The Burlesque Hall of Fame

This is a fantastic find of a small niche museum! Packed into a tiny space, you come face-​to-​face with costuming and ephemera from the legends of American Burlesque, some of them still living! The exhibit is well curated an annotated and rotates content often, so visiting a few times per year will allow you to see more of the collection.

While it was small and hard to find at first, we were very pleased with the museum. The women working there made all the difference-​she was very friendly and informative, and we learned a lot about an often ignored topic.

Don’t expect a proper MUSEUM, this is basically just a lovingly curated exhibit of photos with descriptions and a few interesting costume pieces. It’s clear that this is someone’s passion, put together out of love for the art.
The real star was Rae (Ray?) who was quick to answer our questions and share juicy tidbits about the wilder antics of some of the performers on the walls. She let us know that the hall of fame would be moving to a much bigger location soon. Great to know, since we’re trying to make it back to Las Vegas in the spring! When we mentioned that we were looking for a couple of good bars to visit that night she pulled out a pad of paper and made us a list (with descriptions) of bars she recommended! We visited a couple of her recommendations and she was not wrong! This lady could be a tour guide for dive-​loving out of towners! ;)
It’s inexpensive, it’s right down town, it’s got the friendliest docent you’ll ever meet. Why the hell not?

A tiny space in Fremont East which is about the size of a studio apartment, and that’s not exactly a knock. It’s free and the staff was incredibly helpful in answering questions and giving tips about the surrounding Arts district. This is the sort of place downtown Las Vegas needs. There’s lots of potential in the surrounding area and I’ll be interested to see how it grows over the next few years.

Worth seeing if you’re interested in entertainment history or Vegas history, or if you’re in the Fremont neighborhood. The «museum» is a small room right off the cool coffee shop in the bottom floor of the Emergency Arts building. Check out the museum, have a coffee or snack, and head upstairs to see if any of the art galleries are open.
A very different feel than what most tourists get of Vegas.

As has often been mentioned, it’s a tiny place. I walked by a few times trying to find a direct entrance only to realize it was essentially inside the Beat Coffehouse, a quick left towards the room in pink.
The room is smaller than a studio apartment if not also most of the spaces over at Container Park. (See review.) If you read all of the history and view the pictures slowly, it will probably take all of twenty minutes to complete the tour.
A minimum $ 5 donation is gently encouraged. There’s also memorabilia available for purchase as well as the opportunity to become a supporting member.
If you’re interested in or just curious about burlesque, it’s worth a stop.

So amazing. This place is a must see. They perfectly preserved past and modern show girl history. From costumes to matchbooks… This place has so much history and love. You can literally feel like you have stepped in a time machine!

A tiny, hidden museum tucked inside a coffee shop/​art collective in the hip, cool area of downtown? Sounds intriguing? Let me tell you, it is. I came across this place when I was just trying to walk off my lunch. I saw a sign and could not resist the pull to walk in. I have a bit of an obsession with the glamour of old burlesque and have read an inordinate amount of information about Gypsy Rose Lee. This was like visiting a holy place I didn’t even know existed.
I chatted for a few minutes with the front counter woman. She was super nice, friendly and had lots to say about the museum. It consists of a few pictures and some costumes, letters and playbills. Per the young lady, they rotate their displays fairly constantly due to the space restrictions. Its only about the size of one room.
This stop was worth it just for the great conversation. This lady was so knowledgeable about not just burlesque but about Las Vegas. I really wish I would’ve taken her name. She deserves a shout-​out. She gave me directions back to the bus stop and even went through her entire t-​shirt stock to find me a size small. I took home a light pink Blaze Starr top. It’ll be great for the gym
If you have even a slight interest in burlesque, this is a great place to spend a few minutes.

A surprise find inside the cool art enclave of the Emergency Arts Collective in the Fremont Street area of Vegas. A wing right off The Beat coffee shop, the exhibit was interesting, amusing, and very fun. Classic old style Vegas and full of personality to match those big vintage bright Vegas signs all down Fremont Street. Don’t go expecting raunch because it’s not, just all risqué charm and lots of history. Heard this place is moving to accommodate its much larger collection of burlesque ephemera. Look forward to going back to see more! Pick up a vintage burly queen postcard!

A charming, carefully curated collection of burlesque ephemera from its heyday through today. The displays walk you through the history of the art of burlesque (probably clearing up a lot of misconceptions – it did for me!) and making clear just how varied a performance art form it is.
The new display is an assortment of recently acquired pieces, demonstrating directly that the museum continues to grow by establishing and maintaining close ties in the community to find and work with legendary performers to share their objects – and by extension, their experiences – with the world.
It’s in a small space right near the entrance to Fremont St. and is totally worth a look. Admission is free, although a $ 5 donation is appreciated. Once you see how hard these folks work to keep it going and feel their love and passion for it, you might well want to put in more. Or even become a member!
Full disclosure: I’m one of those who has a love and passion for it. I volunteer with the Burlesque Hall of Fame.

So great to see a history that could have very well been lost to the public being displayed for all to see. Not to mention all the fun souvenirs!

I’m so glad this was open on a recent visit to the Emergency Arts space in downtown Vegas. It’s a small museum, and usually has 2 – 3 small exhibits going on. I was very appreciative of the dancers of color exhibit that was on when I visited. It’s sad that so little of this history is preserved, so I’m glad I had a chance to make a donation and purchase items from the gift shop to show support.

