Lost City Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Boulder Dam Park Museum
|
|
Reconstructed Anasazi Pueblos in Lost City Museum
|
|
 Location in Nevada
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | SR 169, W side Overton, Nevada |
|---|---|
| NRHP reference No. | 96000126 |
| Added to NRHP | February 22, 1996 |
The Lost City Museum is a cool place to visit in Overton, Nevada. It used to be called the Boulder Dam Park Museum. This museum is one of seven museums looked after by the Nevada Division of Museums and History. This group is part of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.
Contents
Discovering the Past: History of the Museum
The Lost City Museum is built right where an ancient village once stood. This village belonged to the Ancestral Puebloans. These were Native American people who lived in the southwestern United States a long time ago.
Building the Museum
The museum was built in 1935 by a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps. This group helped people find jobs during a tough time in history. The National Park Service ran the museum. Its main job was to show off artifacts from nearby ancient sites.
Saving Ancient Treasures
These ancient sites were called Pueblo Grande de Nevada. They were going to be partly covered by the waters of Lake Mead. This happened because the Hoover Dam was being built. The museum helped save and display important items before the water rose.
Museum Expansion
In 1981, the museum got bigger. A new part was added to protect some of the actual ancient ruins. This allowed visitors to see these ruins up close and learn about them.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The museum has a reconstructed Puebloan house-site that visitors can explore. It's like stepping back in time to see how these ancient people lived.
Inside the Museum
You can see displays that show how archaeologists dug up the ancient sites. There are also many artifacts found during these digs. These include pottery, shells, and jewelry. They tell the story of the early people who lived there.
Ancient Homes and Tools
The museum also has an excavated pithouse. A pithouse was an early type of home built partly underground. You can also see reconstructed Puebloan houses. These show what the homes of the Ancestral Puebloans looked like.
