Hotels of Las Vegas

Celebrate the legacy of the decorated (in every sense of the word) pianist Liberace, one of Las Vegas’ most beloved performers, at the Liberace Museum.

Located in a sprawling complex just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, the museum houses Mr. Showmanship’s treasures, costumes, antiques, and one of the most impressive piano collections you’ve ever seen. And, this is not just another museum filled with dusty relics, the man himself personally opened it on April 15,1979.

The museum is divided into two separate buildings, one holds the piano and car galleries, and the other showcases the elaborate costumes, jewelry, awards, plus a replica of Liberace’s bedroom. Along with a café and a gift shop, the showroom is also located there.

The costume gallery, once a rehearsal space for Liberace, features mirrored walls that allow a 360-degree view of the amazing and detailed wardrobes that are on display. The progression of costumes is portrayed, from a simple gold lame suit to absolutely stunning costumes like the infamous red, white and blue hot pants outfit, the “Lasagna” suit, the “King Neptune” (200-plus pounds of pink feathers tailored for a New Orleans gig) and the Blackglama mink cape with 500 mink tails dangling from it. You will gawk in amazement at the fun fashion sense of Liberace, as the knowledgeable tour guides enthusiastically explain pieces and enrich the experience with stories.

Almost all of the suits are displayed out in the open, only a few are encased in glass, and with the aide of the mirrored walls, visitors are able to inspect the backs of each piece.

Of course, everyone needs the perfect accessories to complete a fabulous outfit, and what better than a collection of diamonds, sapphires and Swarovski crystals. Some of Liberace’s most dazzling jewelry is on display here. Along with many other pieces of breathtaking bling is the piano-shaped ring made of 260 diamonds and the largest rhinestone in the world, weighing in at 150,000 carats.

In addition to the suits and jewelry, there is an impressive collection of monogrammed Moser crystal, miniature pianos, and the most expensive piece in the museum – a Louis XV desk owned by Russian Czar Nicholas II. An avid collector, Liberace purchased the elaborate piece of ornate furniture for a mere $950 from a Florida museum.

Visitors can brush up on Liberace’s life story through the wall of history, located at the entrance of building one, before checking out the impressive display of cars and pianos that awaits inside.

Always one to make a grand entrance, Liberace lived large when it came to transportation as well. The sparkling and lavish display includes cars that are famous for being used in his stage entrances. The bejeweled and mirrored Rolls Royces, a 2.5-carat rhinestone Roadster and a pink Beetle are frozen in time and further add to the illustrious and colorful past of Liberace.

The piano gallery is also located here and is home to 18 rare and antique pianos that Liberace played and collected. Among them, Liberace’s favorite piano, a grand piano covered in tiny glittering mirrored squares.

Although there are some amazing gems from Liberace in the museum, his lasting achievement is the Liberace Foundation. More than $5 million has been awarded to more than 2,200 students. Most of Liberace’s estate went to kick-starting the foundation, and profits from the museum directly support the fund.

“We are proud to continue to share the generosity and legacy of Liberace by way of these scholarships that perpetuate his mission of assisting talented students to pursue careers in the performing and creative arts,” R. Darin Hollingsworth, executive director of the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts, said.

Liberace’s legacy lives on in the facility. Even if you’ve been to the museum before, you still haven’t seen it all, as there is a storage space filled with memorabilia that is rotated regularly into the displays.

After this fun-filled afternoon, visitors will leave with a sense of joy and free-spirited attitude that Liberace felt everyone should have ….and you might even have a few good ideas for your own wardrobe.

Several league sports, including softball, are available for adults, children and seniors. The facility runs tournaments in these sports every 10 to 12 weeks, and classes are available for those who wish to polish up on their skills. Workshops and classes are available to those at all different levels.

The park also offers indoor soccer, basketball, volleyball, self-defense classes and aerobics. Gymnastics is offered for children between the ages of 18 months and 6 years.

The sportspark is located behind Trent Park in Summerlin, which features a walking track and tennis courts.

Did you know that Las Vegas was once located beneath an ancient sea? It may be hard to believe, but it’s true, and the Las Vegas Natural History Museum proves it in a fun and education exhibit.

