McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research centre located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,258 residents, and serves as the United States Antarctic science facility. All personnel and cargo going to or coming from Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station first pass through McMurdo.

A visitor looks at a display of limited edition sneakers of various brands made in collaboration with local sneaker shop Limited Edt, during the media preview of Sneakertopia, a sneaker and street culture exhibition, at the Art Science Museum in Singapore on February 23, 2023. (Photo by Edgar Su/Reuters)

A child explores the ancestry in the stars exhibit that forms part of YOU:MATTER, after the cutting-edge experience opened at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, UK on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)

A photograph released to Reuters on August 22, 2014 shows the remains of an ancient Mayan city in Lagunita May 30, 2014. Archaeologists have found two ancient Mayan cities hidden in the jungle of southeastern Mexico, and lead researcher Ivan Sprajc, an associate professor at the Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, says he believes there are “dozens” more to be found in the region. (Photo by Reuters/Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts)

A person dressed as an astronaut walks past a man stopping traffic on a pedestrian crossing outside the Sydney Exhibition Centre September 13, 2014 where the science-fiction convention called “Oz Comic-Con” is currently being held. The two-day convention showcases “pop culture”, and includes appearances by actors from science-fiction movies and television shows. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

A woman reacts as she uses a selfie stick to take a photo of herself at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Selfie sticks are gaining popular in China, and many people are using them at popular tourist destinations. (Photo by Andy Wong/AP Photo)

Steampunk enthusiasts attend the sixth annual Haworth Steampunk Weekend in Haworth, northern England on November 25, 2018. The three-day alternative lifestyle festival features: music, dancers, entertainers, burlesque performers, vintage vehicles, a fashion show and a masquerade ball. Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP Photo)