NEVADA STATE MUSEUM The Silver State has a history that extends a long way back—past the lights of the Strip, past the Mormon Fort, and even past human beings themselves. The Nevada State Museum, on the grounds of the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, provides a breakneck tour of Nevada’s storied past, from the giants of the Jurassic period to the giants of the Rat Pack era. Don’t miss the silver mining exhibit, complete with real “ghosts,” and be sure to check out “Vegas Style,” an exhibition of vintage Vegas clothes and costumes. 309 S. Valley View Blvd., 702.486.5205; nevadaculture.org
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NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM Atomic testing remains a touchy subject some years after the U.S. abandoned the practice. (Just so you know, the last underground atomic test was in September 1992—and it happened less than 70 miles from Las Vegas.) This Smithsonian Institution affiliate doesn’t offer an opinion; it merely presents the facts of atomic testing, along with artifacts gathered from the Nevada Test Site—from Geiger counters to bomb casings. If you dare, check out a simulated atmospheric test in the Ground Zero Theater. 755 E. Flamingo Road, 702.794.5151; nationalatomictestingmuseum.org EROTIC HERITAGE MUSEUM This two-story monument to doin’ the nasty is actually more informative and less lascivious than its name implies. True, “historically significant” X-rated films play on a continuous loop and you enter the museum through a forest of porn-star standees, but its collection of erotic art is spectacular, and the Museum makes a bonafide attempt to explore sexuality in everything from politics to religion without unduly sensationalizing the topic. 3275 Industrial Road, 702.369.6442; eroticheritagemuseumlasvegas.com
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