The Natural History Museum is much larger than it first appears, housing more than half a dozen unique exhibits. From the African savannah to desert life and Nevada’s prehistoric past, the museum has it all covered.

From the moment you step into the Marine Life Gallery it is as if you have stepped into the depths of the ocean itself. Dark and murky, the room is filled with sharks, whales, stingrays, dolphins and other sea creatures suspended from the ceiling and walls. Numerous aquariums are filled with a variety of fish and eels and there is even a 3,000-gallon live shark tank housing bamboo sharks, Port Jackson sharks and California round stingrays.

An adjoining room features various exhibits on sharks including a shark cage and an exhibit devoted to the great white shark and its ancestor, carcharodon megalodon, including life-sized replicas of each shark’s jaws. Also on display is a collection of items - a shoe, an unopened bottle of wine, soda cans and even a license plate - found in the bellies of various tiger sharks, known for eating just about anything.

Lining one wall of the room are 12 small aquariums housing frog fish, lobster, blind cave fish, a red-eared slider turtle, koi and more. Two more aquariums located nearby contain a shark egg hatchery and a shark nursery.

At the Snake Pit, a large glass enclosure houses a pair of burmese pythons, aptly named Bonnie and Clyde. A size chart over the case shows the lengths of other well-known snakes such as the reticulated python (29-45 feet) and the anaconda (25-30 feet). According to the chart, resident reptiles Bonnie and Clyde could eventually reach lengths of up to 25 feet each.

As you make the move from modern reptiles to prehistoric dinosaurs, you come across and extraordinary display of the phobosuchus, also known as the “terrible crocodile.” Reaching lengths of up to 50 feet and with teeth measuring up to four inches long, the phobosuchus is also one of the oldest alligator ancestors.

The centerpiece of the dinosaur exhibit is a very lifelike depiction of a tyrannosaurus rex going head-to-head with a triceratops. Meanwhile, off to the side, a deinonychus emits a sinister clicking noise at you, never dropping its gaze.

A collection of fossilized dinosaur tracks found in St. George, Utah as well as fossilized dinosaur eggs from the Henan Province in China are on display. All the while, a deadly allosaurus towers overhead as a talarurus guards its nest of hatchlings nearby.

In 1977, the ichthyosaur was designated as the Nevada State Fossil. This was later amended in 1989 to specify the shonisaurus popularis, probably the largest of all of the ichthyosaurs. Reaching lengths up to 50 feet, ichthyosaur fossils have been found on every continent except Antarctica. A notable and fascinating exhibit has been dedicated to the “lizard fish” within the museum.

Another museum section details prehistoric sharks including the heliocoprion, scapanorhynchus and stethacanthus in addition to numerous prehistoric whales.

Adjacent to the Dinosaur Gallery, the Young Scientist Center provides a hand-on learning experience for museum guests, young and old alike. From unearthing fossils of starfish, amphibian skulls, shark teeth and clam shells in a sandbox to observing a paleontology lab, there is always something waiting to be discovered.

Down the hall, the Wild Nevada Gallery includes plant and animal life indigenous to Southern Nevada. The exhibit is highly interactive, allowing you touch coyote fur and smell the scent of a badger. Scattered throughout the Wild Nevada Gallery are a series of headsets with recorded information on cacti, desert survival and medicinal plants. The room is also home to lifelike renderings of bighorn sheep, coyotes and a black-tailed jack rabbit as well as other desert animal life.

Another room plays homage to mining in Nevada and features numerous fluorescent minerals including sodalite, fluorite, celestite and calcite. On display are rocks and minerals found in Nevada such as sulfur, gypsum, pyrite and turquoise.

The Out of Africa exhibit is located downstairs. It features the white rhinoceros, water buck, hippopotamus, cheetah, spotted hyena, wart hog, zebra and lion. Nearby, an African rain forest display uses sound and light to give visitors a unique view into this extremely unusual environment from the forest floor to nocturnal habits and of course, rainfall.

Outside of the museum, a small outdoor patio area overlooks the Old Mormon Fort providing a great spot to take a lunch break or just relax. The museum is quite expansive and thorough, so a little rest may be just what you need. And don’t forget to pick up a souvenir or two at the small gift shop on your way out.

