The Marjorie Barrick Museum on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, is an educational treasure that will appeal to all ages. From live reptile exhibits to amazing artifacts to its large, demonstrative garden, the museum is a fascinating way to learn about the rich natural and cultural past of southern Nevada.

Visitors to the Marjorie Barrick Museum are greeted by a collection of native lizards, including both the Western Whiptail, the most common lizard in Nevada, and the poisonous Gila Monster. The exhibit’s center features an open-air habitat home to desert tortoises. Other exhibits at the museum offer a glimpse into the lives and traditions of some of the area’s earliest inhabitants, both the Hopi and Paiute Indians. Prints of old photographs are interspersed with a variety of stone tools including hammers, knife blades, scrapers and choppers. Other artifacts on display range from a variety of baskets to winter moccasins, handcrafted from badger skin and sewn together with sinew, to a display of ancient needles that at one time were used to stitch hide.

An artistic exhibit shows the reverent side of the Hopi Indians with a display of ancient figurines. Known as Katsina dolls, these figurines are carved from cottonwood root and meant to portray different spirits. Hopi Indians believed the dolls carried prayers of fertility, health and rain to the gods.

Other sections of the Marjorie Barrick Museum chronicle the history of ancient Mesoamerica with a variety of intriguing artifacts. Interactive exhibitions can also be found, including a large weaving loom and the Xeric Garden that surrounds the museum.

Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM
Thursday- 9:00AM-8:00PM
Saturday- Noon-5:00PM

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