National Atomic Testing Museum, Las Vegas ~ 9/23/13

This museum was located back towards the hotel so from the Mob Museum, I grabbed a cab this time and arrived pronto.

It's an interesting conglomeration of bomb development and testing, life in the 1950s, and Area 51. Some exhibits were more interesting than others, but here's a smattering of the museum's contents, from the silly to the serious.

It's very striking how lightly people took the atomic bomb testings back then, even providing scenic overlooks.

And, the much more serious.

 Tests still continue but now underground ~ a little scary.

Ground Zero Theater allows visitors to experience a simulated bomb blast ~ more than a little scary.

There was a lot of scientific detail and information and, frankly, it was too much detail for me.

The last exhibit was Area 51, part factual and part fanciful, including the alien, but no photos were permitted inside.

Lastly, as always, was the gift shop, where the clerk was originally from Michigan :-)

The Mob Museum, Las Vegas ~ 9/23/13

A few blocks away from Neon Boneyard Park, lies the Mob Museum, three stories chock full of artifacts and historical information ~ organized crime, wire tapping, prohibition, and much more.

Walk in and you are greeted by this gentleman.

The building is the old Federal Building and it contains the actual courtroom where Kefauver hearings were held back in 1950 & 1951. Las Vegas was one of the fourteen hearing locations.

Picture of Virginia Hill of Bugsy Siegel fame during a hearing.

There is a lot of history about the early casinos.

The Museum acquired the St. Valentine's Day Massacre wall and show a short movie about that day back in 1929.

 It's a little macabre, but here's the wall.

And while on macabre ~

More mob history ~

Another wall is devoted to famous movie mobsters.

 

 And naturally, the last stop on the museum tour is the gift shop.

Upon exiting, I saw this sign that on

another day might have tempted me.

But today I had one more stop to make,

the National Atomic Testing Museum.

  

Neon Boneyard Park, Las Vegas ~ 9/23/13

A free day in Vegas that did not include gambling or pool lounging led me to the Neon Boneyard.  It sounded interesting, so after breakfast, I started walking down Las Vegas Boulevard  for about a 5 mile hike to the museum. I knew there'd be interesting things to see along the way.

Getting close...

 And there it was, a couple of acres filled with old neon signs.

The Visitor's Center explained that one could view the "boneyard" only by taking a guided tour, and the next one was starting shortly. So the hour long tour began with a very informative but strict guide. We had to stay together and on the path, and we did. She had bits of information about many of the signs that are mostly just jumbled there together with no particular rhyme or reason. Here are some photos taken in the boneyard, in no particular order, rhyme, or reason.

By saving these signs, the museum is preserving part of Las Vegas history, so cheers to that.