HENDERSON (KTNV) — The Clark County Museum is home to various artifacts, preserved buildings, and an area where visitors can explore Southern Nevada's history firsthand.
"You can go through our history from prehistorical times to our current events in Southern Nevada," said acting Clark County Museum administrator Amber Colbert.
The museum is on 30-acres of land and located in Henderson, just off of Boulder Highway.
It's about a 30-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip and a perfect stop on the way to Boulder City.
The Clark County Museum is the oldest historical museum in the valley and is still going strong after getting its start here several decades ago.
"We started in 1968, and the city of Henderson gave this land to the museum, and it started with the Boulder City Depot building," Colbert said.
Visitors are first welcomed to the Anna Roberts Parks exhibit. She was an avid collector, and her exhibit hall takes visitors through a timeline of Southern Nevada history.
"The Anna Parks Exhibit Hall shows the different artifacts over the years, and it is a timeline of Southern Nevada events. Starting in prehistoric times, to Native American, ranches, railroads to our current events like gaming, hotels and the 1 Oct. display where our community showed strength in coming together after that incident," Colbert said.
One of the most interesting parts of the museum is its Heritage Street, a tree-lined avenue with eight historic structures from Southern Nevada that were all relocated to the museum.
"We have Heritage Street, where we moved buildings from all over Nevada to persevere them, and visitors can now experience how living was in Nevada was through the different decades. We even have an old chapel from Las Vegas Boulevard where guests can experience what it was before," Colbert said.
Among the buildings is the 1912 Beckley House, a Las Vegas structure relocated from the downtown area.
Walking down the street, guests can also see a print shop and a wedding chapel that were all moved over the years and are now open for self-guided tours.
"Walking through is kinda like stepping back in time -- making that connection to the community of where we live now. One of those homes was the Beckley house, built back in 1912, and the home still has furnishings from that era where guests can step back into that time," Colbert said.
Another real-life display at the museum is the 1932 Boulder City Depot. The collection of railroad cars include a real 1918 Union Pacific steam engine, along with a few other items from the 1930s.
"The railroad yard has been restored to its original Boulder City look where guests can be taken back to that 1930s train depot feel," Colbert said.
The museum costs visitors $2 for adults and $1 for children. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with fall being one of the best times to visit.
"Spring and the fall are the best times to visit. We are getting to that perfect time of year temperature-wise, and mornings are also the best, with wildlife easy to spot," Colbert said.
Looking ahead, the museum will be adding to its displays with a new exhibit coming online soon that will house more of the 1 October items from that time.
"We will have all of 1 October museum articles on display with shelves helping to display the crosses along with all of the items that were on Las Vegas Boulevard. So, the items can be preserved for the future," Colbert said.
Where changes are constant nowadays, the Clark County Museum is a place to explore the rich and colorful history of where we call home in Southern Nevada.
