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Cultural Scene and Heard: A Museum-Goers Guide to Las Vegas
By Chad Felix
It’s a scenario not all that uncommon: someone, be it a local or a visitor, critic or a layman, denounces the cultural scene of this, our neon town. And sure, big name museums have never been (and likely will never be) our forte, but that is hardly evidence enough to conclude that we lack so-called “culture”. In truth, living for Las Vegans isn’t defined by conventional means; it’s of a style uniquely our own, and it comes to life in museums equally as distinct. So, here is an introductory guide. Use it to bring the vast histories and exciting oddities of Vegas to life. All you’ll need is some company and maybe a pocketful of quarters.
The Atomic Testing Museum
With exhibitions highlighting some of our stranger provincial histories, a couple hours at The Atomic Testing Museum (755 E. Flamingo Rd.) delivers unbelievable facts and promotes imaginative speculation year round. Visit today for the Building Atomic Vegas exhibition, and stay tuned for 2012’s examination of the elusive Area 51. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 12 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit www.atomictestingmuseum.org.
Pinball Hall of Fame
Nostalgic for the era of jingling pockets, pinball jockeys and soda jerks? Get your fix at Tim Arnold’s fabled Pinball Hall of Fame Museum (1610 E. Tropicana Ave.), where coin-operated gaming is still in full swing! Over 200 classic arcade and pinball machines make up this playable museum, and all excess revenue is donated to non-denominational charities. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-Midnight. For a game list and more information, visit www.pinballmuseum.org.
The Burlesque Hall of Fame
Not just a museum but a living society, The Burlesque Hall of Fame (Emergency Arts, 520 Fremont St., #120) is devoted to “keeping the girls together” through informative exhibitions, community outreach and a sustaining passion for this unique form of entertainment. Witness the stories, art and artifacts today, and you’ll be supporting the burlesque of tomorrow. Hours: Friday and Saturday 12 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 12 a.m.-3 p.m. Weekdays by appointment. For more info, visit www.burlesquehall.com.
Marjorie Barrick Museum
For over forty years now, the Marjorie Barrick Museum (At UNLV, between Lied Library and Wright Hall; 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy.) has been home to a wide variety of exhibitions, film festivals and discussions. Recent shows have included Ansel Adams: Distance and Details and The Ice Next Time, artist Stephen Hendee’s multi-media examination of post-apocalyptic artifacts. Additionally, a collection of American Southwest and Mesoamerican artifacts call this museum their home. Together, such endeavors present culture, history and art alive and well. Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit www.barrickmuseum.unlv.edu.
Lost City Museum of Archaeology
Just over an hour away in the Moapa Valley, a lost city sleeps, largely beneath Lake Mead. As a result of the construction of Hoover Dam, many old sites of civilization became new basins of water. Thanks to Overton’s Lost City Museum of Archaeology (721 Moapa Valley Blvd., Overton, NV), however, we can still revel in the discoveries of a world passed on. Established in 1935, this museum features changing exhibits, an archival library, a research collection and pays tribute to the Native Americans of the Pueblo Grande de Nevada by way of preservation. Hours: Thursday-Sunday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information, call (702) 397-2193.
Searchlight Historic Museum
Quiet Searchlight, NV is home to U.S. Senator Harry Reid and an early Nevada boomtown. Located just an hour outside of Las Vegas, this rustic small town that once boasted a population greater than our own offers an authentic glimpse into an idyllic West long since gone. Patrons can witness it all at the Searchlight Historic Museum (200 Michael Wendell Way, Searchlight, NV) through remarkable period photography and other legitimate artifacts. Overall, it’s a living tale of hope, perseverance and pride born in 1898. Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For more info, visit www.searchlighthistoricmuseum.org.
And this is only scratching the surface. Many more museums, from conventional to absurd, are out there, celebrating the spirit that runs deeper than the neon. (A listing can be found at www.lasvegastourism.com/museums.htm.) Find them and share them, for without our support, they could disappear forever, like humble desert creeks in the hot summer sun.
