Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 55

SUNDAY, APRIL 11. 1999DrTROIT FREE PRESS 5E Las Vegas museums show off culture high and low ST- liilil.l uum tice the beds from his Palm Springs home, covered with fur bedspreads. As you leave, you hear the strains of him playing "I'll Be Seeing You." Liberace Museum, 1775 E. Tropi-cana, 1-702-798-5595. Open 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Admission: $6.95 per person with $2 discount for students and AAA members. Treasures of King Tut Liberace may be the modern king of the wild wardrobe, but King Tutankhamen of Egypt outdid him when it came to burials.

After Tut was embalmed, he was laid to rest in a gold coffin. You can see replicas of this coffin and the goods found in the chamber where he lay undiscovered for 3,000 years at an unlikely place the Luxor hotel and casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. This small but fascinating museum is worth a stop. A self-guided tour, with a cassette tape that gives history and describes what you're seeing, takes just 15 min- Imperial Palace, with one of the finest auto collections anywhere, recently held a celebrity-vehicle auction. This 1956 Ford pickup belonged to Cher.

discovered in Egypt. Admission: $4. State history museum A glimpse of local history can be found at the seldom-crowded Nevada State Museum just northwest of downtown in Lorenzi Park. Here, you can find out about the area's geologic and natural history. The Mojave Desert is home to the Joshua tree and jack-rabbit, rattlesnake and roadrun-ner, gila monster and packrat.

Once, giant mammoths and sloths ruled this land examples of them can be seen in their bony glory, impressive in their size. Camels and prehistoric horses also grazed here, hunted by wolves and large cats. The pattern of settlement in the Las Vegas area was the same in southern Nevada as it was in the rest of the west. Native people were overrun by white trappers, settlers and cities. Mining and railroads played their part.

Then ranches took up vast acreage. A local rancher, Rex Bell, be Northeast Hartford Farmington, CT Hartford Rocky Hill, CT Stamford, CT Trumbull, CT Boston Andover, MA Boston Burlington, MA Boston Cambridge, MA Boston Copley Place, MA Boston Long Wharf, MA Boston Newton, MA Boston Peabody, MA Boston Westborough, MA Springfield, MA Portland, ME Nashua, NH Absecon Seaview, NJ Hanover, NJ Newark Airport, NJ Park Ridge, NJ Princeton, NJ Saddle Brook, NJ Somerset, NJ Teaneck at Glenpointe, NJ Albany, NY BuffaloNiagara, NY LaGuardia, NY Long Island, NY New York Brooklyn, NY New York Eastside, NY New York Financial Center, NY New York World Trod Cntr, Rochester Airport, NY Rochester Thruwoy, NY 1 5 utes. The tape reminds the viewer that archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb in 1922. Grave robbers had already found the tomb, but only removed a fraction of what there was mostly perfumes and precious oils. What the visitor is seeing here, of course, is a re-creation of what Carter found.

Still, it's impressive 4 Associated Press and evokes the feeling of being there. Almost. King Tutankhamen's Tomb Museum, 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South, in the Luxor hotel and casino, 1-702-262-4000. Open 9 a.m.

to 11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Four rooms replicated from King Tut's tomb as it was when it was V.

came a silent movie cowboy hero! and married Clara Bow. wood discovered Vegas. In 1931, gambling was legalized for the first time since it was abolished in 1910. Men like Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel moved in and be-J gan to cash in. The city became an! adult playground.

As the Depression waned, H09-; ver Dam was built, bringing an economic boom. The military be-, came a presence in the 1940s with the advent of World War II, bring- ing another source of jobs. Atomic! bomb testing in the 1950s out protesters. Out of the desert was born a rising city, built on gambling tourism but with its own blend of-garish charm and social problems that remain today. Nevada State Museum, 700, Twin Lakes Drive, l-702-486-5205t Open 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m. daily. Takej- 15 north to 1-95 west. Exit at Valley View and go north to Bonanza Road and turn right. Turn left onto Twin Lakes and enter the gate into Lorenzi Park and follow the signs.

