Travelers flocking to Sin City look forward to hitting the casino, spotting an Elvis impersonator, attending a fantastic show, and, of course, experiencing its epic nightlife. While you could get to know Las Vegas in a casino or while strolling down the Strip, one of the best windows into Las Vegas quirk comes at a some of its…museums? Yep, you got that right! The city of glitz and glitter in the middle of the Nevada desert is without question quirky, and that also applies to some unexpected museums you just can’t miss. From a graveyard of neon signs to a museum dedicated entirely to pinball, these are some offbeat museums you should check out while visiting Las Vegas!
The Neon Museum
““You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.” ―H.L. Mencken” by anokarina is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
For a shiny and artistic taste of Las Vegas, head to the Neon Museum to admire Sin City’s historic and glowing neon signs. Dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs, the Neon Museum features a visitor’s center in the old La Concha Motel along with the Neon Boneyard, home to around 150 signs from hotels to casinos that tell of their role in Las Vegas history. You can only visit the site on a guided tour. Day tours cost $15 to $19 while a night tour with the signs glowing in their former glory costs $22 to $26 a person.
Hollywood Cars Museum of Las Vegas
Get up close to some of the most iconic vehicles from classic films like Back to the Future, Herbie Fully Loaded, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and many more. Touring the most famous vehicles in the entertainment industry is nothing short of a movie lovers dream. Although most of the vehicles are originals, some have been created to be exact replicas. Another vehicle found here is the Batmobile from Batman Returns and stunt vehicles from movies such as Fast and the Furious. This 30,000 sq. ft. museum hosts vehicles from more than 100 films, TV shows, and videos. Open 7 days a week, the Hollywood Cars Museum is certainly a Vegas must-see, especially if you’re a fan of Hollywood’s most amazing cars!
Pinball Hall of Fame
“Pinball museum” by James Brooks is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Right across the street from the Liberace Museum (which is the very definition of “quirky”), here you will find 10,000 square feet of pinball machines. The Pinball Hall of Fame is easily one of Las Vegas’s most unusual museums. Home to the world’s largest pinball collection, the museum features machines neatly lined up by the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club. The machines range in age from the 1950s to 1990s, with many pinball games from the heyday of the sport. While there is no admission to enter the Pinball Hall of Fame, if you want to play some of the machines you will need to pay first. The older machines cost 25, and the newer ones 50 cents. The Pinball Hall of Fame definitely provides an offbeat alternative to the slots and tables of the Las Vegas casinos!
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The Mob Museum
“The Mob Museum” by Jeremy Thompson is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Located at the heart of downtown Las Vegas (AKA not on the Strip), the Mob Museum offers a comprehensive look at organized crime and its peculiar relationship with law enforcement. The interactive museum certainly brings the quirky factor with chilling interactive displays and artifacts like the wall from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The museum also contains information on the mob presence in town, beginning in the 1950s, when Las Vegas acted as a haven and playground for American gangsters. You can find the museum in the former courthouse and U.S. Post Office right in downtown, so keep that in mind when booking cheap flights to Las Vegas with the intention of exploring Sin City’s most notorious spots!
Did we miss any other quirky museums in Las Vegas? If so, tell us about them in our comments section below!
