Nevada Gambling Museum

Nevada and gaming are inextricably linked, so no visit to the great state would be complete without a tour of the Nevada Gambling Museum in Virginia City. Visitors are consistently stunned by the 1870s saloon and poker room, which is authentic enough to have been used as a production backdrop by several video companies.

The Nevada Gambling Museum is dedicated to the history of gaming not just in Nevada, but the entire country, and its collections do a fantastic job of exploring gaming’s past from ancient times until now. The museum houses more than half a million dollars worth of vintage gaming memorabilia, which includes an incredible collection of more than 100 antique slot machines dating from the 1800s and early 1900s, gamblers’ weapons such as guns and knives, cheating devices and interesting photos. An intriguing old U.S. money display featuring $500 and $1,000 dollar bills is also on site. The museum is home to four life-size statues of famous Western characters with slot machines built into their bellies, as well as an exhibit that honors the Fey family. Charles Fey was the inventor of the very first self-paying slot machine in San Francisco in 1898, which he named the Liberty Bell. Only three are known to be in existence today.

With a mere one-dollar admission fee, a stroll through the Nevada Gambling Museum shouldn’t be missed. It’s an incredible step back through time, right into the famed American West.