Las Vegas' Best Kept Secret: Museums

The Strip at Night (NV) [1]

Las Vegas is famous for glitz, glamour, exciting shows, and adventure, yet the City of Lights hides an extraordinary secret-- its museums. Whether you have a taste for fine art, a love for natural history, or a penchant for pinball, you’ll find a trove of treasures as you travel Las Vegas' two byways, the Las Vegas Strip and the City of Las Vegas, Las Vegas Boulevard State Scenic Byway, past a myriad of spectacular museums.

Frightened Puffer Fish at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum (NV) [2]

Begin your tour of museums at the Nevada State Museum. Located about 3.6 miles away from the north end of the Las Vegas Boulevard State Scenic Byway, this museum offers many different treasures that manifest Nevada’s history. View a skeleton of the Columbian Mammoth, a creature that called Nevada home more than 15,000 years ago. Fast forward to the 1940s at the museum's permanent exhibit on the Las Vegas Gunnery School. Drive about three miles south from the Nevada State Museum to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, where you can come face-to-face with a roaring T-Rex at the prehistoric gallery. Or, experience life under the sea at the marine life exhibit, where you can view sharks, stingrays, and a rainbow of fish.

Contemporary Art Sculpture at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (NV) [3]

Are you an art connoisseur? Then head to the Bellagio®, about two miles away from the north end of the Strip. Stop by the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts and see works by renowned artists. In the past, the gallery has displayed art by Monet, Picasso, and Andy Warhol. After enjoying some classic art, drive about two miles west to the Atomic Testing Museum. Explore the museum’s fascinating artifacts and videos of the nuclear testing conducted in Nevada from 1967 to 1968, and learn what it would have been like in an underground testing facility. Head half a mile west from the Atomic Testing Museum to the University of Las Vegas, home to the Marjorie Barrick Museum. See a variety of exhibits from Native American history and culture to bug and bird collections or the latest traveling exhibit.

Fun at First Friday in the Las Vegas 18b Arts District (NV) [4]

While you’ll find plenty of interesting traditional museums in Las Vegas, you’ll also discover others unique to the Strip. Visit the final resting place of many of Las Vegas signature signs at the Neon Museum and Bone Yard located just about one mile from the north end of the Las Vegas Boulevard State Scenic Byway, where you can view more than 150 signs (Call ahead for an appointment.) Only a mile south on the byway, you can experience the 18b Arts District. This 18-block section of Las Vegas is home to one-of-a-kind stores, galleries, and much more. Come on the first Friday of the month for ‘First Friday,’ an arts and crafts event with vendors, music, food, and much more! Ever thought you’d see pinball machines in a museum? Drive about a mile from the Liberace Museum to the Pinball Hall of Fame, where you can see and play games from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Look beyond the frenetic façade of Las Vegas Boulevard and the Las Vegas Strip, and you will discover amazing treasures in the city’s magnificent museums. View fine art, immerse yourself in culture, play pinball, and see artifacts that manifest a one-of-a-kind history. Visit the Strip, and you’ll learn firsthand why museums are the best kept secret in Las Vegas!