Info for Tour Groups

Unfortunately, the Reactor Sharing Program, the Department of Energy program that for many years helped research reactors defray the costs for outreach activities (including tours), has been canceled. As a result, we are temporarily suspending scheduling new tours and other outreach activities at the OSU Nuclear Reactor Lab for outside groups. As we do not anticipate discontinuing outreach activities permanently, we can put your group's name on a list for contact when outreach activities resume.
 

Tours are regularly performed at the OSU-NRL for a wide variety of groups ranging from high school classes to professional groups. They are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis during regular business hours. To schedule a tour, please contact Andrew Kauffman at 614-688-8220 or kauffman.9@osu.edu. Please try to schedule well in advance, as our calendar is often too full to schedule on short notice. If you have a large group (greater than 24 people), the reactor lab staff will need to coordinate help from members of our local OSU American Nuclear Society student chapter, so time for advanced planning will be required.

Tour groups meet in the classroom behind the Reactor Building, where they will receive an introduction prior to the tour. During a typical tour, attendees see and learn about the reactor, the control room, and a neutron-activation demo. Other demos are available upon request.

When coming on a tour, there are a few items of which you should be aware:

• Persons coming to the facility should wear appropriate clothing, including closed-toed shoes.
• Tour-group members may not bring backpacks or bags into the Reactor Building. Such items, as well as cell phones, pagers, and two-way radios should be left in the visitor's car or bus. If such items are brought to the facility, then they will need to be left in the classroom adjacent to the Reactor Building.
• Consumption of food, beverages or gum is not permitted while in the Reactor Building.
• No cameras are allowed, however you may use pictures from our gallery. The reactor staff will take a picture of your group and email it to you, provided that arrangements are made ahead of time.
• Adults must show photo ID; OSU ID or a valid driver’s license are acceptable. Young people must be accompanied by an adult with proper ID who will take responsibility for verifying their identity.
• The Nuclear Reactor Lab takes no responsibility for items lost or stolen at the facility.