The City of Las Vegas’ $6.5 million downtown gateway sign, with 13,016 lights on the arches, is illuminated on Las Vegas Boulevard near The Strat Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. The 80-foot-tall project was designed by Selbert Perkins Design and fabricated and installed by YESCO.
Thursday, June 10, 2021 | 7:45 p.m.
Photos of United States presidents line the back wall of the Las Vegas City Hall chambers. But noticeably missing are pictures of historic city leaders.
“How do we memorialize what we’re doing, the work that we’re doing, the councils, the mayors, our progress, that progress as a city from where we were to where we are?” said Councilman Cedric Crear, a member of the Las Vegas Centennial Commission, a group of appointed citizens who plan citywide preservation projects.
One solution floated Thursday during a Centennial Commission meeting: Creating a new city museum. They discussed a vision of the proposed museum, if the community wants or needs it, location and funding.
“I’m not saying that it has to be the Smithsonian, but I do think we need someplace that people can go. I do believe that in my heart, people will come to look at the history of Las Vegas,” Crear said.
The commission started before the city’s 100th anniversary in 2005 when officials were looking for ways to celebrate that milestone. They are funded by sales from the commemorative license plates at the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.
The commission has spent about $24 million on city history preservation projects like restoring vintage neon signs on Las Vegas Boulevard and developing historical documentaries.
The money is still coming in and most of the commission seemed to agree that a new museum would be a good way to spend it.
Commissioner Ric Truesdell suggested the city work with directors of existing museums to add a more robust history to their displays that includes contributions of local lawmakers. He said funding a museum would be a nightmare.
City government history could easily fit in and add to exhibits at the Natural History Museum, the Children’s Discovery Museum and the Neon and Mob museums, Truesdell said.
“Should we just integrate into the existing structure, because that’s a lot cheaper,” he said.
Louise Helton, another commissioner, said she’s discussed the museum proposal with officials in the Clark County School District and feels it would be a good resource for students.
“That was one of the things that they thought was the most useful, a place that children can go and relate to history,” Helton said. “Obviously a virtual situation is great and it saves a lot of money and puts a lot of content out there easily, but it’s not easily digested by children.”
The group will continue the discussion at its next meeting.