Ad-'4 mission: $2 for adults. NY Detroit Troy, Ml Ypsilanti, Ml Minneapolis Airport Bloomington, MN Minneapolis City Center, MN Minneapolis Southwest, MN Kansas City Airport, MO Kansas City Downtown, MO St. Louis Airport, MO St. Louis West, MO Omaha, NE Cleveland Airport, OH Cleveland Downtown at City Center, OH Cleveland East, OH Columbus North, OH Dayton, OH Madison West, Wl Racine, Wl Southwest Scottsdale Suites Old Town, AZ Albuquerque, NM Oklahoma City Waterford, OK Dallas Quorum by the Galleria, TX Dallas Solana, TX El Paso, TX Houston JW Marriott by the Galleria, TX Houston North at Greenspoint, TX Houston West Loop by the Galleria, TX Houtfon Wited, TX West Harriott. BY LINDA DUVAL Colorado Springs Guclle Telegraph lS VEGAS The pink Lincoln that belonged to Marilyn Monroe.

The shiny black armored parade car that carried Adolf Hitler. The odd-shaped 1982 Popemobile built for a papal visit to Britain. There's a lot more to Las Vegas than casinos. For a look at the unusual history of this city with the world's oddest skyline, check out its museums. The above-mentioned cars, for example, are just a small sample of the amazing automobiles at the Antique Classic Auto Collection in the Imperial Palace hotel and casino's parking garage.

Long considered one of the finest auto collections in the world, it has a whole room devoted to senbergs. The car that inspired the phrase, "It's a doozy (Deusy)" also inspires reverential oohs and aahs from visitors. These aren't just cars. They're personalities. There's a tan and black 1929 Le Baron Phaeton.

A red and black 1930 Le Baron Dual Cowl Sweep Panel. These are cars that conjure images of Nick and Nora Charles or, if you don't know who they are, Chicago gangsters. You can see them roaring down a gravel road, dust flying, driven by some guy with an ascot. On the other end of the spectrum, in the main museum room, is a 1908 Buick truck shades of Ma and Pa Kettle. That room also contains a 1972 Stutz Blackhawk Coupe owned by Sammy Davis a 1953 Piaggio motorized rickshaw from Italy and a 1939 Chrysler that was the first car young Johnny Carson learned to drive.

There's the baby blue 1954 Chrysler New Yorker used by Howard Hughes, complete with a specially built air purification system installed in the trunk. It cost more than the car. All the windows, except the driver's, are scaled. Perhaps most interesting to history buffs are Hitler's 1939 Mercedes-Benz parade car, the gleaming black 1935 Packard used by Kmperor Hirohito of Japan, a 1962 custom-built Chaika used by Nikita Khrushchev and cars used to carry presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower. Movie buffs might recognize the 1908 Unic, which was used in "My Fair Lady," and no one could doubt that the last car in the ex- hibit belonged to pianist Liberace.

It's a 1981 Zimmer Golden Spirit, built just for him. One assumes, anyway, that the car didn't come with candelabra mounted on the hood. Imperial Palace Antique Classic Auto Collection, 3535 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 1-702-731-3311. Open 9:30 a.m.

to 11:30 p.m. daily. More than 200 cars displayed on the fifth floor of the Imperial Palace's parking garage. Admission: $6.95 per person. Liberace Museum Speaking of Liberace, there's a three-building museum just east of downtown devoted entirely to one of the world's greatest showmen.

Jt starts with a collection of pianos, ranging from one played by Chopin to a rhinestone-stud-ded Baldwin grand played by Liberace. The rhinestones match the car he drove and a suit he wore both entirely studded with the blinding beads. There's a wall full of celebrity photos of him with (or signed by) Debbie Reynolds, Jimmy Durante, Barbra Streisand and Elvis Presley A fascinating video plays continuously. Jn the next building, you'll find elaborate china and glassware, as well as other personal and household goods, owned by Liberace. And in the third building perhaps the most fascinating are his out landish costumes.

It all started with a gold lame jacket, but soon escalated to costumes that are almost unbelievable. One weighed 200 pounds. Others cost 4 Liberace: Three buildings worth many thou sands of dol lars, trimmed with jewels and expensive fur. He favored pink, purple, red and other warm colors, as well as white, gold and black. They're always fanciful, and sometimes outrageous, such as the red-white-and-blue sequined hot pants tux he wore for the bicen tcnnial.

