AIKEN, S.C. — People curious about the Savannah River Site near Aiken can now sign up for a look inside during 2027. The site’s Tours and Protocol Office has opened registration for 21 driving tours of facilities and operations, plus a separate slate of historic tours.
The historic program centers on Dunbarton and Ellenton, communities whose residents were moved out when the federal government built the site in the early 1950s. Dunbarton tours are set for March 9, 11 and 16. Ellenton tours run in October, and two longer walking tours of the Ellenton town site are planned, one in March and one in October.
Space is tight. Each bus on a public site tour holds up to 34 people, and every historic tour is capped at 32. Seats go first come, first served, and each person must register on their own. Visitors must be U.S. citizens and at least 18. Registration details are under the Visitors and Tours link on the site’s official website.
Demand has been steady. This year, 21 public tours drew nearly 704 visitors. Tour program coordinator Bob Bonnett said the driving tours let the public see firsthand how the site handles safety and national security work.
Covering 310 square miles, the federal energy complex reaches into three counties: Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale. It once produced plutonium and tritium for nuclear weapons and now focuses on environmental cleanup, nuclear materials management and tritium operations. It is the dominant economic force in Aiken County, employing more than 11,000 workers.
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