Eight Quirky Attractions in Nevada

Unearth Nevada’s quirky side on your next group tour! Explore ghost towns surrounded by desolate desert landscapes, step into an alien-themed brothel, and include a pit-stop at outlandish roadside attractions, all while making unforgettable memories along the way.

Unusual Museums

Tour the strange and unconventional collections that cater to every obscure niche at Nevada’s most interesting museums. Take the Atomic Museum in Paradise, for example, where groups can learn about the Atomic Age. From nuclear rockets to personal atomic weapons, the museum showcases scientific and tech advancements throughout history in 8,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum shows off Hollywood horror’s best, quirky costumes, memorabilia, and special effects featured on mainstream hits like “The X Files” and “Puppet Master.” This personal collection of monsters and creatures adorns the walls of the museum in historic downtown Boulder City between Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam.

In Alien Country, two hours north of Las Vegas, you can shop for Area 51 souvenirs at the Alien Research Center, eat extraterrestrial-inspired snacks at the Area 51 Alien Travel Center & Brothel, and stop at many other alien-inspired attractions along the Extraterrestrial Highway that stretches over 100 miles between Alamo and Tonopah.

Outlandish Attractions

Nestled in what was known as the “World’s Greatest Gold Camp,” Goldfield Historic Cemetery features grim humor inscribed on tombstones. The epitaphs documented throughout this Wild West graveyard give groups a taste of what a weird Nevada road trip is all about.

You can’t miss the towering neon rock stacks, brightly spray-painted cars, and whimsical sculptures along the Free-Range Art Highway. The eclectic 500-mile stretch of highway between Las Vegas and Reno has open-air art galleries and roadside collections of oddities. Over 40 nose-first buried cars at the International Car Forest of the Last Church, ghostly statues at the Goldwell Open Air Museum, and a stunning rainbow of colors at the Seven Magic Mountains pop against the sprawling desert landscape at each roadside stop.

Ghost Towns

Nevada is littered with quirky ghost towns filled with abandoned Old West history. Before you leave, belly up to the bar at an authentic Sagebrush Saloon, like local favorites including Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings and Happy Burro Chili & Beer near Death Valley National Park.

Goodsprings Ghost Town in southern Nevada offers a quintessential Wild West ghost town daytrip. Located 45 minutes south of the Las Vegas Strip near Jean, the town dates to the early 1900s. Or, walk the eerie streets of Rhyolite Ghost Town in Beatty near Death Valley National Park, a former mining town full of ghostly ruins.

Written by Erica Zazo

Main Image: International Car Forest of the Last Church; Credit: Sydney Martinez/Travel Nevada