Nevada State Museum Las Vegas

What Nevada State Museum Las Vegas does

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is a state government cultural institution founded in 1982 and operated as one of seven state museums under the Nevada Division of Museums and History within the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. Located on the Las Vegas Springs Preserve campus at 309 S. Valley View Blvd, the museum occupies a 13,000-square-foot permanent gallery and has held continuous accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums since 1990, most recently reaccredited in February 2018. Its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and disseminate material related to Nevada's natural and human history, including geology, paleontology, Native American cultural materials, pioneer and settler history, and Las Vegas development.

The museum's core offerings span permanent and rotating exhibits, K-12 educational programs (School Field Trips, Virtual Field Trips, Museum in a Box), recurring public programming (Discovery Saturdays, Common Threads Lecture Series), wellness programming (Animal Flow), and research services through the Cahlan Research Library. Recent signature exhibits include the Arthur Rothstein photographic collection (co-developed with the Library of Congress, September 2025–March 2026) and the Travel Nevada-presented DARIUSTWIN light-painting series (January–April 2026). The institution is led by Director Hollis J. Gillespie (appointed April 2021) and supported by a small leadership team including a Chief Curator of History and Material Culture, Curator of Natural History, Curator of Learning and Community Engagement, and Curator of Manuscripts.

Revenue is generated primarily through admissions processed via the Springs Preserve ticketing system ($9.95 Nevada-resident adults, $18.95 non-resident adults), an annual membership program starting at $25, an on-site museum store, paid wellness sessions, and donor support through the Friends of Nevada State Museum Las Vegas. The museum operates with approximately 14 employees, distributes content via a website and major social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest), and leverages partnerships with Travel Nevada, UNLV, the Nevada Arts Council, Blue Star Museums, and federal institutions for programming, audiences, and curatorial content.

Name

Nevada State Museum Las Vegas

Legal name

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas

Website

https://lasvegasnvmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is a state government museum founded in 1982 that educates residents, tourists, K-12 schools, and researchers about Nevada's natural and human history through permanent and rotating exhibits, educational programs, and community events at its 13,000-square-foot gallery on the Springs Preserve campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

History Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

Keywords

• History museums
• Natural history exhibits
• Educational programming
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Museum memberships

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: The museum generates revenue through admission fees paid via the Springs Preserve. Nevada residents pay $9.95 for adults and $4.95 for children ages 3-17. Non-residents pay $18.95 for adults and $10.95 for children. Children 2 and under enter free. Senior and military discounts are available.
2. Memberships: The museum offers membership programs starting at $25, providing free admission and other benefits to members. Memberships help generate recurring revenue and build a loyal visitor base.
3. Museum Store: On-site museum store selling gifts, mementos, and merchandise, generating additional retail revenue from visitors.
4. Program Fees - Animal Flow: The museum offers Animal Flow fitness sessions at $20 per single session, or discounted packages at $85 for 5 sessions or $150 for 10 sessions. Members receive 15% discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas operates a state-run museum on the Springs Preserve campus, offering permanent and rotating exhibits on Nevada's natural history, geology, fossils, Native American heritage, pioneers, and Las Vegas history. It provides educational programming for K-12 students, public lectures, family activities, museum memberships, and a research library, charging admissions through the Springs Preserve and generating supplemental revenue through a museum store, paid wellness classes, and special programs.

