Could you imagine...... Could you imagine a time when you…read morehad to go hungry, or not have a job to support your family . You had to figure "life" out ! Sounds like some movie, we live in America the greatest country in the world. At one point in our history or a few the people were hungry and times were difficult. In fact no one had a job. This reference refers to the Great Depression . To control the wild Colorado River and make jobs the government started the Hoover dam project . This project was a plan so huge that it put individuals back to work . The dam was a huge endeavor and engineering project. It would dictate how the Colorado River and its allocation would affect California, Arizona, and Nevada water rights . The city of Boulder was the town created to house the workers and their families during this time of building. This first phase of the city of Boulder was controlled by the federal government. The city had bans on gambling, drinking, and enforced strict rules . These early settlements were not nice or great. The living conditions were poor. In fact prior to Boulder was conceived the living condition were something referred to as "Rag Town." It was a collection of shacks and tents. The worst possible. As an individual walks through this museum you can have a glimpse at what the average individual life's journey resembled through their eyes. What was daily life like ? What challenges did they encounter? What a great impact this museum presents through the workers point of view. The museum is put together so well . All the work that went into gathering the artifacts and information was done by hands that wanted others to see the world through their eyes .

4.5 stars This…read morelittle museum is located inside the historical Boulder Dam Hotel. Frankly, I was charmed by this hotel and would love to return someday for a stay. But, moving onto the museum...it is a small museum that packs a punch with the journey starting in the Great Depression when whole families migrated to places where they could get work. One of those places was Boulder city where the Boulder Dam (now known as Hoover Dam) was being built. The history of building the Hoover Dam is rife with struggle and, without the contributions of Depression-era Americans, this dam would not be possible. This museum highlights the struggle and sacrifice of these people, the development of Boulder City, and how politics played a huge role in keeping Boulder City from turning into the next Las Vegas, as well as drama over naming/renaming the Hoover Dam. The "official" count of industrial fatalities is 96 per the Bureau of Reclamation, but more industry-related fatalities have been suspected. The dam was built in 1931 and completed in 1936 with hydroelectric generators going online in 1937. Total cost was approximately $49 million (about $1 billion adjusted for inflation). The Hoover Dam is predicted to last 10,000 years, but experts believe other elements like water shortage would put the dam out of commission before the dam actually stops working. The Hoover Dam is still considered an engineering marvel with visits from 7 million tourists annually. This museum is worth the visit and it's free! There's free street parking as well. Highly recommend!

"One thing about trains: It doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get…read moreon?" The Polar Express We decided to get on! The purchasing of the tickets was a breeze . You just need to buy them at the depot. You actually get a paper ticket too . The train ride lasts about thirty minutes and it's takes you about three miles from the station platform to Railroad Pass Casino. Then it returns to the Platform. In between the wait for the train you can wander the platform and see all sorts of interesting trains from all around the world. This is a great way to spend an afternoon. Get out and see some amazing views of trains. Be a kid again!

I'm sorry to say but I was really shocked at the disaster of a trip this was. I spoke with the…read moremuseum director himself on the phone AND emailed him, I should have been warned upfront, because if I had I would NOT have made a trip out here with a GROUP of families with SMALL CHILDREN! 1.) The gps map took us to the trains on Yucca street and not to their new indoor building... they did send someone in a golf cart to direct us to the right location (btw it's on the main road in the same parking lot of Boulder City Collectibles and Antiques store) 2.) The museum is nice and air conditioning and the director did leave worksheets for us to use, but no pencils or crayons so we had to scrounge and share the 3 pens we had in our purses. 3.) Christopher MacMahon, Ph.D. Museum Director failed to send me this "school tour information" which would have informed me how long the walk would be from the museum to see the actual trains!!!! It was a LONG HOT WALK and NOBODY was there to show us the trains. There wasn't even AC in the trains like there used to be. 4.) He even told me over the phone prior to our visit that there was a picnic area at the museum that we could use. What he failed to inform me that it was outdoors and ALL THE WAY at the Yucca street part of the property! I asked if we could eat indoors as we were all so hot from the first walk there and back... AND we have toddlers with us! But I guess No food or drink indoors. We ended up NOT eating our lunch, and trying to eat in our cars instead. 5.) The Audio tour they give you when you're not on a live tour was terrible, you can't barely hear the guy speaking and it was chopped up into tiny sections and didn't tell you where to stand to view each exhibit. I DO NOT recommend visiting on the weekdays when there is no trains to take you back and forth from the museum to the actual trains. What a disaster it was! Also Christopher MacMahon, Ph.D. Museum Director did NOT apologize once, instead made the excuse that he usually sends school tours and information sheet...as you can see, he didn't send me squat.

