Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest
When you first hear the city name - Las Vegas - you think of wedding chapels and slot machines and neon everywhere. You dont normally think of history or museums. However, once you venture from the gaming aspect of the strip, Sin City takes on a new dimension.
The Casino Legends Hall of Fame Museum has a wonderful collection of gambling memorabilia including cards, dice and chips from long-gone hotels. It also has an abundance of photos going all the way back to the original Flamingo, when it was surrounded by only desert. They also have videos and displays which provide a comprehensive look at the history of Vegas. There are over 150,000 items in this collection and this trip is well worth the modest admission charge. Hint: look for free coupons in your hotel. Also attached is a large gift shop.
The Gamblers Museum and Shop in Neonopolis is a smaller version of the Casino Legends Hall of Fame. This smaller museum has approximately 5,000 pieces of memorabilia from the Vegas bygone era. Highlights here include some of the best implosion video available and some great footage of Bugsy Siegel. See for yourself what the tourists of yesteryear were forking out their money for and if you must, you can buy the same at the gift shop.
The Lied Discovery Children's Museum is designed for curious kids of all ages. This hands-on science museum is a wonderful place to take the kids, who, by now are complaining that they cant even walk through the hotel. There are tons of interactive exhibits including one where your child can put himself into a giant soap bubble. Exhibits include a grocery store, a radio station and an area to play basketball from a wheelchair. On weekend afternoons from 1 to 3pm, free drop-in art classes are offered and, if you want to finish the day off with a story, the city library branch shares the building
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is directly across the street from the Lied Discovery Children's Museum. This is an older museum which reflects a simpler time when taxidermy was the way we got close to nature. No real bells and whistles here except for maybe the two life-size dinosaurs that roar at each other from time to time. The gift store is highly recommended for anyone with kids.
The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort is the oldest non-Native American structure in Southern Nevada. Built in 1855 by Mormon missionaries, this restoration reflects its original appearance, though little of the original remains. The Mormons only stayed two years, but during that time, formed a relationship with a few of the surrounding Indians. They also discovered the lead deposits which opened the territory to mining later on. Once they were gone, it would take another 50 years before any white man lived in Vegas.
The Little Church of the West is the only wedding chapel in Las Vegas on the National Registry of Historical Places. It is the oldest existing structure on the Strip and its old west design and charm have kept lovers coming there to tie the knot since it was built in 1942. In 1943, Betty Grable and Harry James became the first celebrity couple to wed at the church. Other famous couples followed, including Elvis and Ann Margaret (in the movie Viva Las Vegas) and this author in real life.
The Atomic Testing Museum (ATM), is a member of the Smithsonian Institution Affiliates Program. The 8,000 square foot permanent exhibit area holds exhibits that have been developed over the last 15 years by the NTSHF (Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation) and represent the story of the NTS with multi-media presentations, interactive presentations and first-person narratives.
AREA 51 is 150 miles N of Las Vegas. Of course, Area 51 is a secret military facility and you wont get very close. But youll travel the E.T. Highway to get there, a long desolate strip of highway famous for alien sightings for many years. The site was opened in the mid-50's as a testing area for the U2 spy plane. But its real fame comes from the rumors of the site hosting the remains of the aliens that crashed at Roswell, New Mexico. While youre out there, though, you might as well drive to Rachel, Nevada and check out the Little A'Le'Inn diner and gift shop ("Earthlings Welcome"). Remember, though, that theres nowhere to stay out there, so head back to Vegas at a decent time. Oh, and by the way, rumor has it that the new area is Area 58. Ask around and youll definitely get a reaction.
Hoover Dam and Lake Meade are 30 miles SE of Las Vegas. Hoover Dam is visited by 2,000 to 3,000 people daily. The tour is short but does allow you to get up a close up view of the dam. The machinery is impressive as is the size of the dam itself. Years ago, there was an overlook - unmarked - where one could holler and hear a wonderful echo. Its unknown if the higher security measures around the dam have rendered this a thing of memory only. But when you stop, be sure to holler, just to be sure.
Well, there you have it. A different look at things to do in Vegas. They dont involve flashing lights or spinning wheels, but that might just be the point.
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