When two branches of the famous Guggenheim opened in Vegas, it was seen as a sure sign that Vegas was on its way to, or at least had an actual chance of, becoming a real city with real culture, and not just a glittery tourist trap. Since the first branch, the one built for special exhibits, closed after just one show, such chatter has died down. The second branch, perhaps ultimately better reviewed and regarded, remains in operation, so maybe there is hope yet for Vegas's cultural significance. That museum, the Guggenheim Hermitage, is the first co-venture between the Guggenheim and the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The State Hermitage in St. Petersburg has one of the finest encyclopedic collections in the world, but few have had a chance to experience any of it. The exhibit at press time was a showing of Picasso, Monet \"and more\" treasures from the Hermitage and Guggenheim's collections. As always, we hope that future exhibits continue to feature more of those masterworks rarely, if ever, seen outside of Russia. After all, pricewise, too, we note again that both the Louvre and the Vatican come cheaper (well, once you pay to fly there) and offer quite a bit more.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Las Vegas 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»