About the event

The two-week Oppenheimer Festival, staged every August in Los Alamos—the birthplace of the atomic age—blends history, science, ethics, and art to illuminate J. Robert Oppenheimer’s legacy.

The 2025 edition (Aug 16–31) centers on Peace • Legacy • Explore, inviting guests to dive into immersive tours, films, and talks that connect past, present, and future

What You’ll Experience

Daily Programming

Free morning VR & film blocks, The Manhattan Series marathon, and expert talks at SALA

Visitor Badge & Rewards

A scannable QR badge unlocks schedules, self guide tours, and points redeemable for merchandise and concessions while driving traffic to local businesses

Signature Tours

Road to the Hill GPS audio drive from Santa Fe, and an Audio Festival Tour.

Peace & Legacy Weeks

Evening line‑ups—from documentary premieres with filmmakers to National Theatre Live’s Dr. Strangelove—spark reflection and conversation

Community Impact

Coordinated marketing and badge‑driven incentives channel new visitor spending into restaurants, galleries, shops, and lodging across Northern New Mexico

Historic Film Sites

Step where history and Hollywood meet: explore landmarks such as Oppenheimer’s House, Fuller Lodge, and the downtown blocks Christopher Nolan transformed for Oppenheimer.

Our Story

The Oppenheimer Festival was born in 2023 inside the reborn Reel Deal Theater—now the SALA Los Alamos Event Center.

Once an empty four‑screen cineplex, the venue was rescued by LA Angels Investors LLC, transformed by SALA, and energized by hundreds of annual members.
Its marquee welcomed the sold‑out hometown premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, filmed partly on location and starring local extras who finally saw themselves—and their town—on the big screen.

2024 – Winner, New Mexico Hospitality Association 

Top HAT Award for Best New Experience

Today the festival honors J. Robert Oppenheimer’s complex legacy while spotlighting the community that shaped—and was shaped by—“the Hill.”