The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to inspiring a better understanding and appreciation of the world, the sciences, and ourselves. After humble beginnings 30 years ago, the Museum is now a Smithsonian Affiliate, accredited with the American Alliance of Museums, and a federal and state repository for hundreds of thousands of fossils and artifacts. These important materials are preserved, stored, researched and often exhibited at the Museum. Visitors are invited to view the Research and Collections Department's work in the Richard A. Ditton Learning Lab – one of the only working paleontology labs in Nevada. The Museum’s galleries immerse visitors in some of the world’s most intriguing places and times. From the desert to the ocean, from Nevada to Africa, from prehistoric times to the present, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum takes visitors of all ages on a learning adventure around the world.