Fort Bliss and Old Ironsides Museums
Former Nazi scientists at Fort Bliss during Operation Paperclip
V2 rocket launched by former Nazi scientists at Fort Bliss circa 1949
Wernher Von Braun and a Saturn V rocket at the US Space and Rocket Center
Wernher Von Braun at his desk at the Marshall Space Flight Center circa 1964
The Army built Fort Bliss in 1848, and by 1910, it was the nation’s largest horse cavalry post. During World War II, Fort Bliss expanded to one million acres. As horse cavalry units converted to mechanized units, the fort became, and remains, an artillery training facility. The Old Fort Bliss Museum recalls how cavalry dominated warfare from 1857 to 1900. The Air Defense Artillery Museum chronicles warfare’s transition from guns to rockets to missiles.
Fort Bliss is an active military base and access is limited. Please call the First Armored Division and Fort Bliss Museum for detailed visitation instructions. Visitors typically gain access same day.
First Armored Division and Fort Bliss Museum
