Uncover History at Nevada's State Museums 2023

UNCOVER HISTORY

AT NEVADA’S STATE MUSEUMS

WHERE

YOUR NEVADA STORY

BECOME A MEMBER!

Benefits include FREE access to all 7 museums, plus museum store discounts, special invitations and more!

Adventure through the rich and colorful story of the Silver State as it unfolds in seven Nevada State Museums. Unearth eras marked by prehistoric giants and eons of natural splendor, experience rhythms of American Indian life and the Old West, feel the booms of mining, railroading, the atomic era, entertainment, and so much more.

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FROM FOSSILS TO FOLIES

LAS VEGAS NEVADA STATE MUSEUM

LasVegasNVMuseum.org

(702) 486-5205

Wander among ancient fossils, colorful mineral specimens, antique slot machines, 19thcentury farming tools, and extravagant showgirl costumes — artifacts which illustrate Las Vegas’ rise into the metropolitan gem we know today.

Founded in 1982, NSMLV moved into its new home at the Springs Preserve in 2011. In this spacious, modern facility, the museum’s exhibits and research collections detail the social, cultural, and natural history of southern Nevada and the surrounding region. Explore 20,000 square feet of permanent gallery space and 180 acres of trails, gardens, and exhibits throughout the beautiful Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

IN THE PERMANENT GALLERY

MEGAFAUNA

Get face-to-snout with an ichthyosaur—Nevada’s state fossil—which once swam the seas that covered Nevada. Examine a Columbian mammoth and ground sloth—Ice Age mammals that once grazed the Las Vegas Valley.

SEQUINED SENSATION

Visit the spectacular “Showgirl Wall” exhibit featuring a unique display of dazzling performance costumes once worn by the iconic showgirls and showboys of Las Vegas, including the world-famous Folies Bergere.

CHARACTERS OF NEVADA

Meet Howard Hughes, the Rat Pack, Comstock Lode tycoons and miners, and other larger-than-life personalities who helped define Nevada’s own.

USS NEVADA

Military history comes alive with the ship’s bell and wheel of this famous Pearl Harbor survivor.

DISCOVER A CITY

It’s not every day that you unearth a city. But when we did, it was a cultural treasure. Built on the actual prehistoric site of the ancestral Puebloans, the Lost City Museum tells the stories of Nevada’s first permanent residents between AD 200 and AD 1200.

UNEARTHED

LOST CITY STATE MUSEUM

LostCityMuseum.org

(702) 397-2193

Tools, pottery, and other artifacts— recovered from the on-site excavation pit—offer a glimpse of Puebloan life in the region for centuries, while basketry and contemporary Western American art highlight lasting links between culture, then and now.

IN THE PERMANENT GALLERY

MUSEUM GROUNDS

Stroll through time to discover petroglyphs, replica pueblos, a reconstructed pit house, historic farm equipment, and desert gardens.

1935 GALLERY

Discover ancient rhythms with Daily Life of the Ancestral Puebloans.

1973 GALLERY

Explore natural and human innovation with three exhibits: Minerals and Fossils, Southern Nevada Landscapes of Change, and Southern Paiute Baskets.

1981 GALLERY

Experience this site’s incredible journey and the work that brought it to life in the exhibits Uncovering the Past — Archaeology of the Lost City and The Excavation of an Ancestral Pueblo House.

MUSEUM THEATER

Enjoy two twenty-minute films chronicling the history of this Ancestral Puebloan locale (Lost City—Ancient Pueblo Outpost) and of the museum itself (Preserving the Past) in our on-site theater.

Building the Hoover Dam took more than a heroic effort… It also took a railroad. The Boulder Branch Line, built in 1931, lives on as the Boulder City Railroad’s excursion train—a scenic 45-minute, seven-mile roundtrip rail ride, located less than 30 minutes from Las Vegas.

In the 1930s, the Federal government started construction of the nearby Hoover Dam. That project needed a railroad to bring people, supplies, and equipment to the build site. Though the railroad was decommisioned after the dam was complete, the equipment and land was eventually donated to the state of Nevada for this museum. Now, you can enjoy scenic rides on the same tracks intalled in 1931, as well as view several free exhibits and activities at the Display Pavillion.

IN THE PERMANENT GALLERY

RIDE THE BOULDER BRANCH LINE

Take in the gorgeous El Dorado Valley and the Mojave Desert in the historic comfort of refurbished and air-conditioned Pullman coaches. Call or visit us online for current schedule and fares.

OPEN AIR EXHIBITS

Walk among authentic railroad equipment, including Union Pacific Railroad car No. 2314—a rare glimpse of how an official railway post office car delivered mail across the country.

MODEL RAILROADERS

Step into a Union Pacific Harriman chair car and behold an HO model of Boulder City in the 1930s, and a panorama of the United States in O scale. Open Saturdays and Sundays as staffing permits.

