Visitors cannot help notice the Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant as they travel along Illinois 53.  The building stands out in stark contrast to the cornfields and surrounding residences.

Officially it is called the Braidwood Generating Station owned by Exelon Nuclear even though the property was formally annexed into Braceville in 2004.

Recently, members of the media were allowed a rare glimpse inside the giant power plant. 

Mine started with a quick vehicle check.

“We come up with a number each day of vehicles to let through and ones to search,” said the guard.

After a quick check under the hood and the underbelly of my Explorer, I was given directions on where to park and what of many buildings to enter.  I couldn’t help notice the twisted metal cages and large electric fences reminiscent of a prison that surround the 4,457-acre site.

Background checks were conducted prior to the tour.  Once inside, there was another wait while computers verified visitor information.

“This is why we had everyone come early,” said Paul Dempsey, Exelon spokesman.  He said there was no rhyme or reason behind the timing of the tours.

“We have done tours in the past,” said Dempsey.  “We have invited our area mayors in and others from time to time.  This time we decided to invite the media.”

There were five members of the media taking advantage of this rare opportunity.  We were issued special key cards and large passes informing everyone that we had to be escorted at all times.  Later, we were issued hard hats, safety glasses, ear plugs and something called a digie that measures radiation levels.

“You won’t be taken any places where this is a problem,” said Bob Roher who [helped] conduct the tour.

That’s a relief, I said to myself. 

We were taken through some old hallways where you could hear a high pitched constant ringing noise in spite of the ear plugs.  The eerie sounds got louder as we headed to the room where the two turbines are housed.

The turbines themselves are not just big but MASSIVE BIG.  Dempsey said a modern-day aircraft carrier (1,100 feet long) can fit inside the building.

The names of the workers who worked at the facility in 1988 when they were first turned on are painted on the front.

We were also taken into a horse shoe-shaped control room where there were dozens of monitors and computers monitoring all the different valves and breakers that looks like it came straight from the Jetsons era.  There are hot line phones connected to all local and state emergency agencies.  The weather is also carefully monitored.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has its own office in the plant.  [The] plant even has its own fire brigade.

We were also given a look at the building [that] handles the spent fuel rods.  For some reason, I thought they would look more like poles.  They look more like grids sunk underwater.  There were plenty of caution signs in this room warning of contamination.

Before the tour ended, all of us were led to a basement area where we had to be checked for radiation.  The detectors are similar to metal detectors that scan your body as you step through.

Thankfully, no alarms went off.

Roher asked what I thought of the place.  I had to be honest, some parts, such as the old stairways and service elevators were a bit creepy.

But I have to take my hat off to all the scientists and engineers who came up with ways to turn nuclear power into electricity decades ago.