Very interesting. I am grateful that someone is taking the time to collect all these wonderful and hard to find treasures of the past. The collection is very good and complete. I thought it would be a lot bigger, but there is not much to complain about since the tour is free. I appreciate things like this greatly, and encourage more of it. Vegas needs more preserved unique culture such as this. I suggest everyone stop by and check this out!

Awesome FREE (well donations accepted) thing to do in Vegas! Very interesting history!!! Must see!!!

Lots of pictures, guy at desk knows a lot about Burlesque. Must visit when in Vegas

I echo what Jeannine K. wrote. The museum is available «by appointment only» at this time. I’m a burlesque performer and was excited to visit, but I wasn’t able to go in when I arrived last Thursday around 3:00 PM. Their voicemail message doesn’t mention that they’re closed. I’d suggest calling a day or two before, or earlier, to make an appointment. I wish I could have gone in. I was planning to give a donation and buy souvenirs to support the museum. I have to provide a rating to post this info, so I’m giving it 3 stars to lend my support, but I’m very disappointed that I wasn’t able to go inside.

Was super excited to go here during my vacation and they were closed despite going during their «business hours». It looked cool from the outside but it is TINY so keep that in mind, it might not be worth the cab/​bus ride if you are a tourist. I heard this place is run by volunteers but I would still think it would be a priority to be open during operating hours.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a little hard to find, and as of 4÷7÷12 the phone number listed goes directly to the out-​of-​state voice mail of a woman who (I guess) used to work there.
It’s worth finding, though, especially if you are interested in Burlesque or just looking for something «different» to to in Las Vegas.
Like other reviewers have mentioned, it’s tucked inside the Emergency Arts building (which used to be a J.C.Penney’s) where there are also lots of little gallery spaces, artsy work spaces, and a coffee shop.
It’s free, but make a donation if you can… it’s a good cause and they seem like they could use the money!
There are tons of interesting photos and some costumes exhibited, and T-​shirts and postcards to buy.
The gentleman working there was very friendly and seemed to know a lot about the history of Burlesque. He was very passionate about it and took a refreshing feminist stance in talking about the subject.
The downtown/​Fremont street area is pretty seedy & run-​down looking during the daytime… I found it very interesting to drive around down there and see a side of Las Vegas that’s pretty different from the Strip.
I’d say it’s worth a little trip down there… there’s metered parking on the street, you can check out the Burlesque «Museum» and then have a nice latte’ and a snack at the little café.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a Vegas gem tucked away in a corner of Emergency Arts on the first floor just inside the entrance. Rather than rewrite what other reviewers have already said, I’ll skip the basics. I liked this place from the second I walked in. Got questions? Ask. The people I’ve met in here are friendly and very knowledgeable about their burlesque history. Being from Kansas City I went looking for any links to the historic Burlesque shows that were held at the Folly Theater and sure enough they had posters from Kansas City and the Folly!
The story of how the Hall of Fame acquired the majority of their collection is one you want to ask about. This isn’t just a hall of fame, it’s a restoration and preservation work in progress as well.
There are many places in Vegas where you can spend time but if you want to add to your understanding of how Vegas came to be and understand a little bit more about the magnificent showgirls that our city is known for, stop here. Look at the displays and then ask a question or three. Again, I love this place, and I support what they are trying to do here. 5 Stars: For attitude, display quality, coolness, and the fact they are trying to preserve a part of America that needs to be preserved.

This is my first review on Unilocal so please be kind! I feel very strongly about this museum and want it to do well which is why, for the first time in the year I have been a member of Unilocal,I am choosing to write a review.
Before I get started, just a little bit of info about the museum. The museum is tucked away in a corner of the Emergency Arts Collective in Las Vegas. If you go through the front door of the collective, it is immediately on your left. Looks can be deceiving as it is right next to a restaurant/​bar and you wont see it until you walk through the front doors.
Now for a little Burlesque 101. This is not the striptease you know that is so prevalent and popular in Las Vegas entertainment. Burlesque/​Striptease is considered an art form. If you walk into a majority of the stripclubs in Las Vegas, you will find strippers, not dancers performing striptease. This is nothing against strippers. Striptease artist tend to spend more time on costume, music and performance than they do gyrating to the music. The goal of the dance is different between strippers and striptease artists. It seems like a semantical argument but its important. If you go to the museum expecting to find exhibits on the type of stripping you find in clubs and bars, you will be disappointed.
Now onto the review. The museum is very small. About the size of a nice hotel room. But boy do they use the space! The walls are COVERED with photos and artifacts. The museum suffers from too much material and not enough space. Right now, the walls are covered with photos and archives of the Ms. Exotic World Competition they host every year. I spoke to the woman and she said that in May they would have a more historical exhibit up dealing with the history of striptease. Also, if you’re lucky enough, you may find the legendary Dixie Evans in the museum and ready to chat you up. Dixie took over the museum and moved it Las Vegas.
The reason for the immense amount of material is that the woman who started the museum in its earliest incarnation was a legendary striptease artist named Jennie Lee. «The Bazoom Girl» as she was known, started the museum in Helendale, CA, but it was later moved to Las Vegas because Helendale was a little out of the way for most travelers. While the Helendale museum had about 40 acres, the museum now, as I mentioned, is very small. Jennie Lee, btw, was legendary in the burlesque world and I hope that the future exhibits show just how awesome she was. If you wanna know more about her, feel free to ask the people who are running the museum. They are very knowledgeable.
Which is where this review comes in. If you’re a Burlesque fan and you wanna help, go visit the museum and donate! The museum is FREE. If not, ask more information about the Exotic World Competition and how to watch/​join it. Buy some postcards, buy a t-​shirt, do whatever you can to support this organization and get it the space it needs to expand.