It is free, with no ticket and no fence. The biggest Veterans Day moment in Las Vegas this year is not on the Strip, and it is not downtown.
On Wednesday, November 11, the Nevada State Veterans Memorial opens its new permanent home in northwest Las Vegas. The grand opening runs 4:30 to 7 p.m., the unveiling and lighting are set for 5 p.m., and the whole event is free and open to the public.
Be There Before 5, Because the Flyover Is
This is a ceremony built like an event. The Joint Armed Forces Color Guard presents the colors, and the program is scheduled to begin just before 5 p.m. with a flyover courtesy of Nellis Air Force Base.
Mayor Shelley Berkley, Ward 4 Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske and Nevada Department of Veterans Services Director Mary Devine will be joined by local veterans for the opening. Miss the 5 p.m. start and you miss the moment the whole night is built around.
- When: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 4:30 to 7 p.m., unveiling at 5 p.m.
- Where: Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, 6105 N Durango Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89149, at the northwest end of the complex
- Cost: Free, open to the public
18 Statues, 7.5 Feet Each, and a Story Most Locals Missed
Here is the part most people drove past for years without knowing. The memorial is 18 larger-than-life bronze statues by sculptor Douwe Blumberg, each one 7.5 feet tall.
The state commissioned the statues in 2011 to honor American military service from the Revolutionary War through present day. The memorial was first dedicated in 2015 outside the Grant Sawyer State Building downtown, then moved before that building was sold.
The new home is a real upgrade, not a storage spot. The site adds an open-air promenade with landscaping, an amphitheater and informational signage, plus improved parking and restrooms, and the city calls it a place of healing, inspiration and education for Nevada's 200,000-plus veterans.
The memorial is a partnership of the State of Nevada, the city of Las Vegas and the Mayor's Fund for Las Vegas LIFE. Contractor Rafael Construction built the new site.
How to Do This Free One Right
Keep it simple and keep it early. This is the plan:
- Arrive inside the 4:30 p.m. window. The colors and the Nellis flyover land just before 5 p.m., so a 5:15 arrival is a recap, not the show.
- Bring the family. The statues run from the Revolutionary War to the present day, and the signage walks kids through that history in one promenade.
- Can not make it in person? The city is broadcasting the event live on city of Las Vegas TV and on the city of Las Vegas TV YouTube channel.
And here is the lasting win. After Wednesday night, Las Vegas keeps a permanent, free memorial in the northwest valley, in a park setting built for reflection, not a sidewalk you pass on the way to somewhere else.
One night, 18 statues, one flyover, zero dollars: that is the free thing to do this Veterans Day.
