Place · Community

Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park

When

Visit on your scheduleTuesday-Saturday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (last admittance 4 p.m.); closed Sunday & Monday

Where

Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park500 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101Open in Google Maps ↗

Ages

All ages; children 12 and under are free

Cost

Museum admission: $3.00 (children 12 and under are free)

Organizer

Nevada State Parks

A small state historic park in downtown Las Vegas that preserves the remains of the adobe fort built by Mormon missionaries along a spring-fed creek in 1855, the first permanent non-native settlement in the Las Vegas Valley. The creek was the only free-flowing water for miles, irrigating fields and orchards, and the 22,000-square-foot outpost served as a way station for travelers on the Old Spanish Trail; the site also drew Paiute people, traders, emigrants and gold seekers. Today families can walk through the fort, which holds a range of historic artifacts, and a Visitor Center with exhibits and photos that explain the site's history, including why the Spanish called the area 'las vegas', the meadows. It is a manageable one-hour outing for school-age kids learning Nevada history and pairs well with nearby downtown museums. Museum admission is $3, and children 12 and under are free. The park is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 am to 4:30 pm (last admittance 4 pm), and closed Sunday and Monday.