Las Vegas Natural History Museum

Where in Las Vegas could you find a Frogfish and a grizzly bear under the same roof? The Natural History Museum of course! Even Las Vegas' zoos pale in comparison to the plethora of species incorporated within the Natural History galleries - and here you can actually touch them! Well, some of them. The goggle-eyed Frogfish with his puffy body and trailing tentacles might be one of the few timid species on display, but there are more than ample examples of other marine life to be discovered.

Located just ten minutes from the Strip at North Las Vegas Boulevard, the L.V. Natural History Museum is one of those places you'll need an entire afternoon reserved for exploration. Greeted by a lifesize Columbian Mammoth within the great hall, the safari begins just as soon as you set foot into the museum. Cool, echoey and huge in size, kids will be reminded of the film “Nightmare at The Museum” as soon as they clap eyes on the huge stuffed lion nearby. Frozen mid-pounce upon an unsuspecting buffalo, the life-size piece is as much a tribute to the artistic talent of the museum's past taxidermists, as it is a stunning example of the African species. It's well worth the photo opportunity if you can persuade the kids to stand still for long enough!

Start your journey upon the windswept dunes of an African Savannah, stopping of at the watering hole of the “Out of Africa” exhibition where lifelike hippos emerge like huge islands from the water. Run your fingers along the bristly mane of a desert goat; stand in the middle of a projected desert thunderstorm and check out three of Africa's most recently extinct primates, because this is like nothing else you'll see in Nevada! Wild Nevada Gallery draws you into the sun-baked Mojave Desert with the haunting screech of eagles and the faint tune of a wolf's cry, along with a fascinating array of interactive exhibits such as the panting coyote and grumbling badger. Kids are encouraged to reach out, touch, smell and stroke the exhibits – most of which are stuffed animals.

One of the most fascinating integrations within the Natural History Museum is the Marine Life Gallery, where both fossils and breeding species occupy an endless chain of glass aquariums. The first thing you notice are the huge whales and sharks suspended inanimately from the ceiling with realistic expressions and huge gaping jaws. Visitors often find themselves instinctively ducking, as occasional museum draughts cause movement among the marine creatures. It's like being submerged in your own glass bubble on the ocean bed, as colorful Frogfish, Koi and California stingrays dart about in the nearby tanks. One aquarium you can't afford to miss is the shark nursery, where visitors can watch baby hatchlings emerging from their eggs and stretching their spiked fins for the very first time.

Live exhibits continue to provide ambient wow factor within the Critters Gallery. Two Burmese pythons, aptly named Bonnie and Clyde take center stage among the multitude of venomous and desert snakes, with interesting placards about their history and the startling fact they can reach up to 25 feet in length. Nearby, kids are encouraged to interact with aquarium tortoises – even motivated to hold them under supervision of the gallery curator. Finish off the day with a trip to the MGM/ Mirage Young Scientist Center, where kids may well find their inner paleontologist, as they forage for fossils and analyze them under microscopes. Interactive experiences such as the marine submersible bring a whole new meaning to underwater exploration!