Had bought a Groupon for Fizz... the champagne bar in Ceasars... to take my assistant out for a…read morepost-Holiday drink or three. But when we arrived, Fizz was closed. For good. Like out of business forever. So we walked over to the comfy looking Race and Sportsbook bar and managed to still have fun. Bartenders are friendly, the people watching is terrific, you can smoke (!), and there is every kind of game/sport imaginable playing on one of the dozens of large TVs in front of you. So while it wasn't the glamorous champagne night out we had planned, Race and Sportsbook isn't a bad place to throw back some cocktails with a friend. And heck, they even have some bubbly options.

This place is made for catching all the screen action you can take in. They boast as having one of…read morethe best sports book in Las Vegas and it is completely believable. Great place to stop and grab a drink from the friendly bartenders as you make your way to the Forum Shops. Roomy seating areas for lounging.

Mystic Falls Park is amazing! It's located inside Sam's Town, which is further east of the Strip on…read moreBoulder Highway, near Flamingo and Nellis. Self-parking is free. For fast route, use Parking Garage 2 and park on the 3rd level, it leads straight to the walkway entrance. While visiting, I noticed people lining up in front of the waterfall. I walked up to a staff member named Richard, he says a laser light show was about to start in 3 minutes. Richard mentioned the best view is right from the middle. I actually ended up watching it twice, the second time from the right side. It starts with a narrative about a magical waterfall: "It is said that the waters of Mystic Falls are enchanted and anyone who is touched by their spray is granted exceptional good luck and good fortune. The magical blessings of the falls are so abundant that each night they come to life, awakening the wonders of nature as they burst into the sky." Then, there's an 8-minute show with orchestral music, changing colors, water dancing and shooting high into the air, and laser graphics of butterflies and birds, very cool show and it's completely free! Show runs at 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm from Monday to Thursday. On weekends, Friday through Sunday, they add an earlier show at 4pm. Just a note, if you visit during the holidays, the show turns red, white, and blue with a patriotic laser theme on the weekend of July 4th. In December, they have a special Christmas show that starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs through New Year's Day. After the show, I wandered through Mystic Falls Park. They did an amazing job creating a beautiful indoor scenery and night lighting! The atrium feels like a magical forest, there's a pond, stream, and a bridge. It's filled with all kinds of plants, like bromeliads and these cool, fluffy trees that look like giant bonsais. Throughout my walk, I hear water features and various animal sounds like frogs and birds chirping on a continuous loop. There's even a few bench seats and a gazebo where you can sit, enjoy, take photos, and relax. It's truly awesome and the atmosphere is peaceful. If you're looking for something fun to do with the family, Mystic Falls Park is a great spot to visit!

WHAT A SPECIAL PLACE!…read more Inside Sam's Town Casino, just on the other side of the front desk, you can't miss the beautiful Mystic Falls Atrium! It is mystical as the name states. Real waterfalls with lights, thunder, nature sounds and nature trail all indoors---perfect for any day of the week just to get away for a few minutes or sit on a park bench and relax. There are showtimes listed on the Sam's Town website. But, the waterfalls are ongoing. Great for a picture taking, enjoy refreshing water and gazing into the sky... the casino rooms facing the atrium look down on the waterfalls, as well. It's a pretty cool setting in this western town themed casino. Always fun passing through here. It's been here for years. Mystic Falls Park is located inside Sam's Town casino off of Boulder Highway and the Flamingo / Nellis intersection. https://samstownlv.boydgaming.com/things-to-do/mystic-falls-park

The Art Festival of Henderson takes place every Mother's Day Weekend (two days) on Water Street…read more It's Arts, Crafts, Music, and FOOD.And it BIG be prepared to walk a lot. It might be one of the biggest festivals near to Vegas. Don't worry about getting hungry because you walk by several restaurants and at the festival we saw over a dozen food trucks. I tried GBD Food Truck and got a Falafel Bowl. It was an extra generous amount of OK food. My husband made a really great find and tried the Hot Honey Chicken Sando from Goodhood Food Truck. WOW that was that great!!!! This is a Food Truck to look for. This is a pretty good festival to try. It's free to park and attend. We got lucky and found a close parking spot in the parking garage.

