Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas

Nevada State Museum is tucked into Springs Preserve, which makes it part of admission prices for the Preserve. Not a bad deal, methinks!
It’s a little museum but it packs a powerful punch of lots of information on the history of pre-​historic times to modern day Vegas. The permanent exhibit was full of information that I definitely left feeling better educated than before. Also, there’s lots of cool stuff! My favorite was a handwritten letter by Mark Twain, who apparently loved NV. Also, did you know NV became part of the Union during the Civil War because Lincoln wanted more electoral votes? Now you do.
You definitely get a whirlwind tour of the ages, but it’s never boring, that’s for sure. I enjoyed seeing the show girl costumes and the transformation of Vegas to the glamour and glitz we know it for today.
There’s also a rotating exhibit – this time and until mid-​2016, it was a lovely exhibit of black and white photos of desert fauna. Be sure to check out the items in the main hallway too!
Overall, a great museum, and not a bad distance from the Strip. If you’re wanting an educational breather from aforementioned glamour and glitz, Nevada State Museum is perfect.

A very nice museum. Many good exhibits on the geological history of the area as well as good information on the settling and development of Las Vegas.

We are a family of museum lovers, and this one did not disappoint. We got in free with our hand stamp from Springs Preserve. There was so much info on Nevada and lots of interesting displays. My 5 year old loves the fossils. It’s a great family friendly place in Vegas!

This little museum is free when you go to Spring Preserve. My son loves it, it may not be big but it holds up pretty well. They also have activities, in a room located before the entrance, something to definitely to check out. Overall the museum is small and definitely worth checking out, plus they are alway changing the museum exhibit that is located across from the main room.

This place is cool. I am not sure if I would pay to go to it, we got in with our Springs Preserve membership, however it was pretty fun nonetheless. The exhibits are pretty cool and teach a lot about Nevada’s history and future. They had a cool exhibit on technology and communication in Nevada as well while we were there. The only reason I give it four stars is that as a stand alone exhibit I am not sure if I would be willing to go, but as part of the Springs Preserve membership it is definitely and fun and cool place to take the kids to learn more about Nevada and its history.

Small museum, but very well taken care of. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many interesting Nevada and Las Vegas artifacts. The museum is small scale and I would have loved to see MORE of everything, but hey, still a great little place with a nice slice of history inside. Cool things include old Vegas show girl costumes, animals of Nevada, and war artifacts.

Solid museum located at Springs Preserve– entry is free with park admission/​hand stamp. There is one main exhibit showing everything you ever wanted to know about Vegas, and one that changes seasonally– currently it’s about communication technology. There’s also an education area and a gift shop. Surrounding grounds are great to extend your visit, but that’s another review.
When I say the main museum exhibit has everything you ever wanted to know about Vegas, I’m not kidding– you start with prehistoric fossils and current animals, specifically the nocturnal dessert critters, then segue into the various flora and landforms including a great area on caves, before getting into Nevada statehood, famous residents, government, and the culture (original native american indian tribes from the area, impacts of the gold rush and oil boom, atomic testing and research, mob ties to business and creation of the Strip, showgirls and neon lights).
This museum manages to cover a lot of information and topics in a relatively limited space, with a lot of visuals to appeal to younger audiences– however, the many plaques are packed with info that’s more appealing for adults so kiddos may get restless here. As Eric mentioned, I’m surprised by the lack of modern exhibit topics.

A bit small for a museum but clean, nice ambiance, GOOD exhibits. Check out the gift shop, they have interesting Nevada items, we will continue to support Springs Preserve and Nevada State Museum. Our family loves to go here and we do spend an entire day on both museums. Divine café by Springs Preserve has a Strip view mixed with desert scape, really beautiful, food is ok too.

Summer, Sunday on a hot blazing afternoon, what to do? Prep up with your culture and history, and explore this place, for this is the ghost of Vegas that you would want to know especially ESPECIALLY if you are a local.
Some really cool tidbits that you can check out here:
— a slab of a Wooly Mammoth fossilized bones with bite marks
— old postcards and chips of long dead defunct casinos
— the Donner migration story
— Area 51 exhibit
— stuffed/​taxidermed animals of the LV desert
— the Pauite Indians
— Elvis underwear (just kidding)
This is one place where one can dehustle the bustle of the strip, yes I like the pool too, but this is knowledge one can swim without drowning. I am surprised that this is literally a ghost town when I was there; I fervently pray that kids are introduced to this museum as part of their education, and that funding continues for its viability. Locals get a discount on admission, PLUS the pass entitles one to visit Springs Preserve. If shopping or souvenir is a motivation, I heard the gift shop is highly rated, let me know if that is true.

