Arts & Culture

Best Museums In Las Vegas

January 24, 2011 12:39 PM

This inventive new museum that showcases the mob’s long connection with the city of Las Vegas. (Credit: lvme.com)

Museums are rarely the first thing to pop into visitors’ mind when they come to Las Vegas, but the town does have its fair share. And just like the city itself, the museums tend to be flashy, unique and a little off the wall. Here are three good options for those who need a break from the casinos, but aren’t quite ready to handle outside air yet. – Ty Treadwell

atomictestingmuseum Best Museums In Las Vegas

Videos, memorabilia and interactive displays bring this fascinating aspect of science to life at the Atomic Testing Museum. (Credit: atomictestingmuseum.org)

The Atomic Testing Museum

755 East Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 794-5151
www.atomictestingmuseum.org

The state of Nevada and atomic testing have gone hand in hand for decades. From 1951 to 1992, the state’s vast deserts were the government’s prime spot for testing nuclear weapons. Sometimes visitors to Vegas could even catch a glimpse of the action from their hotel windows. Now, everyone has the chance to learn the detailed history of the country’s most active atomic test site, with plenty of “fun facts” thrown in. Videos, memorabilia and interactive displays bring this fascinating aspect of science to life, and guests can even witness a mock atomic blast, courtesy of the museum’s bunker-like motion simulation theater. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

This inventive new museum that showcases the mob's long connection with the city of Las Vegas. (Credit: lvme.com)

Las Vegas Mob Experience

Tropicana Las Vegas
3801 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 589-9450
www.lvme.com

Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky and other icons of the underworld return to Las Vegas with the opening of this inventive new museum that showcases the mob’s long connection with the city. In addition to the wide range of photos and memorabilia, the museum is also equipped with cutting-edge special effects that allow guests to hear the true stories of these famous figures from their own ghostly mouths. Lucky visitors might also bump into relatives of the featured mobsters, many of whom have contributed their time, insight and personal artifacts to the museum. Hours: daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

vegasnaturalhistorymuseum Best Museums In Las Vegas

Youngsters love the life-size dinosaurs at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. (Credit: lvnhm.org)

Las Vegas Natural History Museum

900 Las Vegas Boulevard North
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 384-3466
www.lvnhm.org

With its eclectic hodge-podge of exhibits, this museum manages to have a little something for everyone. Youngsters love the life-size dinosaurs (which occasionally look down at visitors and roar), while kids of all ages enjoy the collection of animals in the International Wildlife Gallery and the African Rainforest Exhibit. They can even enjoy hands-on fun at the MGM/Mirage Young Scientist Center, where lab experiments and fossil digs are always on the agenda. For grown-ups, there’s the Geology Gallery and the Treasures of Egypt collection, complete with replicas from King Tut’s tomb. Hours: daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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