moab? Email asst. marketing director Alison Harford at aharford@discovermoab.com.
