Has a Las Vegas History Museum Ever Been Considered?

With all of the history there is to share about Las Vegas, I've often wondered why the city, or the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, hasn't created something like a Las Vegas History Museum. So much could be contained in a venue like this: historical pictures of the city and the casinos, old slot machines, showgirl costumes, etc. There could be a Rat Pack room, an Elvis room, a Liberace room, a Wayne Newton room, as well as many of the other famous entertainers that have headlined over the years. I've watched some of the museums and attractions close over the years and it seems that these things could be better supported if they were contained under one roof and made into a larger, main attraction. Have you ever heard of anything like this being considered?

No, we never have. Have any of you?

Las Vegas is generally allergic to looking backward and initiatives for creating museums don’t tend to gain much traction. The shining exceptions are the Neon and Mob museums. The public’s fascination with both have kept them going. The Mob Museum in particular came about because it was an obsession of then-Mayor Oscar Goodman, who had the foresight to recruit law enforcement and the federal government as partners, which really put it over the top.

By contrast, the private sector has had a dismal track record of preserving and/or celebrating Las Vegas history, specific or general. The most noteworthy such endeavor, the Mob Experience at the Tropicana, was underfunded and didn’t last long. Unless you count ventures into the public display of fine art by Wynn and MGM, casino companies and museums are like matter and antimatter, unable to inhabit the same space simultaneously.

With regard to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Senior Vice President of Communications Lori Nelson-Kraft points out that it is neither in the LVCVA’s charter nor remit to run museums. “Our mission, as carved out by the Nevada Legislature, is to market and sell Las Vegas to promote visitation. Outside of owning/operating the Las Vegas Convention Center, which was built to drive weekday visitation and owning transportation such as the monorail to ease congestion, we're not in the business of owning/managing other venues in Las Vegas.”

However, the LVCVA does have an online museum, the 75-year-old Las Vegas Archive, which boasts a full-time curator, Kelli Luchs. The Archive boats “nearly 7 million images, 11,000 pieces of film and video, and 1,300-linear-feet of manuscripts and artifacts.” You can see it from anywhere with an Internet connection and it’s open ‘round the clock, unlike a static museum. This may be the way of the future.

As Nelson-Kraft puts it, “This incredible collection is available to entities such as news outlets, documentaries, books, and exhibits via licensing agreements. This past year, the Archive collection celebrated its 75th anniversary and as part of that celebration, we curated several collections on our website to share with the public. These represent the most popular categories within our collection, and we allowed them to be downloaded by the public.”

As for the City of Las Vegas, we put your query to Communications Director David Riggleman, who answered with what you might call a parlay wager. “Las Vegas has a number of museums that are recognized as among the best in the nation. They include the National Museum of Law Enforcement & Organized Crime (commonly known as the Mob Museum), the Neon Museum, the Children’s Discovery Museum, and the Atomic Testing Museum.

“Mob and Neon have portions of their exhibits that mention the entertainment aspects of the city. In addition, a new Punk Rock Museum opened recently and the city is exploring the possibility of building an African-American Museum, which would also include mentions of entertainment.” He added, “There was an effort to start a Showgirl Museum, but my understanding is that organizers are still working out the financial aspects of that project, as well as a location.”

Yes, finances and locale are two tricky aspects for any museum, especially one with aspirations toward permanence.

Still, you hit on a salient point. While you see a historic slot machine here, an Elvis Presley souvenir there, there is no central gathering point. For a city as rich in lore as Las Vegas, it would seem imperative to celebrate such wealth, perhaps as part of Symphony Park (another Goodman initiative) or on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus.

However, until some movers and shakers of considerable means step forward to urge it into being, as has happened with various UNLV academic facilities, it's likely to remain just a dream.

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Kevin Lewis Jul-25-2023

The way it works

1. The casinos are the government of Las Vegas.
2. Museums make people think about the past.
3. In the past, Las Vegas was a fun and affordable destination where even people of modest means could have a good time.
4. The casinos have absolutely no interest in telling people about the time when Vegas wasn't a slimy gougefest.
5. Therefore, the government has absolutely no interest in creating or supporting a Vegas museum.

Money talks--and just as often, it clamps a hand over the mouth of anybody who might want to talk.

Dave_Miller_DJTB Jul-25-2023

LCVCA Museum

>>   LVCVA does have an online museum

God forbid the LVA provide a link. 

