Without question, Las Vegas is a magnificent land of excess. With its bright lights, perhaps the brightest on earth, (as viewed from space), its 24-hour bars, massive hotels, and more slot machines than you can possibly imagine (over 200,000), the city is brimming with life. However, there is a lot more to Sin City than the vices of the vibrant Strip, and in a few days, you can experience a different kind of Vegas – in addition to those experiences that have put it on the map.
The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, aka The Mob Museum, is a must-see site with interactive exhibits that take you through the development of organized crime and its fascinating impact on American history and society.
The building itself is legendary. Once a U.S. Post Office and federal courthouse, it was the setting of one of the committee hearings aimed at exposing organized crime.
Inside are artifacts belonging to big-name mobsters. Learn about the mob busters, too, like Elliot Ness, and get an in-depth look at Vegas’s history, its bad-boy past and how it cleaned up. There are a few surprises along the way in this award-winning museum.
Head to nearby Fremont Street to see the original Strip — albeit completely rejuvenated and modernized.
Fremont Street was first built in 1905 and became Las Vegas’ first paved street in 1925. Long before gambling was legalized and the Las Vegas Strip became what it is today, Fremont Street was the centre of commerce and had a lively, albeit illegal, gambling scene.
See some of the original places mentioned in the Museum.
Underneath the Horseshoe Las Vegas, in the maze of countless shops, lies arguably the best speakeasy experiences in Vegas: The Lock and its sister bar, The Cabinet of Curiosities.
Both are the brainchildren of Imagine Exhibitions, which has brought to life Titanic: The Exhibition, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, Angry Birds: The Art & Science Behind a Global Phenomenon, and Jurassic World: The Exhibition.
The Cabinet of Curiosities, a bespoke bar, is a fascinating concept. It is a comfortable, cozy, but sophisticated spot, with dozens of cabinets filled with curios from around the world, with a QR code for each, providing its story.
The Lock, whose secret entrance is at the back of the Cabinet, has a locksmith and puzzles to gain admittance. It is a hidden gem. Sip on Prohibition-era craft cocktails, or have an expert mixologist concoct one to your liking in this intimate lounge.
A visit to both bars will leave you feeling a bit badass in that Prohibition kind of way.
The blockbuster movie Oppenheimer has renewed interest in the atomic era, and there is no better place to explore that than the National Atomic Testing Museum (Atomic Museum) — a Smithsonian affiliate that’s especially poignant and shocking. Come face to face with a real (unarmed) nuclear bomb, experience a simulated bomb blast, revisit atomic pop culture and be moved by the haunting artifacts and photos.
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For more information on Las Vegas, visit visitlasvegas.com
Photos: Courtesy Travel Nevada