If you have children, you will, at some point, end up at the Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix. Deny it all you want, but you should just give in to that fact now. It will cause more stress only if you resist. Either your own offspring or one of their friends will insist on having a birthday party there, and as a doting parent, you must deny your child nothing. Of course, if you don’t have children, you’re more than welcome to join in the mini-racing experience. Just prepare to step over, around and between the little ones.

Quite frankly, as far as kiddie birthday parties go, Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix has it all. Inexpensive food, picnic-style tables, an extensive arcade, a Super Fun Slide, a mini-roller coaster and three styles of miniature race cars. Go Karts are available as you race against folks who were once your friends until they “accidentally” bumped into you on the track. We must warn you not to get too carried away, as those unassuming teenage staff members are watching your every move and have the capability to “pull the plug” on your car should you get too unruly on the track.

Next up, try the Sprint Karts. Even though the back of each car states “No Bumping,” don’t be surprised if that innocent looking kid cuts you off at a turn or rams into the back of your car. This car race gets pretty cutthroat with quite a few spinouts. One of the safety features of the Sprint Karts is that when one car spins out, all the other cars automatically slow down and stop, if necessary. Once the heroic pit crew gets everyone facing the right way, your car starts up again and you’re ready for some harmless road rage.

If you’re 16 — IDs will be checked — you’re able to run a time trial in the Gran Prix Cars. Basically a race against your own time, and without fear of interference from other drivers, you’re allowed two laps to run the winding track without spinning out or running into the tire bumpers. Good luck with that one.

Overall, the Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix is a child’s dream. Underage driving never has been more appealing.

For more than 50 years the Las Vegas Art Museum has been the Southern Nevada community’s premiere fine art museum. Beginning with a small group of visionary community members who founded the Las Vegas Art League in the 1950s, the museum has grown and transformed into a facility with a dedication to present works by emerging and internationally recognized contemporary artists.

Once located in historic Lorenzi Park, the museum now has an 8,000 square-foot facility that is adjacent to the Sahara West Library, approximately 10 miles from the Las Vegas Strip in the Summerlin community. The Summerlin location is temporary as the LVAM is currently looking to purchase land and build a permanent facility for the museum.

While the current museum space maybe temporary, the LVAM’s dedication to displays top exhibits and expanding it’s contemporary collection is not. Under the leadership of Executive Director Libby Lumpkin (Lumpkin came on board in 2005), the LVAM has focused its efforts, actively seeking accreditation while mounting a series of noteworthy contemporary shows.

Recent exhibits at the museum have included a survey of Southern California Minimalists, including Robert Irwin, Larry Bell, and James Turrell; solo exhibitions by artists Michael Reafsnyder, Martin Mull, and Cindy Wright; a comprehensive survey of Roy Lichtenstein’s prints; an exhibition of models by the architect Frank Gehry; the three-dimensional paintings of Kaz Oshiro and an exhibition curated by art critic Dave Hickey featuring artists who studied with him at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The museum’s current exhibit is “Las Vegas Collects Contemporary” presented by City National Bank. This exhibit features works of contemporary art on loan from Southern Nevada’s most important privately held fine art collections. Artists featured in the show include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Uta Barth, Dan Flavin, Andreas Gursky, Michael Heizer, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Donald Judd, Jason Martin, Takashi Murakami, Ken Price, David Reed, Gerhard Richter, Ed Ruscha, Venske & Spänle, and Andy Warhol and many others.

“This exhibition provides an opportunity to peek inside the outstanding private collections in Las Vegas,” says Lumpkin. “Contemporary art has become the focus of collecting for many of Las Vegas’s most high-profile citizens, who have been very generous to allow LVAM to borrow works of extremely high quality and importance.”

According to Lumpkin, the exhibition provides an overview that reflects the sophistication of Las Vegas collectors, with works by established masters of contemporary art along with examples of edgier pieces by emerging artists.

“The works on view represent only a tiny fraction of the works available in the collections, many of which are too precious or monumental in size to be transported to LVAM,” says Lumpkin. “This exhibition only hints at the scope of Las Vegas collections, but it is an impressive hint.”

