While most people hear Las Vegas and think glitz and stage glamour, seediness and bright lights, buffets and gambling, there is much more to this town than you think. There is plenty to do for families as well as…museum goers? Indeed, there are many great museums in Las Vegas. Let’s take a look…

The Barrick Museum at the University of Nevada Las Vegas

The Barrick Museum is focused on art, lectures, and programming for art lovers. It is also the temporary home of the Las Vegas Art Museum Collection. Besides those wonderful items, you can also see pre-Columbian and ethnographic art in regular and special exhibits.

The Neon Museum

About as far away from pre-Columbian and modern art, this museum features a sign collection with items dating from the 1930s. And, it’s located OUTSIDE, in a six-acre parking lot.

Restored signs from the Neon Museum Las Vegas along the Fremont Street Experience. Wikimedia Commons: Pete Angritt

The Mob Museum (aka the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement)

Another Las Vegas specialty, this museum is located in the former Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse. Guess who developed it? Dennis Barrie, the man behind the International Spy Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the Mob Museum, you can learn the history of organized crime, and local aspects of it (with hands on exhibits, interactive displays, and artifacts).

Flickr creative commons: kakurady

Las Vegas Natural History Museum

We love natural history museums, and this one has a lot to explore. Galleris include Treasures of Egypt, Las Vegas Founders’ African Gallery, Englestad Family Prehistoric Life Gallery, International Wildlife Gallery, Marine Life Gallery, E. L. Weigand Foundation Wild Nevada Gallery, Geology Gallery, and the  MGM/Mirage Young Scientist Center.

National Atomic Testing Museum

You’ll move from nature to science, here at the National Atomic Testing Museum just south of Las Vegas. You can learn the history of nuclear testing at this Nevada Test Site, which had its first test in 1951. You can see it happen in the Ground Zero Theater, check out Geiger counters and radiation testing devices, view cultural memorabilia around the atomic age, and learn about radiation.

Wikimedia commons: Ypsilon from Finland

Discovery Children’s Museum

If you’re in Las Vegas with kids, be sure to head to the Discovery Children’s Museum. It has a new location in Symphony Park. You can explore 9 cool exhibits, including Fantasy Festival: All the World’s a Stage, Eco-City, Toddler Town, Patents Pending, the Summit, Water World, Solve It! Mystery Town, Young at Art, and It’s Your Choice.

Nevada State Museum Las Vegas

The Nevada State Museum here (1 of 6 in the state) is really cool, and permanent exhibits show you Nevada’s geology, fossil, and desert life; mining and railroad history; a skeletal replica of the state fossil (the ichthyosaur); an interactive travel game testing survival skills in Old Nevada; the history of Nevada (including artifacts like a $25,000 poker chip and showgirl costumes); and Nevada artwork.

Las Vegas Travel Tips

How to Get Around

Las Vegas is a walking town – up and down the strip. However, you can rent a car, take a taxi, or ride monorail or the buses. If you’re bringing young kids, be sure to bring a stroller or a baby bjorn.

Where to Stay

There are, indeed, an overwhelming number of places to stay. Try the Aria Las Vegas - you’ll appreciate the eco-friendly luxury hotel that features an enormous theatre, cirque du soleil, salon, sauna, and spa, fitness center, 16 restaurants, 10 bars, 3 huge pools, and more.

Weather

We can’t help but mention the weather, since it is a sunny, dry, and arid climate. In the summer, expect highs of over 100 (f). In the winter, highs are in the 50s (f). When it’s hot, stay hydrated.

What to Eat

Las Vegas is known for its buffets. Start at breakfast, and make room for more meals throughout the day. Each place has a very different character, so research what you like – and enjoy!

24/7

What is most unusual about this town is that almost everything is open 24/7. Except the museums...