LIVE STEAMERS

Ten-minute rides on the 7.5” scale, 1.5” gauge miniature railroad are available on the second and fourth Saturdays except summer. Free.*

*Depending on staff availability and summer heat.

The capital of Nevada’s natural, human, and cultural history comes alive in 17 galleries and unique displays. The museum is also home to a popular lecture series, “behind-the-scenes” tours, children’s educational programming, and the Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textile Research Center.

IN THE PERMANENT GALLERY

NEVADA’S CHANGING EARTH

Explore geologic chapters spanning nearly 3 billion years of fossils, rocks and minerals.

UNDER ONE SKY

An American Indian perspective on life among Nevada’s first human settlers—from natural foods collected to survival skills—featuring a reconstructed Great Basin cave.

A PEOPLE & PLACE THROUGH TIME

This walk through state history includes a tour through the famous underground mine and a glorious eyeful of the USS Nevada’s gleaming silver service, fashioned from 5,000 ounces of Nevada silver and gold.

MINT CONDITION

NSMCC occupies the historic U.S. Branch Mint completed in 1870 to transform silver and gold from the Comstock Lode mines into coins. In addition to the Mint’s rich history, view the venerable Coin Press No. 1 and the world class collection of “CC” minted coins —including a rare twentycent piece that fetches a pretty penny among collectors.

In 1904, Jeanne Elizabeth Wier—an active suffragette—founded the Nevada Historical Society. Now, the NHS is recognized as the most trusted stewards and engaging storytellers of Nevada’s heritage. Explore the exhibits, or dig deeper into the document and photograph archives to learn more about the state of Nevada, the Great Basin, and history of the West.

IN THE PERMANENT GALLERY

NEVADA: PRISMS & PERSPECTIVES

True “jewels” of the collection come to life to illustrate five crucial stories about life in Nevada. Living on Land presents the endurance of American Indian lifestyles, starting 10,000 years ago. Riches from the Earth chronicles Nevada’s mineral exploits. Passing Through tracks human movement through time, from migration routes and pioneer trails to modern highways. Neon Nights basks in the glowing confluence of our one-of-akind cultural, commercial, and entertainment history. While Federal Presence examines the unique impacts of policies and actions of our state’s biggest landlord.

DAT-SO-LA-LEE COLLECTION

Marvel at the priceless collection of woven baskets, painstakingly crafted by this world-famous Washoe artist from the Carson Valley.

RENO GALLERY

Witness the community’s more colorful moments, from legalizing gambling and boxing to becoming the Divorce Capital of the World, and some of the bombastic characters who called it home.

AMERICAN GAMING ARCHIVES

Uncover the real, roots-up story of gaming culture— legitimate and… otherwise—where cheating was an art and winning was a science, in one of the world’s best collections of gambling manufacturers’ material.

The impressive collection at the Nevada State Railroad Museum plays out across exhibits—featuring rare locomotives, photographs, memorabilia, and other artifacts —as well as on the rails, with painstakingly restored and fully operational monuments to steam and early motorcar technology.

IN THE PERMANENT GALLERY

THE INYO

The granddaddy of them all, Virginia & Truckee Locomotive No. 22 was built in 1875, making it one of the oldest working steamers in the country. After a long career on the V&T, the Inyo took a star-studded retirement gig, appearing in 20 Hollywood films. See it in action every Independence Day Weekend!

THE GLENBROOK

Built in 1875, this “Mogul” type, narrow gauge Baldwin steam locomotive is a local hero. One of its stints included hauling lumber from the Lake Tahoe Basin up to Spooner Summit to help build Virginia City, before the Bliss family donated it to NSRMCC.

1910 MCKEEN MOTOR CAR #22

This impeccably restored and unusual self-propelled motor car is among the last of its kind, and the only one still in operation. It is one of few moving National Historic Landmarks, designated in 2012.

Roll the clock back to 1907 and explore this original gateway to the heritage of the Nevada Northern Railway. Operating within the oldest and bestpreserved building in White Pine County, it acts as steward, storyteller, and caretaker of the rail line’s treasured heritage.

Step into this wonderfully preserved time capsule and experience what it took to keep a railroad operating day and night, 365 days a year. Walk through the general offices of the railroad, including train dispatchers, crew chiefs, finance, medical, management and the company President. The Depot Museum is located on the 52-acre Nevada Northern Railway complex and works in cooperation with the Nevada Northern Railway Foundation, which operates the railroad and maintains the rolling stock and tracks at this truly historic facility.

IN THE PERMANENT GALLERY

AUTHENTICITY, PERIOD.

See period rooms from different eras featuring original office furnishings, decorations, and business machines, some dating back to 1908.

FROZEN IN TIME

Virtually untouched since the railroad’s professional retirement in 1983, the Stock Room remains as it was left over three decades ago.