Product overview

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas offers a single-site museum experience focused on Nevada history and natural history education. The museum operates core visitor programs including Discovery Saturdays (weekly family activities), educational offerings (School Field Trips, Virtual Field Trips, Museum in a Box), public programming (Common Threads Lecture Series), wellness programming (Animal Flow), and volunteer opportunities (Museum Guide Workshop). The museum also provides research services through its Cahlan Research Library, maintains a Museum Store, and offers a Membership Program for repeat visitors. Major rotating exhibits cover topics in Nevada history, natural history, and cultural heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discovery Saturdays Weekly family-friendly activities featuring hands-on engagement with the museum's education collection of artifacts and fossils, including workshops, crafts, puzzles, and games. New activities every week focused on Nevada's natural and human history, designed for families visiting the museum on Saturdays.
• Museum in a Box Mobile educational program bringing museum resources to classrooms, providing hands-on learning experiences with artifacts and specimens for K-12 students who cannot visit the museum in person.
• School Field Trips Guided educational visits for organized school groups aligned with curriculum standards, offering interactive learning about Nevada's history and natural history at the museum site.
• Virtual Field Trips Remote learning experiences that allow classrooms to engage with museum collections and educators from any location, expanding the museum's reach beyond on-site visits.
• Common Threads Lecture Series Public lecture series featuring speakers on historical topics including the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition, 1800 American politics, and Nevada history, designed for adult history enthusiasts and community members.
• Animal Flow Weekly movement program relating human movement to animals found in Nevada's natural environment, available as single sessions or discounted packages for adult wellness participants.
• Cahlan Research Library Research library providing access to Nevada historical documents and manuscripts for historians, researchers, and history enthusiasts.
• Museum Store On-site gift shop offering museum-related merchandise, gifts, and mementos to museum visitors.
• Museum Membership Program Annual membership program starting at $25, providing benefits such as free admission, member discounts on programs like Animal Flow, and special event access.
• Sensory-Friendly Exploration Hours Designated museum hours for visitors who benefit from a quieter, less crowded environment, supporting accessibility for sensory-sensitive individuals and families.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accredited by American Alliance of Museums since 1990 with reaccreditation in 2018
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Travel NevadacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 January 2026Travel Nevada presented 'The Neon in Nature Series' featuring artwork by DARIUSTWIN at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas from January 15 – April 6, 2026. This marks DARIUSTWIN's first museum show in the U.S.
• The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2025The museum collaborated with The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Department to curate 35 images from the 1940 publication 'Nevada: A Guide to the Silver State' for the Arthur Rothstein exhibit. This partnership provided access to historically significant photographic materials from the Federal Writers' Project New Deal era.
• Arthur Rothstein Legacy Project FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2025Personal belongings of Arthur Rothstein including clothing, tripods, cameras, flashes, traveling trunk, and camp stove were loaned from The Arthur Rothstein Legacy Project foundation for the exhibit. Rothstein's daughter Annie Segan and husband Brodie Hefner run the foundation.
• City of Las Vegas Centennial CommissionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 September 2025The City of Las Vegas Centennial Commission is a contributing sponsor of the Arthur Rothstein exhibit, funded by sales of the Las Vegas License Plate.
• Nevada Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2025The Nevada Arts Council Folklife Program curated the 'Find Your Folklife: We Are the Folk, All of Us' photo exhibit at the museum, showcasing cultural identity through photographs of Nevadans. The exhibit was originally debuted at the Winchester-Dondero Cultural Center before moving to the museum.
• Blue Star Museums (National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 May 2024The museum participates in the Blue Star Museums initiative, providing free admission to active-duty U.S. military personnel and their families during summer months. This is a national program administered by the National Endowment for the Arts.
• Friends of Nevada State Museum Las VegascoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 June 2021The Friends group, founded in 2016, supports the museum through fundraising campaigns including 'Cover for COVID' which raised close to $10,000 during the pandemic shutdown. They also funded taxidermy animals for exhibits and are raising funds for archival mannequins.
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2021UNLV Regent's Service Program provided student support for the museum's record digitization project. UNLV students and faculty have also participated in museum programs and lectures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Atomic Testing Museum: Las Vegas-based Smithsonian-affiliated museum covering Nevada history (nuclear testing era) with exhibits, educational programs, and a gift shop; directly comparable in scope, location, and audience.
• Springs Preserve: Adjacent cultural attraction and campus host at 309 S. Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas; jointly handles museum admissions and shares the visitor flow for natural/cultural heritage content in Las Vegas.
• Nevada State Museum, Carson City: Sibling museum within the same Nevada Division of Museums and History system, operating with a parallel mandate to preserve and exhibit Nevada history and natural history. Directly comparable in mission, governance, and funding structure.
• The Neon Museum: Las Vegas museum dedicated to preserving and exhibiting neon signage history; comparable as a destination cultural attraction with paid admission, membership program, and rotating exhibits in the same city.
• Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art (UNLV): University-affiliated museum in Las Vegas featuring cultural and historical exhibitions with free admission; competes for the same Las Vegas visitor and student audiences and partners with UNLV.
• Lost City Museum: Another museum within the Nevada Division of Museums and History system, focused on Ancestral Puebloan archaeology; directly comparable in governance, funding, exhibit model, and educational programming.

Emerging players

• Lied Discovery Children's Museum: Children's museum in Las Vegas offering hands-on exhibits and educational programming; comparable in family and K-12 audience targeting and weekend programming cadence.

Regional players

• Discovery Museum: Children's and family-oriented museum experience with hands-on science and history content; comparable in target segments (families, K-12) and educational programming model even if located in a different region (Denver).
• Nevada Museum of Art: State's largest art museum in Reno with permanent and traveling exhibits and educational programming; comparable as a Nevada cultural institution with similar state-anchored mission and programs.

Broad incumbents

• The Mob Museum: Established Las Vegas museum focused on organized crime history; operates as a privately funded, larger-scale cultural attraction in the same market and competes for the same tourist and resident visitor pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nsmlv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCg0JpvhbX8FQYSdBzmqURLQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/nsmlv
• Instagraminstagram.com/nvstatemuseumlv
• Pinterestpinterest.com/nsmlv/_created
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nevada-state-museum-las-vegas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nevada State Museum Las Vegas