Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas From prehistoric creatures to fabulous showgirls, explore the story of Nevada and Las Vegas. The museum is open Thursday to Monday, 9am - 4pm.

Tickets are required for non members for entry - book here: https://bit.ly/3cS7Eba. Members can show their membership cards on entry. The Nevada State Museum offers an interactive visitor experience that interprets the history of Nevada dating back millions of years to the present. Across a 13,000 square-foot permanent exhibit gallery visitors will find how geology shaped the Great Basin and Nevad

a, learn of the early flora and fauna that roamed this once great sea. Hear the story of Native Americans, pioneers, early settlers, miners, railroaders, ranchers and entrepreneurs. Learn about the Hoover Dam, the atomic era and the rise of Las Vegas as the resort capital of the world. The museum also features a research library, educational labs and a store.

Escape the Mojave heat and cool off inside the Nevada State Museum! After exploring the galleries wander over to the Mu...
06/13/2026

Escape the Mojave heat and cool off inside the Nevada State Museum! After exploring the galleries wander over to the Museum Store to discover a vibrant oasis of color. We’ve curated a collection of bright, bold, and unique summer items that are guaranteed to make your day in fabulous Las Vegas even brighter!

SHOP + SUPPORT

Your museum store purchases help fund museum exhibits and programs.

Thank you!

Common Threads presentsLangston Hughes in the American WestSpeaker:Carmen BealsAssociate Curator and Outreach Director, ...
06/12/2026

Common Threads presents
Langston Hughes in the American West

Speaker:
Carmen Beals
Associate Curator and Outreach Director, Las Vegas
Nevada Museum of Art, Reno

Carmen Beals, Associate Curator and Outreach Director at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, will present archival documentation and reproduced ephemera related to Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes and his time in the American West. The discussion begins in 1932, when Hughes visited the Hoover Dam in Nevada to advocate for the rights of African Americans seeking employment on the dam, and extends to his time in California, considering the broader impact of his experiences across the West Coast.

This presentation is informed by Carmen’s recent curatorial work on Langston Hughes, including When Langston Hughes Came to Town (which concluded in February 2026) and A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West, currently on view at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles through September 13.

Join us for engaging talks that are equal parts educational and entertaining. Every third Thursday at 4pm!

Common Threads is a monthly series, where experts share stories of the cultural and natural history of Nevada and the greater Southwest. Each talk is designed to spark curiosity and conversation, while creating a welcoming space to learn, connect, and unwind.

What to expect
45-minute lecture
Interactive Q&A
Relaxed time to mingle and discuss
Complimentary water, soft drinks, and wine for learners 21+
Common Threads events are free with museum admission.

Interested in learning or brushing up on reading and writing cursive? Join the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas in our sum...
06/11/2026

Interested in learning or brushing up on reading and writing cursive? Join the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas in our summer series celebrating America’s 250th by diving into the archives to read historical documents while practicing your cursive writing techniques. These Cursive Sessions will be located at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas's Education Room.

Youth: July 9th and 10th from 10am-12pm ($30 per person or $20 per day)

Adults: July 16th from 5pm-7pm ($30 per person)

All Ages Discovery Saturday "America's 250th Cursive Postcards (Free with Museum Admission)

We hope to see you soon! The museum is open Thursday-Monday from 9am to 4pm. Come say hi and see what makes the Silver S...
06/07/2026

We hope to see you soon! The museum is open Thursday-Monday from 9am to 4pm. Come say hi and see what makes the Silver State so special! 💙

🌎️Our planet has constantly changed over its existence. Join our museum on July 25th for a special Discovery Saturday: U...
06/06/2026

🌎️Our planet has constantly changed over its existence. Join our museum on July 25th for a special Discovery Saturday: Unearthed! Fossils of the Silver State to see how fossils tell us what the earth looked like throughout the different epochs of the past.

👋Hands-on exploration of fossils⁠
⚒️Fossil Digging⁠
🎨Crafts, puzzles and learning stations⁠
🎟️Raffles for prizes⁠
📖Storytimes⁠
⁠
Don't miss out!!!⁠
🕚️11 am - 3 pm⁠
📍Special Events Room ⁠

Alt text - a graphic featuring an ichthyosaur skull

We sometimes wonder that if the objects in the museum could speak, what our cast Columbian mammoth might say when someon...
06/04/2026

We sometimes wonder that if the objects in the museum could speak, what our cast Columbian mammoth might say when someone calls him a Woolly mammoth. When we catch this, we try to let the good people know that in the last ice age, what is now Nevada would have had herds of Columbian mammoths roaming around as close as at the Ice Age Fossils State Park to the north of us. These animals would have stood taller and had less hair than their distant relatives. They also would have enjoyed a warmer climate with more vegetation and water than the northern climates had.

If he could talk, what do you think our mammoth might tell us?

Learn more about our Columbian mammoth by visiting our galleries Thursday-Mondays, 9am-4pm.

Alt text - image of a Columbian mammoth skeleton in the museum looking down on the viewer

On Day 3 of , we look at museums as a place for peace and healing. Museums provide a safe and peaceful place for everyo...
06/03/2026

On Day 3 of , we look at museums as a place for peace and healing. Museums provide a safe and peaceful place for everyone to relax, reflect, and engage with the things that shape local communities.

This bear, enjoying our peaceful lobby and gallery space, wears a symbol of peace and was left behind at the Las Vegas Community Healing Garden following the tragedy of October 01, 2017. It represents peace, healing, and community through a museum collection. (catalog VM-2017-057-018)

On Day 2 of , we look forward to the future of technology and historic preservation. We utilize modern technology to pr...
06/02/2026

On Day 2 of , we look forward to the future of technology and historic preservation. We utilize modern technology to preserve historic archival materials that may be too delicate to handle via digitization. While it creates a digital surrogate that will last for a much longer time, it also helps us reach larger audiences!⁠
⁠
Featured here is a circa 1931-1935 photograph of (l-r) Clara Bow, Rex Bell, and Glen "Bud" Bodell at the Walking Box Ranch in Searchlight, Nevada. Next is a 1906 letter from William A. Clark to Helen J. Stewart regarding the sale of land to the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad Company. While these items may be too delicate for handling, a digital copy lets us continue accessing them!

06/01/2026

Happy Museum Week 2026! Today we revisit how amazing our 3D printers are for AI in museums day. Stay tuned as we print some fun things for our Unearthed: Fossils of the Silver State event on July 25th 🦖☄️🦣

Black and white photograph of magician David Copperfield from the Stars of Magic Concert for Hunger in Africa at the Tro...
05/30/2026

Black and white photograph of magician David Copperfield from the Stars of Magic Concert for Hunger in Africa at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino on May 30, 1985 🪄

📸: 0112:0665

Address

Las Vegas, NV

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+17024865205

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas:

Shortcuts

Share