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.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 5:43 pm and is filed under Las Vegas Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.