In addition to exhibits, the museum also works in collaboration with the Clark County School District to foster the artistic development of local youths.

A nearby gift shop provides visitors with the opportunity to take home a work of art of their very own.

With emphasis on contemporary art along with its own diverse exhibitions, the Las Vegas Art Museum continues to enrich the Las Vegas community.

Glittering lights. Stunning visual and sound effects. Crowds of people.

Just another night on the Las Vegas Strip, right? Wrong.

Welcome to the Fremont Street Experience located in fabulous Downtown Las Vegas.

This project blends vintage Las Vegas with high tech wonderment, live entertainment and more to create an attraction that rivals the famed Vegas Strip.

Now more people than ever are flocking to this area. In 2006, the experience had 19 million visitors.

“Visitors come to Fremont Street Experience for multiple reasons,” said Jeff Victor, president of the Fremont Street Experience. “We offer free live entertainment, an intimate party atmosphere with a laid back feel and a group of great casinos in close proximity to one another.”

Lighting up the Vegas skies

The most obvious and largest part of the Fremont Street Experience is the Viva Vision canopy and light show. The canopy towers 90 feet above the ground and spans the length of five football fields. Featuring more than 12 million LED modules and 555,000-watt sound system, the light show attracts tourists and locals alike.

The first light show was broadcast in 1995. Nearly a decade later in 2004, $17 million was invested in upgrading the Viva Vision canopy. Significant improvements were made and now it has 10 times higher resolution, resulting in clearer, sharper pictures. It can also display 16.7 million color combinations. The display is so sharp, live video can be broadcast on what is the world’s largest screen.

Viva Vision features shows like “Lucky Vegas,” celebrating the city’s famous icons, “Downtown Divas,” a tribute to a girls’ night out and “Speed, Smoke and Spinning Wheels,” which illustrates the world of fast-paced auto racing.

Psychedelic shows include “The Drop,” a journey through an underwater utopia filled with beautiful sea creatures and “Shag With a Twist,” an animated show that features Southern California artist Josh Agle’s unique artwork combining elements of “Austin Powers,” “The Jetsons,” tiki culture and ’60s imagery.

Visitors can also enjoy the patriotic show, “American Freedom” during Fourth of July.

Released in Spring 2008, “A Tribute to Queen” is  the first Viva Vision show dedicated to one artist. Visitors can listen to “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions” while admiring the stunning graphics above.

Inside the Fremont Street Experience building, a master control room delivers all the magic to the Viva Vision light show. Technicians have only three minutes to load the show on the big screen. They are assisted by eight high-tech computers that intertwine the light, visual and audio systems.

Cameras are mounted on the actual Viva Vision screen and transmit a live video feed to a row of LCD screens inside the control room so technicians can monitor the show.

New Viva Vision shows are created each year and are rotated in and out. The Experience can choose from a library of about 15 shows at any given time.

More than just a light show

While the Viva Vision canopy is an amazing wonder, the Fremont Street Experience is more than just choreographed lights and sounds.

Each year the Experience hosts a number of special events including Race Jam during the NASCAR weekend, the annual Downtown Hoedown during NFR and Las Vegas Bike Fest in September. Live bands perform outside nightly.

“We are constantly creating events and experiences here for both locals and tourists,” said Victor.

Shops on the Fremont Street Experience walk include a spray paint artist creating masterpieces in minutes as well as kiosks selling souvenir items like engraved rice grain jewelry, unique T-shirts, hats and much more.

Visitors can also experience Fremont East, located between Las Vegas Blvd. and Eighth St. Emphasizing the glamour of vintage Las Vegas, Fremont East includes wider sidewalks, more pedestrian-friendly streets, landscaping, lighted gateways as well as four 40-foot-tall neon signs. Located in the heart of downtown, Fremont East sits adjacent to the Experience.

From the free live entertainment and little shops to the spectacular Viva Vision light show, there is something for everyone.

“The Fremont Street Experience and the surrounding casinos offer a very different feel than the Strip,” Victor said. “Guests often use the word ‘real’ when they talk about this environment. The energy of the group is really great. They bring big smiles, curious eyes and lots of laughter.”

