On 29 August 1946 the U.S.S. Nevada, the second ship to be named after our state, was decommissioned. The U.S.S. Nevada was a battleship nearly 200 yard long with a crew of 2,200 men. Launched in 1914, she was the first to have what were to become standards for US Navy battleships such as new […]
Taxidermy animals need names: contest running at Las Vegas museum (ends June 27th 2021) LAS VEGAS — What do you call a taxidermy bear? This is not a joke, but a real question being posed by the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. In July, the museum will display six taxidermy animals that the Friends of […]
This Spring through a combination of the UNLV Regent’s Service Program, and the generous donation following the 2020 Fall silent auction by the Friends of NSMLV, the museum acquired a special record player and we embarked upon a new project – digitizing record albums! Our history collection contains many vinyl records (6”, singles, 12”, LPs, […]
On June 2nd 1966 the Four Queens Hotel & Casino opened on Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas. The casino was named after the four daughters of the founder and president Ben Goffstein. In turn, they were named after a queen from a pack of cards: Michele (the eldest) was the Queen of Spades, Benita the […]
Margaret Wheat (1908-1988) was a self-taught geologist and anthropologist with a special interest in ichthyosaurs – the Nevada State fossil. Born to pioneer parents in Fallon, NV., she went on to study at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her field work experiences ranged from U.S. Geological Survey work to protecting important cave sites from vandals. […]
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 […]
Polly Gonzalez was the first Latina evening news anchor in Nevada. she died March 28th 2005 in a car crash on the way to look at the desert wildflowers of Death Valley. Her two young daughters survived the accident. Born in San José, CA., where she also attended college, Polly began her career in Monterey. […]
Sarah Winnemucca was born around 1844 in what is now Nevada, to Chief Winnemucca of the Paiutes. Her grandfather was Chief Truckee, leader of the Paiute nation, and he influenced her early upbringing and education. By the time she was 14, she spoke five languages, three Native American dialects, English and Spanish. These skills would […]
NSMLV Curators want you to be able to enjoy the museum from home, so we have created a series of virtual backgrounds featuring highlights from the museum. It’s easy to add a museum virtual background to your next video chat. Right click on your desired image and save it to your computer. Then, follow the […]
