Exploring Roots and Riches: Heritage Tourism and Fun in Las Vegas

Lead photo by Malcolm Hill

By Jeanne Rollberg

jeanne@jeanneology.us

Las Vegas is often called the Entertainment Capital of the World. But it may surprise you that it's also a great destination for exploring your family history. What happens in the Vegas area indeed stays in Vegas—marriages, births, divorces, deaths, and work records for ancestors who once lived there. Their places are right there, too. It's thrilling to stand where your ancestors stood.

Underneath the glitz, glam, and shopping of the famous Strip lies a rich tapestry of diverse cultures. They are waiting to be explored so you can take home some personalized treasures, unique memories, and the broader fantastic Vegas experience. You can be a heritage star.

Do you have a portable family tree on your phone? Bring it along and take a few notes as you learn more about Las Vegas and Clark County. To make the research and museum visits worthwhile, you'll want to come armed with as much information as possible about the ancestors you want to learn about during this fantastic journey.

Visit the excellent Clark County Museum located just outside Las Vegas in Henderson. It offers a fascinating insight into the entire region's past. The museum features exhibits on the early Native American inhabitants, the pioneer era, mining, and the development of Las Vegas. Explore Heritage Street, a replica of the historic town, and discover how the early settlers lived. The county has worked to relocate various historically important buildings to the museum site, which have been arranged on Heritage Street.

The museum's research library is invaluable for researching family history. It provides access to local newspapers, vital records, and historic photos. Engage with the helpful staff there to find some gems.

Explore cultural neighborhoods. Las Vegas is home to diverse ethnic neighborhoods, each with its own unique heritage. These will connect to your ancestors. Explore the vibrant Chinatown, which offers a blend of traditional and modern experiences, including authentic cuisine and cultural events. Visit the historic West Side, where the city's African American community flourished, and uncover stories of resilience and achievement. Explore the Hispanic neighborhood of East Las Vegas, known for its rich and vibrant cultural traditions and celebrations.

Does the Atomic Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate located minutes from the Strip, 755 E. Flamingo Road, connect to any of your ancestors who worked nearby? The movie "Oppenheimer" has brought fans to explore this fascinating but often little-realized aspect of the region's history. Learn about spying, pop culture, and atomic capabilities born in another era that are still fascinating and relevant today.

Vegas And the Mob. Were any of your ancestors here during the Lucky Luciano era of organized crime and its impact on American society? You can visit the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, also known as The Mob Museum, located at 300 Stewart Ave. in historic Downtown Las Vegas. There are hundreds of artifacts, as well as some cool immersive exhibits, and you can even conduct family research.

Did your family members get married or divorced in Las Vegas? The Clark County Courthouse at 201 E. Clark Ave. is in the Regional Justice Building. You can research wedding records in person (or online by clicking here).

You can stop here and even get married yourself, five days a week. Does a wedding chapel where your ancestors married still exist? While many have been lost, Graceland Wedding Chapel, where Jon Bon Jovi eloped with his high school sweetheart, Dorothea Hurley, in 1989, remains. It also introduced the first Elvis-themed wedding on The Strip.

There are some famous historic high schools in Las Vegas, such as the current Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, which is located on the site of Las Vegas' original high school. Other older schools remain, which you can research if your ancestor attended. The Historic Fifth Street School remains and has been converted into a venue.

Do you have any addresses where military or civilian family members may have lived in the area? Do you know what churches they may have attended to explore those avenues? Have you seen the Guardian Angel Cathedral at 302 Cathedral Way, near the Strip? Those additional visits can enrich your research both personally and spiritually.

One exciting dedicated research facility in Las Vegas is the FamilySearch Center, located at 509 S. 9th St. This historic church in Downtown Las Vegas offers scanning and computer resources, large screens, and individual researchers who can assist you in person. In this unique facility, you can digitize your tapes, photos, slides, books, home movies, and more. You can even sign up for online training classes. 

Las Vegas may be famous for its style and unique entertainment, but beneath the surface lies a wealth of family history treasures waiting to be discovered. With thorough research, careful planning, and a willingness to explore the area's rich, diverse cultural neighborhoods and traditions, you can embark on a personally fulfilling family heritage adventure that will be yours forever.

When you add it to your family tree, you'll be glad that what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas after all.

Jeanne Rollberg loves exploring roots tourism in fabulous Las Vegas, and everywhere her ancestors lived. She's a genealogy specialist who has researched in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, and other countries. Ireland is on her bucket list of ancestries. You can reach her at jeanne@jeanneology.us.