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• People of the Springs Gallery

People of the Springs Gallery

Children interact with the sculpted attendees
at the recreated 1905 Las Vegas land auction.

The People of the Springs Gallery focuses on the cultural history of the Springs Preserve and water’s pivotal role in the development of Las Vegas.

Explore these developments through recreated native dwellings, a historic railroad car, the re-enactment of the famous 1905 Las Vegas land auction, a Hoover Dam exhibit and many other attractions. Some highlights include:

Land Auction

Immerse yourself in the famous 1905 land auction that set the stage for the boom town that Las Vegas would become. Including life-size, sculpted figures, simulated environmental graphic and a full-size stage, audio narration from the "people" recreates the experience of the city's birth, placing it into context, historically and culturally.

The Railroad

Step onto a recreated railroad car from the early 20th century as seated, sculpted figures tell stories about the early days of the railroad, while audiovisual effects simulate riding across the desert to what would become Las Vegas. Learn how water and the railroad played key roles in Las Vegas' development.

Native American Settlements

Explore the lives of the Las Vegas Valley's original inhabitants through a series of amazing recreations, including an archaeologist's tent, a Puebloan dwelling room, a Patayan and Paiute garden, a group of Southern Paiute wickiups, a Mojave pithouse and a number of interactive exhibits and audiovisual presentations.

Hoover Dam

Learn about the history and construction of Hoover Dam, its impact on the water supply and growth of Las Vegas and more in "Dam, This is a Lot of Work," an immersive experience tying together a short documentary film and a scaled recreation of the dam itself. Get more details about the people who worked on Hoover Dam at "Best Town by a Dam Site," which features oral histories and accompanying graphics.

Cultural Timeline

Span 10,000 years of human occupation in the Las Vegas Valley as represented by this oversized timeline illustrating various peoples' adaptation to the region from Native American groups to Euro-Americans.