When the museum was built in 1935, Harrington designed the exhibits and constructed many of the exhibit props himself. Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The Park Service withdrew from the operations of the museum in 1952 and ownership was transferred to the State of Nevada in 1953. Today the museum stands as one of the most popular tourist attractions in southern Nevada. More than 50,000 visitors a year find their way off the beaten track to learn about the ancient cultures that once occupied this corner of Nevada.
Archaeological research continues to be an important aspect of the museum's operations.
Museum staff members can often be found one step in front of bulldozers as the ancient sites are removed to make way for modern housing tracts. The museum, through receipt of a grant from the Fleischmann Foundation, was able to purchase several sites in recent years in an effort to preserve them for future generations. Research, preservation and education remain the primary goals of the Lost City Museum of Archaeology. Bibliography Harrington, M. R. in cooperation with the Clark County Nevada Archeological and Historical Society, Ancient Tribes of the Boulder Dam Country . Southwest Museum, Highland Park, Los Angeles, California.