The National Atomic Testing Museum in Paradise, Nevada, documents the history of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in the desert north of Las Vegas. The museum operates as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum opened in March 2005 as the "Atomic Testing Museum", operated by the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation as a 501(c) non-profit organization. It is located in Paradise, Nevada, a southern suburb of Las Vegas that is frequented by large numbers of tourists. Funding included support from the purchase of commemorative Nevada Test Site license plates issued by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. On December 31, 2011, President Barack Obama signed a military spending bill which included designating the museum as a national museum affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. The National Atomic Testing Museum is one of 37 national museums in the U.S.