If you have not had a chance to take the kids to the Clark County Museum in Henderson you are missing out. This is a fun and unique place to take the kids on a journey back through time. While there, little ones can explore the Anna Roberts Parks Exhibit Hall and wander down Heritage Street, which features eight historic buildings from right here in Clark County.
Anna Roberts Parks Exhibit
Travel through time in the main building where you can walk through an exhibit that takes you through a physical timeline of Nevada. You will start in ancient times and travel all the way to the present. This exhibit starts off with a model of a dire wolf looking at you. This wolf is extinct and once roamed the Vegas valley area 10,000 years ago. From there you will learn about the Colombian mammoths, ground sloths and American lions which once lived in Nevada. As you move along, you will learn more about the Southwest Native American tribes, including the Anasazi, Mohave and Pauite.
Further inside this exhibit you will be able to see old gas tanks, fashions from the 1960’s, a roulette table and a ton of retro hotel memorabilia from Vegas.
Heritage Street
Once you enter the buildings you will feel like you have stepped back in time. You will feel like you have stepped back 100 years as you explore and see what life was like here in Southern Nevada. You and the kids are sure to have a blast exploring homes, buildings and trains that date back to the 1900s through the 1950s.
These homes and buildings show what life was like here many years ago. Mark Hall-Patton, Museum Administrator, said that when kids walk through these buildings they get to see how people used to live here. For example, it helps kids understand what life was like when they did not have air conditioning, phones nor video games.
“The idea of the homes is to show it as if someone is currently living there,” he continued. “We have food on the table, the kids’ rooms are decorated and we move the mannequins around now and then.”
Though the homes are no longer being lived in, the museum tries to make it look like someone just stepped out and will be home soon. This is definitely not your traditional museum and the kids are sure to have a blast exploring it.
The museum continually tries to set up different scenarios such as having one kid in the kitchen with mom and another hiding in the room. They are always trying to set up something fun, something everyone can discover.
Admission
The Clark County Museum is definitely one of the most affordable attractions in Henderson. Cost of admission is only $2 for adults and $1 for seniors and children. Group tours and museum memberships are also available.
Gift Shop
After you are done exploring and learning, stop by the gift shop. There you will find a variety of unique items for sale. Plus, you can get the kids books to help keep them learning about the things they saw and help answer the questions they may have asked.
Overall, the museum works hard to try and make everything relatable to kids. For example, they have a lunch box from when the Pauite lived in the area. During tours, guides will talk to kids about what is in their lunch box and compare it to what would have been in the lunch box back then.
In an era filled with technology, the museum aims to excite kids about the area’s history and encourages them to want to learn more. Even if they look it up on their phones while there or one the computer when they get home, they are continuing to learn more.
If you are looking for an environment where you and the kids can explore together and relate to things you see, this is the place to visit. The Clark County Museum offers an affordable, entertaining and educational place for families to go. Best thing is, they are open all year long, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The Clark County Museum is located at 1830 South Boulder Highway in Henderson (89002). The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. all year long, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information call (702) 455-7955.
