Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas

Join us for a special Discovery Saturday, Unearthed! Fossils of the Silver State!

Learn about all kinds of ancient creatures, fossils, and natural wonders from Nevada’s deep past. Whether you are obsessed with dinosaurs, fascinated by mammoths, or curious about the sea creatures that swam here millions of years ago, there’s plenty to discover!

Our special events room will be transformed into a prehistoric exploration zone, where families can enjoy:

Real fossils from the museum’s education collection
Fossil digging activities
Crafts, puzzles, & interactive learning stations
Ichthyosaur storytime
Raffle prizes

NOTICE: The museum store will be closed on Monday, June 29th for our annual inventory.

We are sorry for the inconvenience to our visitors. Thank you for your patience!

SHOP + SUPPORT

Your museum store purchases help fund museum exhibits and programs.

Thank you!

❤️🤍💙The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is honored to take park once again in the Blue Star Museum initiative which provides free admission to active-duty U.S. Military personnel and their families through Labor Day. ❤️🤍💙⁠
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We are open Thursday-Monday, 9 am- 4 pm.

Escape the Mojave heat and cool off inside the Nevada State Museum! After exploring the galleries wander over to the Museum Store to discover a vibrant oasis of color. We’ve curated a collection of bright, bold, and unique summer items that are guaranteed to make your day in fabulous Las Vegas even brighter!

SHOP + SUPPORT

Your museum store purchases help fund museum exhibits and programs.

Thank you!

Common Threads presents
Langston Hughes in the American West

Speaker:
Carmen Beals
Associate Curator and Outreach Director, Las Vegas
Nevada Museum of Art, Reno

Carmen Beals, Associate Curator and Outreach Director at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, will present archival documentation and reproduced ephemera related to Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes and his time in the American West. The discussion begins in 1932, when Hughes visited the Hoover Dam in Nevada to advocate for the rights of African Americans seeking employment on the dam, and extends to his time in California, considering the broader impact of his experiences across the West Coast.

This presentation is informed by Carmen’s recent curatorial work on Langston Hughes, including When Langston Hughes Came to Town (which concluded in February 2026) and A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West, currently on view at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles through September 13.

Join us for engaging talks that are equal parts educational and entertaining. Every third Thursday at 4pm!

Common Threads is a monthly series, where experts share stories of the cultural and natural history of Nevada and the greater Southwest. Each talk is designed to spark curiosity and conversation, while creating a welcoming space to learn, connect, and unwind.

What to expect
45-minute lecture
Interactive Q&A
Relaxed time to mingle and discuss
Complimentary water, soft drinks, and wine for learners 21+
Common Threads events are free with museum admission.

Interested in learning or brushing up on reading and writing cursive? Join the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas in our summer series celebrating America’s 250th by diving into the archives to read historical documents while practicing your cursive writing techniques. These Cursive Sessions will be located at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas's Education Room.

Youth: July 9th and 10th from 10am-12pm ($30 per person or $20 per day)

Adults: July 16th from 5pm-7pm ($30 per person)

All Ages Discovery Saturday "America's 250th Cursive Postcards (Free with Museum Admission)

We hope to see you soon! The museum is open Thursday-Monday from 9am to 4pm. Come say hi and see what makes the Silver State so special! 💙

🌎️Our planet has constantly changed over its existence. Join our museum on July 25th for a special Discovery Saturday: Unearthed! Fossils of the Silver State to see how fossils tell us what the earth looked like throughout the different epochs of the past.

👋Hands-on exploration of fossils⁠
⚒️Fossil Digging⁠
🎨Crafts, puzzles and learning stations⁠
🎟️Raffles for prizes⁠
📖Storytimes⁠
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Don't miss out!!!⁠
🕚️11 am - 3 pm⁠
📍Special Events Room ⁠

Alt text - a graphic featuring an ichthyosaur skull

We sometimes wonder that if the objects in the museum could speak, what our cast Columbian mammoth might say when someone calls him a Woolly mammoth. When we catch this, we try to let the good people know that in the last ice age, what is now Nevada would have had herds of Columbian mammoths roaming around as close as at the Ice Age Fossils State Park to the north of us. These animals would have stood taller and had less hair than their distant relatives. They also would have enjoyed a warmer climate with more vegetation and water than the northern climates had.

If he could talk, what do you think our mammoth might tell us?

Learn more about our Columbian mammoth by visiting our galleries Thursday-Mondays, 9am-4pm.

Alt text - image of a Columbian mammoth skeleton in the museum looking down on the viewer

On Day 3 of , we look at museums as a place for peace and healing. Museums provide a safe and peaceful place for everyone to relax, reflect, and engage with the things that shape local communities.

This bear, enjoying our peaceful lobby and gallery space, wears a symbol of peace and was left behind at the Las Vegas Community Healing Garden following the tragedy of October 01, 2017. It represents peace, healing, and community through a museum collection. (catalog VM-2017-057-018)