By mid April in 1933 the two cofferdams that kept the waters of the Colorado River at bay during the construction work on Boulder Dam, now Hoover Dam, were complete. Diversion tunnels had been excavated to take the course of the river through the rock face of the canyon, and around the dam site, but […]
The museum would like to say thank you to local experts who participated in updating our Geologic Story exhibit in the permanent gallery. Reaching out to experts within our community provides opportunities for long lasting partnerships and benefits the museum in many ways. Long-time volunteer Pamela Prim, a UNLV graduate in geology and currently a […]
On April 4th 1955 the newly renamed Hotel New Frontier opened its doors after a major refurbishment. Located opposite where the Encore now stands, it had originally opened as the Last Frontier on Highway 91 a year, where once the Pair O’Dice had sat. Its slogan was ‘Out of this World’ with a futuristic-space styled […]
On April 3rd 1941, the El Rancho Vegas opened on Highway 91, (opposite today’s Sahara Hotel and Casino) on what was to become the Las Vegas Strip; the first large successful hotel and casino operation outside of downtown Las Vegas. The El Rancho Vegas was also the first true ‘resort’, built in an Old West […]
Lilly Fong (1925-2002) nee Hing, was a champion for education throughout her lifetime. Lilly’s deep-rooted belief in education stemmed from her childhood, instilled by her parents. Her father was known to quote the teachings of Confucius as he agreed that ‘education was the equalizer of all’ and she, along with her nine siblings, all would gain future college degrees. Lilly met her husband Wing Fong, while she was studying at […]
Sarann Knight Preddy (1920-2014) was an entrepreneur, civil rights activist, and the first black woman to receive a gaming license in Nevada. In 1950, she and her husband moved to Hawthorne, Nevada where she received her gaming license for the Tonga Club; the town’s only gaming establishment for African Americans. When Sarann returned to Las […]
The Art of Crafting The Art of Crafting, features artifacts that showcase dressmaking, quilting, crochet and more. The museum team was inspired by how many people have been completing unfinished craft projects or learning new skills while sheltering at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. On returning to the museum, they began to wonder how many […]
December 10, 2019 | Category:
exhibits,
family,
general,
kids | Tags:
costume,
design,
entertainers,
Exhibit,
history,
Las Vegas,
photographsDonated Hollywood costumes from Debbie Reynolds’ Collection The museum has been gifted with four historic film costumes that were acquired at the first auction of Debbie Reynolds’ Hollywood memorabilia in 2011. A much-beloved star of stage and film, Reynolds (1932-2016) was also a Las Vegas resident and businesswoman. Her off-Strip Debbie Reynolds Hotel Casino & […]
Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas reunites costume and costumier LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Nancy Williams was an integral part of the Las Vegas dance community from her days with the Moro-Landis Dancers in the 1940s at the El Rancho and Sahara resorts up to the time of her death in 2017. In a career in […]
Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas Discovers 40-Year-Old Treasure Trove LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas recently added some sparkle to its already impressive collection of performance costume memorabilia – 14 costume design paintings executed by Bill Campbell in the late 1970s for the Donn Arden production show “Hello Hollywood, Hello!” MGM Grand Hotel-Reno’s […]