For an all-out chocolate experience, visitors must check out the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens, which also includes an Ethel’s lounge.

Located in Henderson, Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Gardens is quite the adventure. Only 15 minutes away from the Strip, it attracts more than 700,000 tourists a year. Guests get to see chocolates being made, sample gourmet treats and meander through the maze of paths at the Botanical Cactus Gardens at no charge.

“Our chocolate factory and cactus garden provides a non-traditional tourist attraction for visitors to Las Vegas, a good alternative to the standard Las Vegas Strip,” said John Haugh, president of Mars Retail Group.

Picking up a piece of chocolate and popping it in your mouth only takes a second. Preparing the filling, texture and shape of it takes a lot longer. At the Ethel M Chocolate Factory, visitors witness the time and effort it takes to create that perfect morsel.

In fact, this factory has a series of pipes, conveyer belts and tanks that hold 20,000 and 35,000 gallons of chocolate.

“When we are refilling the tanks, we have to latch associates into belts to ensure that they don’t fall into the tanks of chocolate,” Haugh said.

Carol Chng, a visitor from Singapore, has never seen anything like this.

“It’s really interesting to see the process of chocolate,” Chng said. “And they are generous about free tasting.”

After exiting the factory, guests are free to roam around the Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge and sample chocolate. Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge offers eclectic, gourmet chocolate in a trendy, chic atmosphere. Featuring vibrant colored walls, dim lights and contemporary furnishings, Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge is the ideal place to escape the heat, relax and chat with friends while feeding that chocolate craving. In addition to its diverse chocolate collection, gourmet apples, warm fondues and chilled beverages are also available.

In the summer, don’t worry about the sweltering Las Vegas heat. The chocolate factory provides miniature cooler packs to keep purchased goodies from melting.

And you don’t have to feel guilty about eating all those little chocolate bites – you can walk off the calories at the Botanical Cactus Garden. The cactus garden boasts three acres of more than 300 different kinds of plants, including Teddy Bear Cholla, Texas Prickly Pear, Spotted Aloe and other cacti that most people never knew existed.

“I’ve never really seen a garden full of cactus before,” Chng said.

So how did these two different kinds of attractions come together?

“Forrest Mars was passionate about both chocolate and gardening, including cacti,” said Haugh. “The opening of both the factory and the botanical garden was a natural extension of those two passions.”

The cactus garden features a breathtaking display of Christmas lights during the holiday season. Guests can also see caroling, dancing and visits from Santa.

Spanning 31,000 square feet, the rink at the Fiesta Rancho Ice Arena is a rare find in Vegas and sets the bar for on-ice entertainment.

Seating up to 500 people during hockey games and events, the arena is home to a full-size, NHL-regulation ice rink. During free-skate hours, seating is limited, but it won’t matter because you’ll be having so much fun out on the ice practicing your triple axel.

There are four locker rooms with shower facilities and a hockey and figure-skate pro shop for those who know their way around a rink. If you don’t have your own equipment, the arena also provides skate rental.

Lockers are nearby for easy storage of your belongings, and a concession area featuring Subway and TCBY is under construction. There even is a birthday and special events room available.

The rink also is a great place to people watch, as skaters young and old from the expert to the novice hit the ice to test their skills and have some fun.

Las Vegas is famous for its bright lights and, of course, gambling, nightlife and overall accessibility of all things sinful. But, once upon a time, Vegas was also famous for the well-known secret of atomic testing that occurred 65 miles outside of town.

In the 1950s, visitors would travel to downtown Las Vegas to view the mushroom clouds that would rise from the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The site was the nation’s premier nuclear testing facility and operated from 1951 to 1992.

The NTS was established by the United States Department of Energy because military officials knew little about the effects of nuclear weapons. The site was home to atmospheric testing until 1962 when, fearing fall-out dangers, operations were moved underground. A total of 928 announced nuclear tests took place, with 828 of them being underground.

