This nationally accredited institution tells it with authority-from the wanderings of a 225-million-year-old ichthyosaur in the Mojave Desert to tourists prowling modern-day Las Vegas. Located in a pretty park with a duck pond, not far from downtown Las Vegas, the Nevada State Museum's permanent exhibits focus on the natural and anthropological history of the region. Don't miss the recorded story of "Bugsy" Siegel's Flamingo Hotel, complete with his threats on his business partners' lives.