The Cultural Side of Vegas
You wouldn’t think Las Vegas would be the cultural treasure chest is really is, especially upon first glance when you can’t really see beyond the many casinos and bright twinkling lights that it is most famous for. You don’t expect to find the vast number of museums in Vegas that you will find in other tourist-oriented cities. You would think that the real estate in Vegas has been earmarked in most cases for more profitable ventures than museums. There are however, a number of museums in Las Vegas that are very well worth mentioning and exploring if you have the time during the light of day.
The first of these museums worth mentioning is one that is probably quite unique as far as museums go. It is the Atomic Testing Museum. The museums is located at 755 E. Flamingo Rd. Adults admission costs $10 per person and children aged 7-17 command the price of $7 the lessons and the history that can be learned by visiting this particular museum are priceless so this really seems like a small price to pay.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the home to the Carroll Shelby Museum. Shelby had a distinguished career driving cars and breaking land speed records before moving on to do other things in his career as a result of health concerns. When this happened he turned his sites from racing and rested them on design. The fruit of his design labor was one of the fastest production line cars ever and arguably one of the most stunning cars ever made-The Shelby Cobra.
One of the other fabulous Museums that Las Vegas has to offer is the Lied Children’s Discovery Museum. Children of all ages can find activities to enjoy at this particular museum. This museum has a lot to offer in educational experiences that are cleverly disguised as such fun. This is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area and the $8 admission fee for adults and $7 for children is not that steep when compare to similar institutions around the country.
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is another great museum to enjoy during your time in Vegas. This museum is another that is a great destination for children, big and little alike. The Marine Life Gallery features a 3,000-gallon habitat to some of the ocean’s most fascinating marine life. The price for this museum is very reasonable at $7 for adults and $3 for children aged 3-11. It gets even better if you go to the museum’s website and print off a buy one adult admission get one free coupon. This museum presents a great way to spend the day with the family in Las Vegas.
Another great museum to visit for a lighter side to life is the Liberace Museum. This museum is a tribute to the man names “Mr. Showmanship” and displays some of his rather than flamboyant costumes along with some of his precious antiques, his custom car collection and his pianos. This is not so much of a learning experience as a celebration of a man that lived his life as dazzlingly as the jewelry he so enjoyed wearing.
These museums represent fun and fabulous ways to spend the day with your family while vacationing in Las Vegas. The museums are certainly not the only family friendly activities you can enjoy together, they are quite often the most educational ways to spend the day. You have to admit however, that some of these museums are quite unique to the area and well worth the minimal costs of admission. Along the strip you can find the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, which is a collaborative work between the famed Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The fact that they are working together on this project allows them to share artifacts and exhibits that are well known around the world. Enjoy the taste of culture amidst the glitz and glam and have fun while you learn new things each and every day during your stay in Vegas.
