November 2010

Opened in 1910, the green-domed museum on the National Mall was among the first Smithsonian building constructed exclusively to house the national collections and research facilities. The main building contains 1.5 million square feet of space overall and 325,000 square feet of exhibition and public space; altogether the Museum is the size of 18 football fields.

Exhibits at this museum cover a wide range of topics about the area, from Native American and Chinese life in the area. There is a guns collection exhibited and many other historical aritifacts, as well as a substantial art collection.

Entering Greenfield Village is like stepping into an 80-acre time machine. It takes you back to the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. There are 83 authentic, historic structures, from Noah Webster’s home, where he wrote the first American dictionary, to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, to the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. The buildings and the things to see are only the beginning. There’s the fun stuff, too. In Greenfield Village, you can ride in a genuine Model T or “pull” glass with world-class artisans; you can watch 1867 baseball or ride a train with a 19th-century steam engine. It’s a place where you can choose your lunch from an 1850s menu or spend a quiet moment pondering the home and workshop where the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Greenfield Village is a celebration of people — people whose unbridled optimism came to define modern-day America.

Permanent exhibits at this museum cover the U.S. federal presence in Nevada, "Neon Nights," and Native Americans from the area, among other things. There are also changing exhibits as well as events and programs held by the museum.

Established by an act of Congress in 1989, the museum works in collaboration with the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere to protect and foster their cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice.

In the early 1930s, Anasazi Indian sites were being threatened by the waters of Lake Mead as it backed up behind the newly built Hoover Dam. Eventually, when the lake was filled to capacity, about five miles of sites had been inundated or undercut by the water.

The Civilian Conservation Corps assisted in the excavation of the sites and the construction of the museum building. The building was constructed of sun-dried adobe brick in a pueblo- revival style. The museum also served as the park headquarters for the Boulder Dam State Park that was established at Lake Mead.

The museum is currently owned and maintained by the State of Nevada as one of its six state museums. Program include ongoing archaeological research on the remaining Lost City sites, school tours and outreach programs, changing exhibits and archival library and collections research capabilities. Special public programs are held throughout the year.

In the 1990 the Depot Building and the Freight Barn were given to the State of Nevada for the establishment of a museum in eastern Nevada. As the newest of six state museums, the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum shares the mission of other institutions. Staff are dedicated to the collection, preservation, study, and interpretation of the vast and rich heritage of the State of Nevada.

The East Ely Railroad Depot Museum focuses on the historical industrial development of Nevada as evidenced by the massive copper production in the area which began in 1900. Located in the historic Nevada Northern Railroad Depot building, the museum interprets mining and transportation heritage.

Exhibits at this museum founded in 1995 cover a large array of military related topics, such as the Medal of Honor and most major U.S. wars, especially World War II and the Vietnam War. There is also an original model Civil War era cannon, a 1941 Jeep, and a Korean War mortar.

The Idaho Black History Museum is housed in the former St. Paul Baptist Church Building, built in 1921. The museum presents exhibits and provides educational and community outreach programs including lectures, films, workshops, literacy programs, and musical performances.

Visitors are invited to explore the grounds of this famous site. Historic features and locations have been confirmed, various construction techniques identified, and many personal artifacts have been recovered. The archaeology has given historians a better understanding of Fort Phil Kearny and of the reliability of the historical record. Although the fort was used in the 1860s, visitors still find trips to this site exciting and full of history.