If you’re a fan of strange things in unexpected places, drive a couple hours northwest of Las Vegas this weekend, where a celebration takes place to honor the enduring weirdness of Goldwell Open Air Museum.
😱 The Goldwell Open Air Museum
No. it’s not a mirage in the middle of a remote desert. The Goldwell Open Air Museum is a free sculpture park off the side of the road, featuring seven large-format art installations. A ghostly recreation of the Last Supper by Albert Szukalski is the centerpiece and most famous work. The exhibit also includes the 25-foot tall Pink Lady (a nude figure made of cinderblocks), a towering representation of Icarus with wings outstretched, and other intriguing sights. (Take a virtual online tour here.)
🎉 A Party for Art and History
The museum is holding a 40th anniversary celebration this weekend, featuring keynote speakers, a parade, live entertainment, food truck bites, and more Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 19 - 20). The event is free to attend and honors not only the legacy of the attraction, but the life of Szukalski and the joy of artistic expression.
A city in ruins. (Gary Koutsoubis/Getty)
👻 Nevada’s Creepiest Ghost Town
The Goldwell Open Air Museum is just steps away from Rhyolite, one of the most dramatic and photographed ghost towns in Nevada. It was once a thriving mining community with more than 10,000 residents, hotels, saloons, and an opera house. However, it reflected the boom-and-bust trends of the early 20th century and was quickly abandoned. Today, only a few crumbling structures and the train depot remain, drawing visitors to experience some serious post-apocalyptic vibes. Although not technically part of Rhyolite, there’s also Tom Kelly’s Bottle House, a small home made of glass bottles nearby that’s pretty weird in its own right.
🏜️ Hanging Around Town
The Goldwell Art Museum and Rhyolite are about five miles outside Beatty, a small town that continues to thrive with Old West charm and community spirit. The Happy Burro is Beatty’s most famous restaurant, known for cold beer and chili made with an award-winning family recipe. It’s named after the burros who roam the streets (so slow down when driving through the center of town) and is hosting a welcome meet-and-greet for the Goldwell Open Air Museum’s anniversary on Friday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.
🫏 Lay of the Land
Beatty is one of those places where history is hiding in plain sight. (The building next to the Happy Burro used to be a brothel and is now a private home.) The Beatty Museum and Historical Society is a valuable resource and a trip back through time. If you plan to spend the night, Beatty has a few motels as well as the Stagecoach Hotel & Casino — Denny’s included.
🛩️ For Further Adventures …
Beatty is just outside the northeast gates to Death Valley National Park, which is starting to cool down this time of year. If you need another weird roadside landmark to photograph, an abandoned airplane sits next to the shuttered Angel’s Ladies brothel off Highway 95, about three miles north of Beatty.
- The Goldwell celebration is one of the top things to do in October. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
