The library's special collections department maintains collections of material on the state of Nevada and its development, including photographs, oral history tapes, maps, and manuscripts. Also included there are menus, the university archives, and a renowned collection on gaming. The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History features a display of many species of live creatures from the Mojave Desert, including desert tortoises, mammals, snakes, spiders, and lizards. Other permanent and traveling exhibits are presented as well. It is closed Sundays and major holidays.
Admission is free.
The Performing Arts Center, which includes Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall and the Judy Bayley Theatre, is located at the northern end of the Academic Mall. The concert hall is the scene of regularly scheduled concerts, including the Charles Vanda Master Series. The theatre stages plays and dance concerts featuring student, faculty, and local talent. The Black Box Theatre and Paul Harris Theatre, located in the Alta Ham Fine Arts Building, are settings for still other campus productions and musical concerts. It also hosts other sporting events, concerts, family shows, and ice shows.