This important part of history is preserved at the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. Science can be compelling when presented in the right way, and that’s just what the museum has done with its unique displays and educational resources. The museum was established in order to preserve the legacy of the NTS and to promote public accessibility and general knowledge about the site. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is located inside the Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology building, which is only a mile from the Las Vegas Strip.

Built to chronicle the atomic age and its impact, the nearly 10,000-square-foot building houses artifacts from the NTS, and records the dramatic and fascinating history through a series of interactive modules, timelines, films and actual equipment and gadgets from the site. Both sides of the story are presented, from experiences of the on-site workers to protestors of the site. It strives to educate, inform and document the impact that nuclear testing had on a global, national and local level.

“The impact it had on Vegas was that it stabilized it as a community, and put it on the map for something other than the downtown Strip,” said Maggie Smith, director of marketing and special events

The tour begins with a two-minute video that is presented on three screens and explains the reasoning for the establishment of the NTS and its involvement in the Cold War, as well as a brief history of the NTS. From there, a succession of galleries continue to bring to life the story of atomic testing with brilliant displays of safety gear, testing devices and a comprehensive list of all operations carried out at the NTS.

The Atomic Age Gallery shows a parallel of world events with pop culture throughout the years, presented side-by-side in interesting timelines, along with television screens showing “signs of the times” videos in order to set the tone of the era. Proving the popularity and dominance of nuclear testing at the time, a case of pop culture icons on display includes Atomic Fireball candy, soda bottles and Kix cereal boxes that once contained an atomic “bomb” ring.

Perhaps the most interactive part of the museum is the Ground Zero Theatre, a bunker replica where visitors view a 10-minute video of an atomic explosion. The multi-sensory experience features thunderous sounds, bursts of hot air and vibrations.

Another short film is shown in the Silo Theater and explains the versatility of the NTS, as well as its many uses, such as the fact that because of the ruggedness of the terrain, NASA astronauts also used the site for training purposes.

In the Stewards of the Land galleries, which are dedicated to the early settlers and displaced Native Americans, light is shed upon the personal aspect and effects. They contain crafts and various objects utilized by the settlers on the land before it was turned into the test site. The personal stories of site workers are also shared on four television screens around the room, surrounded by photos of the people involved at the test site.

High-speed photography and video used to capture the images of bombs and explosions are on display as well, and an interactive computer allows you to scroll through the progress of a bomb in slow-motion, an eerie simulation that proves the incredible power of a nuclear blast. “The amount of photography makes the test site one of the most well documented secrets ever,” Smith said.

The final gallery, Today and Tomorrow, brings the experience full circle with a piece of the Berlin Wall and a beam from the World Trade Center that are on display, proving that in this age of global awareness, this chunk of history has never been more pertinent.

Also located in the museum is the Harry Reid Exhibit Hall, where traveling exhibits are on display. From now until the end of August, Michael Light’s “100 Suns” is featured. Light’s 100 drawings are based on images from the era of atmospheric testing, including some that were previously classified material. Smith describes them as “horrifically beautiful.”

A gift shop is also available and includes interesting souvenirs, as well as books, mouse pads, t-shirts and hats.

Whether you’re a history buff or just want to spend an afternoon buffing up your history, visit the Atomic Testing Museum where science is thought-provoking.

Have you ever dreamt of being a race car driver? Do you have the need for speed? Sahara Hotel and Casino has just what you’re looking for.

Las Vegas Cyber Speedway is the next best thing to the real experience. In fact, with simulators enabling drivers to customize tire pressure, aerodynamic wing angles, horsepower, braking response, transmission torque and suspension, you may forget that it’s a simulation at all.

Located in the NASCAR Cafe, the 35,000-square foot attraction offers visitors the chance to compete with up to seven other drivers in pursuit of the checkered flag.

Drivers can choose between zipping around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway or hurtling down the Las Vegas Strip, all realistically depicted on a 20-foot, wraparound screen. The cars are 7/8 the size of authentic stock cars and mounted on hydraulic bases. Both automatic transmission and stick shift are available.

Reaching speeds of 220 mph, racers will issue pit crew instructions while enjoying the sounds of the speedway through a 15-speaker sound system.

Current speeds and placement are displayed throughout the race for onlookers and final results are available once it concludes.