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Neon Sign Museum - Located at the entrance to the spectacular light show, Fremont Street Experience, the City of Las Vegas bought the retired neon signs of Las Vegas' legendary locales and set them up here for all to see. There are currently about a dozen neon signs of history scattered about the area and the adjacent Neonopolis plaza with many more planned for the future. Open 24 hours, FREE admission. 702-229-6301.
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History - This museum located on the UNLV campus is dedicated to historical southwestern Native American Culture, geology, paleontology and archeology of the area. Exhibits with live desert reptiles are a highlight. Traveling exhibits are shown frequently throughout the year. - 4505 S Maryland Pkwy (at UNLV), LasVegas,. Open Mon-Fri 8am-4:45pm; Sat 10am-2pm, free admission., (702) 895-3381

Sports Hall-of-Fame - Las Vegas Club Hotel & Casino - 18 Fremont St, Las Vegas - Largest personal collection of sports memorabilia from the past and present in the country. Includes card collectibles, autographed balls, gloves, bats, photographs. Open Daily, Admission Free - (702) 385-1664
King Tut Museum - This exact replica of King Tut's tomb is a great attraction for history buffs. The original tomb found by Howard Carter in 1922 has been built to exacting detail by an Egyptologist in the Attractions level of the hotel. A 20 minute guided tour takes you through the carved rock walls and reproduced artifacts. You can purchase Egyptian wares at the Museum Shop following your tour. - Luxor, 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Mon-Sun 9am-11pm, $3, 262-4000

 Las Vegas Natural History Museum
- 900 N. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas - Features wildlife past and present including animated dinosaur exhibits. An international wildlife room, marine life including a live exhibit on sharks in a 300-gallon tank and a children's interactive hands-on discovery room for young scientists, keeps the whole family happy. See the extensive wildlife art, the flights of nature room and a collection of hundreds of animals. Don't forget to visit the museum gift and science store. Daily 9am-4pm, $5, 384-DINO(3466)

Lost City Museum of Archeology - 721 S. Moapa Valley Blvd (Hwy 169), Overton, about 60 miles north of Las Vegas. One of the most complete collections of early Pueblo Indian artifacts in the southwest including a full scale reconstruction of an Indian pueblo structure. This museum is a history buff's paradise. You'll see exhibits which cover the human occupation of Nevada from 12,000 years in the past up through when white settlers made Nevada home. Exhibits telling the story of Mormon farmers founding Moapa Valley in 1865 can also be seen. Several art exhibits travel through the museum during the year. Adm $2, hours 8:30 am-4:30pm daily, (702) 397-2193

Nevada State Museum & Historical Society - 700 Twin Lakes Dr, Las Vegas - Take the Twin Lakes entrance to Lorenzi Park. Southern Nevada's only nationally accredited museum. See the Nevada State fossil, the ichthyosaur, 48 feet long and 225 million years old. Don't miss the 13 foot tall Columbian mammoth skeleton. Or visit Las Vegas as is was in 1940. Permanent exhibits highlight the history, natural history, and Native American cultures of the region and a schedule of changing exhibits features art, history and science. There is also a small lake and large picnic area immediately adjacent in Lorenzi Park for that perfect lunch basket setting. The attached Cahlan Library is open weekdays and houses the extensive Nevada history collection. Daily 9am-5pm, $2, (702) 486-5205


 springs preserve  :   free

Trails

Take a journey into Las Vegas' past.

Come see where Las Vegas began. As you walk the Springs Preserve's 1.8 miles of trails and meander through 110 acres of native habitats and archaeological sites, you will follow in the footsteps of adventurous explorers and ancient peoples.
You will find reminders of people who were here before us, and the natural setting that attracted them. Along the trails, a wealth of evidence reflects not only thousands of years of local history, but major historical themes of the American West. Native American peoples, European exploration and settlement, ranching, railroads and of course, water, have all shaped what you will see on your journey.