The Lost City Museum, formerly known as the Boulder Dam Park Museum, is located in
Overton, Nevada
Overton is a community that is part of the unincorporated town of Moapa Valley in Clark County, Nevada. Overton is on the north end of Lake Mead. It is home to Perkins Field airport and Echo Bay Airport.
History
Overton was originally se ...
and is one of seven managed by the Nevada Division of Museums and History, an agency of the
Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs The Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs is a state government agency in Nevada that focuses on the promotion and regulation of Nevada's tourism and cultural industries and landmarks.
History
The department was the result of a merge ...
.
History
The Lost City Museum shares its location with an actual prehistoric site of the
Ancestral Puebloans
The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...
. The museum was built by the CCC conservation corps in 1935 and was operated by the National Park Service to exhibit
artifacts from the
Pueblo Grande de Nevada
Pueblo Grande de Nevada, (26 CK 2148), is a complex of villages located near Overton, Nevada, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Native American history
The site, also known as ''Nevada's "Lost City"'', was founded by Bask ...
archaeological sites, which were going to be partially covered by the waters of
Lake Mead as a result of building the
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on S ...
.
In 1981, an extension of the museum was built, incorporating some ruins in order to protect them and share them with the public.
Description
The museum offers a reconstructed Puebloan house-site that is open to visitors.
The museum has displays depicting the excavations of the sites, artifacts unearthed during the project, pictures of the historical excavations, an excavated pithouse and reconstructions of the Puebloan houses. Pottery, shells, jewelry and many other examples that showcase the history of the early inhabitants are on display at the museum.
References
External links
Lost City Museum web siteInformation about the museum
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Museums in Clark County, Nevada
Native American museums in Nevada
Archaeological museums in Nevada
Natural history museums in Nevada
Buildings and structures in Overton, Nevada
National Register of Historic Places in Clark County, Nevada
Native American history of Nevada
Pueblo Revival architecture
Museums established in 1935
1935 establishments in Nevada
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Nevada
Museums on the National Register of Historic Places