Liberace Museum

Mirrors, mirrors and more mirrors. 

That's what you'll notice when stepping into the the glamorous world of Liberace at the Liberace Museum. From an extravagant piano covered in tiny mirrored squares (10,564 to be exact) to a dazzling mirror-covered Rolls Royce, you'll be fascinated with his artistic vision. 

But the museum showcases more than Liberace's love of mirrors. 

While other piano players in his time wore formal tuxedos, Liberace , also known as Mr. Showmanship, dazzled his audience with charisma, flashy costumes, cars and of course, his sparkling bling. There's no better way to see all of his lavish belongings than at his museum. 

Located on Tropicana Avenue and Spencer Street (just a few minutes east of the Strip), Liberace bought the complex in 1978 for $2.5 million. The Liberace Museum opened on April 15, 1979. Divided into two separate buildings, The Liberace Museum holds some of his dearest collectibles. The first building features some of his pianos and cars, while the second one displays his colorful costumes, eye-catching jewelry, awards, fine antiques and his favorite piano. The second building also has a café, a showroom and a gift shop.

The moment your tour begins, you'll be greeted by the museum's friendly staff members, ready to assist you and share history of the famed musician. The detailed timeline takes you into the life of Walter Liberace. You'll learn fascinating facts, from his days as a poor Wisconsin boy to becoming the highest paid entertainer of his time, earning a record-breaking $50,000 per week. 

Just to the right of the timeline, you'll see a few of his luxurious cars. In addition to his Rolls Royce and his Rhinestone Roadster, you'll also see his 1972 gold Bradley GT, his bubble gum pink Beetle and a classic 1957 English taxi cab. Since the taxi cab had a working meter, Liberace joked with his friends by setting it as soon as he picked them up from the airport. There are a total of seven cars on display, many of which were used primarily on stage.  

Just to the left of the car gallery is the piano room, where you'll see pianos in all shapes and sizes. Some date back more than 200 years. One of the finer pieces includes a grand piano with hand-painted scenes of a French countryside. Each piano has its own story, including an early 1900's piano, which was specifically designed for street performers, and another one that converts to a desk. Liberace's personal favorite, the piano covered in mirrors, can be seen in the second building. 

On your way to the second building, you'll read plaques sharing fun facts about Liberace. As you approach the second building, you'll notice its facade displays a gigantic piano note sheet plaque for his popular song, "Beer Barrel Polka." 

Before stepping into Liberace's costume gallery, you'll read about the designers responsible for his dashing outfits. There is also a gallery of his bedazzled microphones, glittery bow ties in every color and of course, his breathtaking jewelry collection. The jewelry collection includes stunning pieces, including a piano-shaped ring made of 260 diamonds and a massive rhinestone piece. Weighing in at 115,000 carats, this is equivalent to 50.6 pounds! 

The minute you walk into the costume room, it's almost like stepping into a rainbow. From the pink ostrich-feather suit to his attention-grabbing patriotic hot pants outfit, you'll see just about every color imaginable. Other costumes include the black suit with piano keys, the Blackgama mink cape with 500 mink tails dangling from it and of course, the "Lasagna" suit, one of his all-time favorites. Aside from being a remarkable pianist, Liberace dabbled quite a bit in the kitchen. Liberace once said this head-to-toe red suit was his favorite to wear while making lasagna because you couldn't see the stains. In the costume room, you'll also see his King Neptune suit, which features 40,000 rhinestones. Valued at a whopping $750,000, this suit took 18 months to complete. 

As a bonus, the costume gallery features mirrored walls, which allows you to see a 360-degree view of the suits and capes. With the help of the mirrored walls, you can see the back of every costume in detail. 

Another perk? You'll get a chance to try on a flamboyant Liberace-inspired cape, created by one of the museum's volunteers. Not only will you get an idea of how heavy his capes were, but the museum also allows personal photography. 

The showroom holds two different shows each week. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1 p.m., see Philip Fortenberry (associate conductor for "Jersey Boys") perform "Liberace and Me." Tickets for this show are $17.50 per person. On Sundays at 2:30 p.m., musician Ali Spuck presents her show, "Here I Am." Tickets are $15 per person. 

On your way out, make sure to browse through the gift shop, which offers CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, magnets and glittery vests and of course, big flashy bling in the spirit of Liberace. 

While Liberace lived a lavish lifestyle, his generosity to the community proved he had a heart of gold. Created in 1976, his non-profit Liberace Foundation for the Performing & Creative Arts helps college students receive scholarship assistance. To date, the Liberace Foundation has awarded $5.7 million in scholarships to more than 2,500 students. 

A trip to the Liberace Museum allows guests a glimpse into his unique style, achievements and charismatic persona. With fascinating history, glittering costumes, jewelry, piano and cars, the museum will leave you in awe. 

-- Review by Jeannie Borbe