Wendover: History at the Historic Airfield

For a stay in Wendover, the history of Historic Wendover Airfield and other traces of the Second World War provide the main themes. The surrounding area also offers landscapes, archaeological significance, and art. If you’re looking for a hotel in Wendover, these different themes can help guide your trip planning; visiting conditions vary by location.

Airfield and traces of the Second World War

Historic Wendover Airfield is considered the most originally preserved and authentic surviving US Army Air Forces base from the Second World War in the United States. Both features matter to its historical context: its state of preservation and its designation as a base. In 1995, the Former Barracks Exhibit Building became the first building in Wendover leased and restored by the Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI).

In late 1944, Wendover became the site of the training program for the first atomic bombing missions, later carried out over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Another historic trace is the Buzz Bomb Test Site. Its remains included an observation bunker and the concrete foundation of an angled launch ramp used in tests of JB-2 rockets during the Second World War. A mile south of the Wendover Airport runway, remains of assembly and modification areas connected to a top-secret program can be seen in the distance.

Markers and visitor information

Set in the landscaped gravel southeast of the Operations Building at Wendover Airport, right next to the Avfuel sign, is the Explorer Corps Marker: Tooele County. It points to Danger Cave, one of North America’s oldest archaeological sites. Danger Cave is closed to public visits to protect the site; its closure status may change.

For information about access to the CLUI Orientation Building and other CLUI locations open to visitors, contact them by email. A passport stamp is available at the Welcome Desk in the FBO at Wendover Airport; program details may change. If the stamp is important to your plans, check for current information.

Landscape and art in the surrounding area

The Bonneville Salt Flats lie on the western edge of Utah’s Great Salt Lake Basin. The 30,000-acre area consists of a hard, white salt crust. In general, the Salt Flats are open for public recreation. Vehicle access may be seasonally restricted in spring when the salt is wet or water is standing on the surface; closure dates may vary. So if you plan to drive on the flats, check current access information in advance.

The nearby regional context of the Great Salt Lake Desert also includes the Tree of Utah. The artwork by Swedish artist Karl Momen was created between 1982 and 1986. The two offer different perspectives: the Salt Flats are notable for their expanse and seasonal driving conditions, while the Tree of Utah is notable for its artist and date of creation.

Discover more destinations: Tooele, Grantsville.

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