National Atomic Testing Museum Opens Fallout Gaming Collection in Las Vegas

The National Atomic Testing Museum in Nevada is opening a new exhibit, "World of Fallout," that has been developed in partnership with Bethesda Softworks. This is a significant cultural and educational moment for Fallout fans, historians, and science-curious individuals alike that connects the branded aesthetics of the game with Nevada's historical contribution to nuclear testing.

The exhibition is filled with recognizable symbols of the Fallout franchise, including the bright blue Vault suits, popular Vault Boy imagery, and other artifacts provided directly from Bethesda and its partner studios. Museum officials describe the collaboration as unprecedented for a public collection, bringing fictional objects into direct conversation with real-world nuclear history and atomic pop culture.

Located at 755 E. Flamingo Road in Las Vegas, the museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission priced at $29 for adults and $15 for children ages 7–17. Families and casual visitors are encouraged to experience interactive displays that explain both the scientific principles of nuclear testing and the historical context of the Nevada National Security Site. 

The new exhibit comes at a moment of revived public interest in nuclear history, due, in part, to recent media coverage, continued scientific discussions, and political debates related to nuclear issues. Museum and Bethesda representatives say the goal is to appeal to both longtime Fallout fans and those unfamiliar with the series, demonstrating how the real events of the 20th-century Atomic Age shaped the franchise's visual style and worldbuilding.

The partnership began more than a year ago, following an initial outreach that grew after a meeting in Goodsprings, Nevada — a location well known to Fallout: New Vegas fans. Inspiration drawn from the Pioneer Saloon and the region's cultural landscape helped guide the exhibit's development. Loaned objects come from Bethesda, Amazon, MGM Studios, and Kilter Films, reflecting a wider creative network supporting the franchise.

The series' broader cultural arc is also acknowledged, tracing Fallout's origins in 1997, its collaborative development lineage through studios like Obsidian, and its recent expansion into a live-action television series by Amazon, MGM Studios, and Kilter Films, which draws from Southern Nevada settings. The “World of Fallout” exhibition is planned to run for one year, with potential future collaborations.

“There's never been an exhibit that connects gaming, nuclear history, and atomic pop culture quite like this,” said Joseph Kent, chief community officer and curator, National Atomic Testing Museum. “‘World of Fallout' redefines how a museum can tell a story by bringing a fictional universe face-to-face with the real events that inspired it.”