The National Atomic Museum (NAM) is the nation’s only Congressionally-chartered museum of nuclear science and history. Although it has operated as a museum since 1969, its existence was mandated by an act of Congress in 1991.

Initially the Museum was operated by the Federal government, specifically by the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) and later by the Department of Energy (DOE). Most of the military artifacts found in the Museum and in its collections are owned by the DOE.

Beginning in 1995, the Museum was operated for the DOE by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Since the autumn of 2005, the Museum has been operated by a private 501(c)3 non-profit foundation, the National Atomic Museum Foundation, under the terms of a contract for services with SNL.

The National Atomic Museum Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Executive Committee of that Board governs the operational policies of the Museum, along with the Executive Director of the Museum, who is a Sandia employee.

The Museum is funded through admissions, store sales, memberships, program fees, facility rentals, special event fees, private donations, and grants. It receives some funding support from Sandia National Laboratories.