In an anteroom, be sure to no HI i Syracuse, NY Costa Mesa Suites, CA Westchester, NY Fullerton, CA Harrisburg, PA Irvine, CA Philadelphia, PA Long Beach Airport, CA Philadelphia Airport, PA Los Angeles Airport, CA Philadelphia West, PA Los Angeles Downtown, CA i Pittsburgh Airport, PA Newport Beach, CA Pittsburgh City Center, PA Newport Beach Suites, CA Pittsburgh Green Tree, PA Norwalk, CA i Valley Forge Suites, PA Ontario Airport, CA Providence, Rl Rancho Santa Barbara, CA San Diego Suites, CA Southeast San Francisco Airport, CA Boca Raton, FL San Francisco Delray Beach, FL Fisherman's Wharf, CA Fort Lauderdale North, FL Santo Clara, CA Miami Airport, FL Torrance, CA Orlando Airport, FL Woodland Hills -Warner Center, CA Orlando Downtown, FL Colorado Springs, CO Palm Beach Gardens, FL Denver Airport, CO Atlanta Airport, GA Denver West, CO I Atlanta JW Marriott Hotel Pueblo, CO at Lenox, GA Las Vegas Suites, NV Atlanta Midtown Suites, GA Seoltle Airport, WA Atlanta Norcross, GA Atlanta North Central, GA Mid-Atlantic Atlanta Northwest, GA Wardman Park, DC Charlotte Executive Park, NC Washington, DC Durham Civic Center, NC Baltimore-Hunt Valley Inn, MD RaleighDurham Baltimore Inner Harbor, MD Crobtree Valley, NC Bethesda, MD RaleighDurham Bethesda Suites, MD Research Triangle Park, NC BWI Airport, MD Greenville Spartanburg Gaithersburg Washinglonian Airport, SC Center, MD Chattanooga, TN Greenbert, MD Memphis Downtown, TN Crystal City, VA Nashville, TN Crystal Gateway, VA Dulles Airport, VA Midwest Dulles Suites, VA West Des Moines, IA Fairview Park, VA Chicago Deerfield Suites, IL Key Bridge, VA Chicago Downers Grove Suites, IL Norfolk Waterside, VA Chicago Oak Brook, IL Richmond, VA Chicago Schaumburg, IL Roanoke Airport, VA Lincolnshire, IL Tysons Corner, VA Fort Wayne, IN South Bend, IN Canada Lexington Griffin Gate, KY Calgary Detroit Dearborn Inn, Ml Montreal-Chateau Champlain Detroit Livonia, Ml Toronto Airport Detroit Romulus, Ml Toronto Eaton Centre Detroit Southfield, Ml Vancouver Airport Go soweploice wUeve fUevc'wc ewA.M -o DwAle ovev VeWsf i beA hyowA fUe pool ovll Ay. Or plny Vourtjh oiv concierge will koippily rell yoiv fUe besV places fo poivf your cwer. sfy FriAy aA we'll give you, 0-20 o-P-P our low weeVe rfe oP boVU. vujUVs, you). Plus o-PP HerVt cevr renffvl so you ct 30 sunsef VuHg.

C11 your Hvel enf, WO-UA-WVCND or clicV over 1-0 www.wnrriof fUofels.covv-Prioy. We believe: Ask for PC 90075 when reserving your Hertz cor. Morrlottt Can't Beat Friday" rate is available Thursday through Sunday when your stay includes a Friday. Day of week availability varies by hotel. Limited number of rooms available at this rate.

Some blackout date and length of stay restrictions may apply. Rate not applicable to groups of five or more rooms or with other promotional offers. 1999 Marriott International, Inc. Herti! One day advance reservation required. Offer valid on Hertz Leisure Weekend Rate rentals of a Compact 4-door through Full-size 4-door car from 1159 through 63099 at participating Hertz corporate locations in the continental excluding Hertz local Edition locations.

Blackout dates apply. Twc day minimum keep required. This offer may not be valid at some times in some locations, especially during periods of peak demand. Standard rental conditions, rental period and return restrictions mutt be met. Minimum rental age for this offer is 25.

Car must be returned to original rental location. Taxes, vehicle licensing feestax reimbursement, and optional items, such as refueling, are extra. At some locations an airport access fee of up to 10 may 04. ply, but usually only if you choose to exit on our bus. At many airportshotels, an airporthotel concession fee recovery applies on car rentals.

This offer has no cash value and may not be combined with any other offer, discount, coupon or promotion. Hertz rents Fords and other fine cors. 4,.