Here is a free outing hiding in plain sight on Boulder Highway. Clark County Museum in Henderson charges nothing to get in. The county's own museum page puts the words right at the top: Free Admission. For that zero dollars, you get a 30-acre site, a full timeline of Southern Nevada history, a street of restored historic homes, a 1932 train depot, a ghost town, and, this Saturday only, a hands-on building project for families at the depot.
That Saturday piece is the reason to go this weekend instead of someday. On Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District brings Full STEAM Ahead! to the Train Depot Building. Families build a recycled city, using the museum for inspiration: what transportation did families have when Las Vegas was being built, what stores did they have, and how big were the houses? The library listing says admission is free.
Start Saturday at the Depot, Then Walk a Whole Street of Decades
The smart order is simple. Do the building project first while it is running, then spend the rest of your visit walking the grounds with fresh eyes. Your kids will have just thought hard about old houses, old stores, and old transportation, and the museum answers all three at full size.
- Heritage Street: a collection of restored historic buildings that recreate daily life from different decades in Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Henderson, with homes that carry you from the 1910s to the 1970s.
- The depot: tour the 1932 Boulder City Depot, see a real 1918 Union Pacific steam engine, and walk through an old-time caboose.
- The print shop: a replicated 1900s newspaper print shop.
- Outside: a mining exhibit, a resurrected ghost town, and a half-mile nature trail.
The Exhibit Hall Runs From the Ice Age to the Age of Entertainment
Inside, the Anna Roberts Parks Exhibit Hall tells the long story, from the Ice Age to the Age of Entertainment: the ancient Pueblo and the more recent Paiute, the first Anglo pioneers, early town sites and land auction camps, mining technology, and the gaming and entertainment heritage of Las Vegas. Read the story first, then walk through the houses it happened in.
The museum also holds the Remembering 1 October Collection, over 22,000 artifacts left at memorials at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and along Las Vegas Boulevard, with the stories behind them being collected and searchable. For many locals, it is the part they did not know existed.
How to Do It for Exactly $0
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Admission | Free for a regular visit; group tours call ahead for reservations and special rates |
| Hours | Open daily, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day |
| Saturday event | Full STEAM Ahead!, Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Train Depot Building |
| Address | 1830 S. Boulder Highway, Henderson, NV 89002-8502 |
| Questions | (702) 455-7955 |
- Arrive Saturday morning and head straight to the Train Depot Building for the recycled city build.
- Walk Heritage Street right after, while the houses and stores from the build are still fresh in your kids' heads.
- Finish inside the exhibit hall, and give the whole visit about two hours so nobody has to rush the grounds.
- No Saturday plan? The free part is not a one-day deal. The museum is free every day it is open, so pick any cool morning and go.
Las Vegas charges for almost everything, which is exactly why a 30-acre history museum at $0 feels like a loophole. This weekend, with a free city to build at the depot, it is the best-priced family outing in the valley.