Nice little showcase of the silver states history. Starting from the ancient Triassic Ichtyosaur and the native flora & fauna. To the early mining days. Past the wild west struggle of the Paiute tribes and the pilgrims then the expansion of the railroads. On to the second world war with a brief introduction to nuclear testing, and then on to the beginning of the casino Rat Pack glory days of our gleaming gem of the desert. Thats the history of Nevada that is worthy of being history at this time. There is also a changing exhibit and then an observation deck to over look the historic spring. Albiet though sometimes they do not unlock it. Very professionally done. Great for the kiddos.

We took the kids here over Spring Break this past week. What a great museum, very well put together, great artifacts and information. I’d recommend everyone stop in and check out the history of this area when they get some time.

My son and I had so much fun here. There is so much history and so much to learn!

WOW! Great museum! The folks have done a fantastic job here! Super clean and well laid out, the displays are really cool. Great for the whole family, fantastic descriptions of the wild life here in Vegas, very well done!

The exhibit they have was good but it was like walking through a reader’s digest condensed version. In one room they take you from dinosaurs through showgirls. The dinosaurs take up the majority of space which leaves the modern age with a lot of info to be crammed into a small space. I loved the beginning of the casino era info with Howard Hughes, old showgirl costumes, and info on the early casinos but was surprised at the lack of modern exhibits. Also would have liked to see more on the founding of Nevada, building of the dam, and mob years.
The changing exhibit was sparse but interesting.

The Nevada State Museum puts me in a nerdy State of Mind. I am a fan of museums because they are educational and inspiring.
After a rough week where drama and the Mount Charleston hiking trails that I go to to escape stress in the summer were on fire; I had to get away. On Saturday my get away was the Nevada State Museum.
The Nevada State Museum is the northernmost building of the Springs Preserve complex. It is bordered by museums and the parkland of the Springs Preserve. It is one of the six Nevada State Museums that include the Southern Nevada Railroad Museum in Boulder City and Lost City Museum in Overton. This museum is relatively small yet what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality. The best way to describe the layout is to compare it to a rectangle. The vertical line in the center is the primary corridor from the entrance to the balcony overlooking the Springs Preserve. To the right of the line is the changing exhibits and the left is the permanent exhibit a.k.a. main area. This review pertains to the permanent exhibit. Touring it at a casual pace, took me from 11:00 AM to 12:36 PM. For the record, the lighting ranges from slightly dim to moderate under a black ceiling. If you are travelling a distance to visit this museum, I suggest combining it with a hike in the Springs Preserve, which is free (unless it is over 110 degrees). This review discusses the sections in the permanent exhibit moving clockwise, as I toured them.
Entry Portal:
The first thing I saw when I walked in the permanent exhibits room was Christopher the Colombian Mammoth. This is a dinosaur skeleton that is a familiar display in many museums. He coexists with a Shasta ground sloth and Pacific horse fossil.
The Land:
Being a hiker I appreciated this area. I learned more about the fauna and mammals that I see and never want to see on Southern Nevada hiking trails. There was a video on geology. There was a menagerie of stuffed animals with cool facts such as the coyote population grew in the west when their enemies the bear and wolves died down. I learned cool facts about the temperature that included the hottest Nevada temp hitting 125 degrees in Laughlin in 1994 to the record low Nevada temperature of minus 50 in San Jacinto in 1937.
Early Days:
This exhibit covers Nevada’s mining days, the railways, and boom town era. The most popular exhibit is where people press on what looks like handle bars to control a boom town railroad. There is neat displays dedicated to Hoover Dam, the Federal Government, and the Test Site.
People:
This exhibit really brought out the nerdy side of me. I enjoyed learning that Nevada became a state carved out of Utah Territory in 1861 because of President Lincoln’s political needs not because of mining. All the facts I want to pass on will put me over the 5,001 character limit.
Viva Las Vegas:
This is a neat exhibit that showcases casino memorabilia, antique slot machines, show costumes, historic photos, and Las Vegas exhibits. Howard Hughs gets a lot of mention here. Being a geography nerd, I was really into the aerial 1950 map that showed a Vegas where Boulder Highway is a rural road, freeways are sand, and the Strip of today is mostly open space.
The Exit:
I walked out of the Nevada State Museum a smarter man than when I came in. If exhibits could take my mind off drama and keep me focused, the museum is doing something right. In all honesty I have learned more about history, science, and art at museums than I learned in school. In a City that encourages people to stand up and be proud of who you are, the Nevada State Museum makes me stand up and be proud of being a museum nerd.
The Daniel. S 2013 Unilocal 100 Challenge. Review 96.