I *think* this is what they were referring to:
https://www.lvcva.com/who-we-are/75th-anniversary/

Mary Horsch Jul-25-2023

Nevada State Museum

The Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas currently has a Liberace exhibit and a showgirl exhibit.  While the museum is a Nevada State museum, it does feature Las Vegas history.

CLIFFORD Jul-25-2023

way to go

Mary!
By the way...today is National Tequila Day..OLE

[email protected] Jul-25-2023

Museums

Interestingly, I've always loved the museums that were there.  The old Guggenheim Hermitage Museum at the Venetian was fantastic - a must see on every visit. There used to be a small gambling museum at the Trop which was also very nice - a lot of historic gaming equipment, costumes, photos, etc. which I also really enjoyed.  I'm glad to hear that the Atomic Testing Museum is still around, I really enjoyed that one, too.  I for one always liked the extras like museums, Broadway shows, etc. which were nice changes of pace when I was making semi-annual trips to Las Vegas.  Unfortunately, I guess the majority of visitors didn't agree.

SCOTT Jul-25-2023

Springs Preserve

The Springs Preserve off of Valley View has a section on the history of the founding of Las Vegas. There are also some old time buildings housing businesses of way back then. It's worth a look.

Larry Stone Jul-25-2023

clark county museum

did anyone mention the clark county museum on boulder highway?  it's definitely worth a visit

Ray Jul-25-2023

yes, Clark County Heritage Museum

Yes Larry,
I was surprised this museum wasn't mentioned.
The problem in Vegas is that the casinos (whose support is needed for ANYTHING in town) don't want to promote things that take you AWAY from the tables and machines. And a museum isn't something that you come back to again and again. The shows and exhibits they DO have only last as long as they pull enough people into the casino to make it profitable.

[email protected] Jul-25-2023

Bingo! We Have A Winner!

Ray wrote: "casinos (whose support is needed for ANYTHING in town) don't want to promote things that take you AWAY from the tables and machines." And BTW the little Mob museum at the Trop was just about as good as the fancy and REALLY expensive Mob Museum downtown, but since it was FREE only the public benefitted from it. LV can't have that going on! Mo money mo money mo money....

Bob Nelson Jul-25-2023

Pinball Hall Of Fame

Is basically an interactive museum.  Very fun way to spend an hour or two.

Patricia Jul-25-2023

Museums plus

I spend a week in Las. Vegas mostly having fun with LVA coupons.Nevertheless one day
We spend on day trip. Beside museum’s Red Rock Canyon this year was I great surprise.
Apparently 4 mile loop one way. Please check it out. As for Museums I think we’ve seen them all. During Covid with limited entertainment We went to Neon,Mob, Dolphins (gone now)
Plus as someone mentioned Clark Country Museum.Mostly outdoors So go early if during summer.Sometimes I just need a break from The Casinos

Debra Grimes Jul-25-2023

Museums

I actually like having a variety of smaller venues to visit, because I can focus for an hour or two, then I'm ready to move on.  We've never been to the Nevada State Museum or the Clark County Museum, but we'll check them out on a future trip.  We've been to all the others mentioned, plus these two that weren't mentioned: The Shelby Museum and the Erotic Heritage Museum (with a Groupon!).

James Waterman Jul-25-2023

Airport

Locate exhibits at the outbound terminals of the airport. Doesn’t have to be stagnant. You could have a revolving schedule of exhibits at multiple locations throughout the airport. Phoenix does a good job of this with several small but culturally relevant exhibits.

Doc H Jul-25-2023

not about gaming anymore

'The problem in Vegas is that the casinos (whose support is needed for ANYTHING in town) don't want to promote things that take you AWAY from the tables and machines.'

Not about tables and machines anymore. Restaurants, rooms, shopping, clubs, and bars and the like are the $ makers. Perhaps to use your idea, put another revenue maker right in the casino, a museum. And that keeps them in the casino to $ eat, drink, go to a club, show, etc. As for repeat a one-time experience, if that was the case, all the museums around the world would go out of biz after a couple years. Always new people around the corner.

Directly to the point, since the 1990's, gaming revenue for casinos has been on a long term decline. Now about 75% of revenue came from non-gaming activities and the irony is from the 1950's-90's, 75% of the revenue did come from gaming.

'about the time when Vegas wasn't a slimy gougefest. 

The broken record woke set appears. Have a drink and relax, the good ole days are gone.

Henry Jul-28-2023

Las Vegas has a museum for everything

“No, we never have. Have any of you?” 

Yes. We all have.

Question of the Day - 25 July 2023

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