You can't get higher unless you're planning on jumping on a helicopter or plane. This is the…read moretallest freestanding observation tower in the states. You can come up just to see the view or eat, drink, hangout, or get on a thrill ride. We were here because we had dinner with some friends and if you dine up there you don't have to pay an additional entrance fee. If you aren't dining the fee ranges from $25 - $35. Local discounts are occasionally available as well. Always check online or call the hotel directly if you're looking for a discount. It's fun for sure and it can sway at times when the wind picks up. The elevator ride up is very fast and we always have a good time up there.

I was so excited to stop by the Strat Observation Deck. I was here in November 2025 for a wedding…read moreand glad we decided to return today to enjoy the beautiful views of the Valley. I'll start with the reason behind my lower score as the observation deck would have received 5 stars. We knew about the observation deck due to attending a wedding that we were part of a few months ago. We hung out on the top floor 109 and enjoyed the outdoors. Today, we decided to visit The Strat and hangout a little. There is a charge to go here so look up the prices. We stopped by to get our players card and asked about the free entrance for locals to the observation deck. My BF asked if we needed just our ID or do they have a locals players card. She said yes there's a locals players card and she will give 2 to you. Strange so I kept my mouth shut. She gave us our players card and said that was all. I'm so confused. But okay. Hoping this will help others. We went up the escalator and we tried to enter. We asked the person working who asked us for our tickets. Yikes? Tickets? Okay, we didn't have any. So the moral of the story here is what you need to do. For you locals-Go to the Box Office, show your Nevada ID and players card. The worker said it would $15.95 each and we're like no we are locals and we were told it should be free during the week. Well, the worker then says, if you don't tell us, we won't offer it to you. So since you mentioned it, it will be free. Yikes! Okay, so make sure you tell them you heard the entrance fee is free to locals with ID and players card during the week Monday - Thursday. Overall, great spot to hangout. The views are amazing and it's very spacious. I will definitely return again.

Liberace Garage is located on Tropicana and Dean Martin, next to Hollywood Cars Museum…read more Liberace is a famous American pianist, singer, and actor. He was the first entertainer to bring a real vehicle on stage in 1958. Inside is a lovely display of Liberace memorabilia and artificats. The Liberace Edition Bradley GT was his personal car used in Palm Springs. The crystal-covered Liberace Roadster was used on stage at New York's Radio City Music Hall, and the Liberace VolksRolls is a Volkswagon Beetle custom made to look like a Rolls Royce. There's even a 1901 Olds Surrey, it was the first massed produced car in America, and nearly 4,000 of them were built in 1903. Many of the cars at Liberace Garage are replicas and not the original, especially the Model "A" Ford. There's also costumes from the 2013 movie "Behind the Candelabra" that starred Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, and several photos of Liberace and celebrities he's work with, as well as a custom made piece by Gloria Vanderbilt that's very special!

A really cool space if you're into cars…read more The guy who was working was awesome and gave us a run down of the place before we began looking at the cars. Be aware that not every car is an original. A lot of them are replicas, which was honestly lame. However, it was nostalgic to see some of these cars from great classics.

We went to the ugly Christmas sweater wine walk in Boulder City and it did not disappoint!…read moreThere were over 20 wine stops at various businesses..and the wines were so many different varietals ..it was refreshing to get dry wines as well as sweet in the mix. Everyone dressed up..it was so fun!! I will do this every year..for only 25 dollars you get 4 hours of wine walk...amazing time....

I walked and wined around Downtown Boulder City during the October 13, 2018 Halloween & costume…read moretheme walk- Wicked Wine Walk. The price is right, 2 for $45. There are 20 some stops along the Walk, which include retail stores, restaurants, bars and service businesses. Even the Boulder Dam Museum (within a hotel) is a stop, and they had one of the nicest set ups. Among the "treats" at the stops are wine, of course, water and snacks. It's not wine at each stop, which is disclosed in the event description. However, only one business that we went to didn't have wine! And they pour heavy in the cute and sturdy tasting glass everyone gets. Most places had a few different types of wine, some even had around 10! It was a hot day, and it was nice to get relief in the a/c at the stops. Some of the places had a big area for the wine tasting, and a few were really awkward. These places were busy with regular customers, and it seemed like having the wine there was an imposition. The check-in was easy, and this is where you buy tickets and receive the wine stop map. A few vendors were there handing out goodies as well as wine. This event is a great way to check out all the businesses around Downtown. They have a gift basket raffle and another basket for the costume contest winner. Overall, it exceeded my expectations and I plan on returning.