5 Best Museums in Las Vegas

No visit to Las Vegas is complete without visiting one of the city’s fascinating museums, many of which have put Vegas on the map as a major cultural attraction. The next time you’re in Sin City, check out these 5 museums, which should get your museum hopping adventures off to a good start.

1. Atomic Testing Museum
An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Atomic Testing Museum is an 8,000-square-foot exhibit hall 65 miles north of Vegas that chronicles the history of nuclear experimentation at the Nevada Test Site, where America blew up its atom bombs. The museum’s unique displays tell the fascinating history of the atomic age through interactive modules, timelines, films, and equipment. Prior to the opening of the Atomic Testing Museum, employees of the test site were forbidden to speak about their work.

2. Bruno’s Indian and Turquoise Museum
Bruno’s Indian and Turquoise Museum in Boulder City promotes the work of Native American artists in the Southwest and houses the largest collection of turquoise in the United States. The art gallery features work from approximately 2,000 Native American artists, and the jewelry store sells a variety of unique gifts made by local artisans.

3. Clark County Heritage Museum
The Clark County Heritage Museum teaches visitors about the rich history of Las Vegas and its surrounding areas. Located on the edge of the valley, this museum chronicles the history of Southern Nevada from prehistoric times to the 20th Century. There are exhibits that explore the history of the area’s mining towns, as well as the history of gaming in Vegas. Other points of interest at the museum include a resurrected ghost town, the 1931 Boulder City Train Depot, and Heritage Street, which features eight historic buildings that were relocated from all across Southern Nevada.

4. Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum
The Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum tells the story of the building of Hoover Dam, a construction project of immense scale. The three-dimensional, interactive displays and exhibits feature photographs, artifacts, oral histories, and sounds of the Hoover Dam being built. The exhibits also describe the 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Depression, which drove thousands of unemployed people to settle in the isolated Nevada Desert. The dam construction site was one of the few places in the United States where men could find work.

5. Las Vegas Natural History Museum
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is dedicated to educating the public about the natural sciences and instilling an understanding and appreciation of the world’s ecosystems, cultures, and wildlife. Exhibits housed at the museum include the Marine Life Gallery, which displays variety of fish and eels; the Snake Pit, which features a pair of Burmese pythons; the Wild Nevada Gallery, which displays animals and plant life native to Southern Nevada; and the Dinosaur Gallery, which features lifelike depictions of several different dinosaurs. The museum’s Young Scientist Center provides a hands-on learning experience for guests both young and old, allowing them to observe a paleontology lab and dig for fossils, among other activities.