Very nice having this at Spring’s Preserve! 2 for the price of ONE! Now that’s a deal! (Remember, I am the DEAL QUEEN!)
I love history, archaeology, museums, learning, etc) true nerd at heart! Don’t look behind my mask! AARRGGGHH!!!
Seriously, I had a blast here with my youngest (and I mean 17)! We checked out all the animals, LOVED THE MASTADON! SHe had a great time playing in the train area, learning about the first settlers, Donner Party (that was a hoot) long story I may share some day, but this is a review not a BLOG!
Anyway, plenty of things to see and do. Knowledge is POWER and a visit here is a MUST! I hope all the school kids can get here at some point.
Keep up the great work NEVADA! We really are more than just CASINOS and NEON! (I love them both, don[’t get me wrong!) But it sure is nice having some history, education and culture now!
OH AND IT’S AIR CONDITIONED, SO GREAT PLACE TO GET OUT OF THE SUN AND HEAT!

It is a FUN and educational place to visit for locals and tourists of all ages — the Museum & the Spring Preserve BOTH for one price! Be amazed and entertained — and learn something interesting and important at the same time!
— It is located smack in the famous, gorgeous Springs Preserve area actually. Therefore, you can enjoy BOTH places for ONE admission price!
— One can spend a couple of hours in this wonderful museum, then perhaps half a day or all day in the Spring Preserve, which is a MUST-​VISIT in itself (–See its separate reviews).
At entering the exhibition hall, you’ll be first greeted and awed by a TOWERING, COMPLETE skeleton of a mammoth, along with another complete skeleton of an ancient sleuth nearby! You’ll definitely learn about various types of interesting animals, minerals, rocks and plants in our deserts and mountains; how our desert and mountain ranges rose from the sea; how the State of Nevada and the city of Las Vegas came about; how the original Indian tribes and immigrants from Asia and Europe had lived and helped shape the State of Nevada!!!
This wonderful, small museum is housed in a huge, gorgeous building. There is an exhibition hall for permanent displays; another smaller one for temporary exhibits; and an additional hall for special events. There is a charming attrium reception area, with large picture windows framing the landscape; a pretty good size gift shop, a research library, and a small observation deck overlooking the Springs Preserve Complex against the Las Vegas Skyline! The museum exhibition hall itself is not overwhelmingly large; all displays are luxuriously constructed and quite cleverly arranged for continuity and easy access; rich with contents and very eye pleasing! It is wheelchair/​stroller-​friendly. The staff is very friendly and helpful with brochures, explanations and recommendations.
— This place is great, but I think it’d be nice to have a few benches placed in the long hallway for the needy.
Again: — Be sure to enjoy yourselves in the «Spring Preserve», too, at NO EXTRA COST!
Peterskis, May 2012

Very nice new location, next to Springs Preserve. They used to be located across the freeway at Lorenzi Park. You’ll see two main exhibit halls that contain very useful and historic information about the Las Vegas area. A good way to get away from the Strip life and become more educated.

This review is for the new Nevada State Museum, not the one at Lorenzi Park but the new building at the Springs Preserve. There was a members only preview today, and the new museum is grand!
There are two main exhibit halls, one housing the permanent displays and one with rotating exhibits. There is so much more room for the things the museum owns that can now displayed that wouldn’t fit in the old building.
There are many audio and video things to look at, there is information about Nevada mining, and you can find out who Emma Nevada was.
In the rotating exhibit area, there was an HD photo display by Cameron Grant called «Unexpected Nevada.» His photos are stunning and it’s worth visiting just to see this.
There is a room for visiting school kids, there’s a research room, a new gift shop, and a room for presentations with a wonderful patio outside that has a terrific view of the resort corridor. You can also look down into the animal habitat of the Springs Preserve.
The new museum opens to the public on October 28^th. It’s at the far end of the Springs Preserve parking lot. Go and visit – you won’t be disappointed!

I love Las Vegas history. Right, in case you haven’t figured this out yet, I am a nerd. I really do like the library, and I go to museums. I went to the State Museum for the second time today for the opening of their Mid-​Century Modern exhibit, a collection of Jay Florian Mitchell photographs of Las Vegas architecture.
The exhibit contains about 100 photographs of everything from homes to chapels to coffee shops and is a nice little jaunt through some of the best Las Vegas mid-​century modern buildings. I appreciated that the pictures came with addresses allowing you to imagine where the building originally stood. Several of the buildings are actually still standing. The exhibit space is a bit crowded, so it would probably be even more enjoyable to go on a quieter day when you wouldn’t have to dodge and weave. For $ 4 it isn’t a big budget demand.
I also took the opportunity to swing back through some of the permanent exhibits. Yes, there is taxidermy, but I skipped that for more Las Vegas history. One lap around the permanent installation covering Las Vegas of days past and you will have a sound understanding of the city from the land auction through to atomic testing. It is much quicker than reading a book, and it comes with pictures!
The museum is not the fanciest or the biggest, but for $ 4, it’s a good way to pass a lazy afternoon (if you like history and stuff). Once the thermometer climbs above 100, it will be an even more attractive option.