VACATION?!?

Vacationing in Vegas!

What do employees of Museum Explorer do on a long overdue and well-deserved (if not short) vacation to Las Vegas? Well, besides winning a little bit of coin playing the vintage Batman TV Show slot machine, they do what anyone would do--VISIT Museums! A couple months ago, we were lucky enough to head out to the Mob Museum and the Neon Museum while in Vegas.

Museum X's very own Liz Faron getting into trouble at the Mob Museum!

'Old Sparky'

The Mob Museum offers a fabulous and comprehensive look at organized crime in America. It is housed appropriately enough within the former Las Vegas Federal Courthouse, which was actually a location for hearings and trials on organized crime. The exhibits within the historic building include some of the most FUN interactives around, including an actual restored ‘Tommy Gun’, and ‘Old Sparky’—a replica of a prison Electric chair!  Below, you can see Liz testing out an actual restored 'Tommy Gun.'  When you pull the trigger, the sound of gun fire roars from speakers above your head and the whole gun shakes and rattles in your hands. And to our right we have Museum Explorer designer Rich Faron giving 'Old Sparky' a spin...  No kidding--when you pull the lever, the lights dim and flicker and the whole chair vibrates underneath you.  YIKES... Very effective!

Martini Glass sign restored and reinstalled by the Neon Museum just off Las Vegas Boulevard

The Neon Museum is a true treasure among museums. Affectionately referred to by the staff as the ‘Boneyard,’ The Neon Museum is a not-for-profit gem working to preserve the aesthetic history of mid-20th Century Las Vegas, as told through the artwork of its famous neon signage. The collection is extensive and is ‘stored’ outside. Given the dry conditions and low average humidity of the location, the collection is faring well. Most importantly, the Neon Museum takes seriously its commitment to ‘Collect, Preserve and Interpret’. In addition to its collecting, the museum has already undertaken the expensive and painstaking task of restoring many signs and returning them back into the community. The hourly tours offered are fun and full of great local history. Be sure to check out the local museums on your own trips this summer--and feel free to share them with us!  We LOVE museums!

Neon signs in the Boneyard at the Neon Museum

Catching the tour at the Neon Museum!

Liz testing out the Tommy Gun at the Mob Museum!