The best museums in Las Vegas

Las Vegas was built on organized crime. Here, the city honors its history. The Mob Museum focuses on the heavily chronicled relationship between the mafia and law enforcement by showcasing artifacts and exhibits in a building that used to be a post office and courthouse. The museum has a section of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall, Al Capone’s “Sweetheart,” a Colt 1911 .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and so much more. Guest speakers and the Underground speakeasy and distillery add to the experience.

Did you know that atomic bombs were tested in the deserts surrounding Las Vegas? Perhaps the release of Oppenheimer only recently brought it to your attention. But since the mid-aughts, the Atomic Museum has taken visitors through the history of atomic testing in Nevada, from 1951 to the present day. The museum walks guests through the timeline of the bomb’s creation with exhibits and pop culture memorabilia. One thing is for sure: This will be a blast.

This educational standout is fun for kids of all ages. Located next to the Smith Center, the Discovery Children’s Museum offers so many fun things to do that it’s nearly impossible to experience them all in a single visit. Each area focuses on activities built around different subjects (think air pressure, electricity, space science and magnets) that all coalesce around the literal centerpiece of the museum: the Summit, a 70-foot tower that leads patrons to all different levels.

It used to be that old hotel signs were left to die after their namesake buildings were imploded. Not in Las Vegas. The Neon Museum houses the most impressive array of neon signage in the country. Walk through the Neon Boneyard (preferably at night) to experience some of Las Vegas’s most iconic signs as they get relit. Be sure to take a guided tour to hear the history and stories behind them.

Why settle for one museum when you can visit three while admiring stunning nature all around you? The Springs Preserve sits on 180 acres and features so many trails, hikes, flowers and wetlands that you’ll think you’re anywhere but Las Vegas. Besides the beautiful surroundings, there are a number of museums on site: The Origen Museum features interactive exhibits (including one that recreates a flash flood), the Nevada State Museum offers over 13,000 square feet of exhibits and fossils while Boomtown 1905 shows visitors what it was like to live in Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. There’s also a botanical garden, butterfly habitat and train rides.

First set up in an abandoned goat farm in California and eventually moving to the Arts District in Las Vegas, the Burlesque Hall of Fame has found its rightful home in Art Square. The museum takes a historical view of the titillating world of burlesque, from its early days in the mid-1900s to the revival years of the 1990s through today. There are more than 3,500 artifacts in the museum, plus performance spaces and classes for all who wish to indulge in the art of seduction.

According to the venue’s own website, this space is “where great art goes on vacation.” In fact, some of the greatest artwork from around the globe makes stops at this 2,600-square-foot, two-room gallery as part of its rotating exhibits. Past exhibitions have included “Picasso: Creatures and Creativity,” “Faberge Revealed” and “Warhol Out West.”

What’s Vegas without some sex? These 17,000 square feet of erotica are clearly a must-visit. The erotic museum takes an educational approach to the history of sexuality. Here, you’ll find shows that concentrate on sex in space, Catherine the Great and celebrity scandals. There are also multiple performance spaces, one of which is home to the Puppetry of the Penis. Don’t forget to visit the retail store as well.

The Pinball Hall of Fame has over 2,000 pinball machines in working condition. Run by pinball wizard Tim Arnold, this nonprofit facility—which now has a larger new home near the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign—stays open thanks to patrons playing games. So go play, a lot. You’ll be doing it for a good cause: to further educate the world on the magic that is pinball.

About 30 minutes outside of Las Vegas sits Boulder City, the quaint and charming home of the Hoover Dam and bighorn sheep that roam its main park. It’s also where you can find one of two locations of the state Railroad Museum (the other’s near Lake Tahoe in Carson City). On display are diesel locomotives, steam engines and passenger cars, and visitors can also ride classic trains.

This natural history museum houses a number of fossils and artifacts and tells the story of not only Nevada but of cultures and animals found all over the world. The Biomes Beyond Borders exhibit, for example, uses taxidermy animals to show how species adapt, live and survive in their native environments.

America’s first Madame Tussauds location was in Las Vegas. Here, you’ll find dozens of wax figures of all your favorite celebrities. How about a selfie with Beyonce, Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion or Miley Cyrus (swinging on a wrecking ball, of course). Guests can also play games, take in a 4-D Marvel film or grab a drink at The Hangover bar—because, well, it’s Vegas after all.

The Punk Rock Museum isn’t the fanciest museum on the planet but it shouldn’t be. The edgy institution houses a very large collection of artifacts from punk’s heyday: Fliers, photos, clothing, handwritten lyrics, artwork and instruments crowd the two-story space. Don’t miss the Jam Room, where guests can plug in and play the actual guitars and basses of artists from Rise Against, NOFX and Pennywise, to name a few. There’s also a divey bar called the Triple Down to quench your thirst.

Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Mansion is truly the most frightening place on the planet—or at least in Vegas. The Ghost Adventures host has been collecting creepy, cursed artifacts for decades and naturally he bought the Wengert Mansion, a building known for its dark occult history, to display them. Paranormal exhibits and haunted items include Dr. Kevorkian’s death van, the Dybbuk Box and the Peggy doll. Feeling brave? Take the flashlight tour and explore the house in the dark.