National Atomic Testing Museum

Downtown Las Vegas became a tourist draw in the 1950s not only for its nascent nightlife and gambling scene, but also for the spectacular mushroom clouds—caused by explosions at the Nevada Test Site 65 miles outside town—you could view from the rooftops. The Atomic Testing Museum, in conjunction with the Smithsonian, chronicles Nevada’s atomic history from its beginning, with artifacts, interactive modules, and actual equipment from the site.