National Atomic Testing Museum
Ready for a break from the insanity of the Strip? The National Atomic Testing Museum should be just the thing. This unique Smithsonian-affiliated museum offers a collection of over 12,000 artifacts related to the development, testing, and deployment of the atom bomb. Located on the campus of the Desert Research Institute — roughly 65 miles southeast from the government's Nevada Test Site — it also explores the effects of the bomb on pop culture and society in general. It's not too heavy-handed, however — one of its current exhibits explores the truth behind the legendary Area 51 base, with help from the very people that worked there. And after a few nights of fantasy-fueled debauchery, a dose of truth may be just what the doctor ordered. That, and a good Bloody Mary. [via]
