Doctor opens home for Nevada Day festivities

Heather Rawlyk

Monday, Nov. 1, 2004 | 11:22 a.m.

To the right of a giant octopus sculpture, a replica space shuttle and miniature Eiffel Tower, a long line of people from Las Vegas and afar waited Sunday afternoon to personally meet former Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren before entering his eclectic home.

"I've waited months to come and actually see this place for myself," said Las Vegas resident Jody Grebine. "I drive by here every day and have always wondered what it looked like inside. I read in the paper he was having an open party and thought this was my chance to see it. I can't wait."

Hammargren, a neurosurgeon and 33-year Nevada resident, opened his "Hammargren Home of Nevada History" to the public for his annual Nevada Day celebration Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of people showed up to tour the home at 4318 Ridgecrest Drive, near Flamingo and Sandhill roads, with many wearing costumes in the spirit of Halloween.

"People come by and ask if they can see my house and I tell them to come back in October and they can come see the whole thing," Hammargren said. "And they come back, too. They remember and they come back."

After shaking hands with Hammargren, guests were free to walk through the home and marvel at years of collected models and artifacts representing various Nevada landmarks from old Las Vegas diner menus to signs from the Fremont Street Experience.

Life-size cardboard cut-outs of Hammargren, in scrubs, carrying a surgeon's bag and pointing his finger to his right, guided visitors through tiny hallways and up spiraling staircases to dozens of rooms, each with their own theme.

Brian and Jennifer Rauda of North Las Vegas held hands as they ducked through an entranceway to Hammargren's "Asian Room."

"It is really incredible that someone could have all this stuff collected in their home -- made their own museum right in their house," Brian Rauda said. "We've seen all the stuff in his yard from the road before -- you can only imagine what it's like inside. It's a lot of fun in here."

Justin Freund and his 6-year-old son, Matt, made their way up to Hammargren's ode to the Fremont Street Experience on an upper-level floor outdoors. There they were able to get a view of the home's unique back yard and listen to live performers singing on the stage beneath them.

Wearing a Spiderman costume, Matt danced the twist as Hammargren took the stage to sing "Sunny Side of the Street" and "All of Me."

"This has been a lot of fun," said Justin Freund. "Such a cool way to spend Halloween, too. He's (Matt) really gotten a kick out of this and so have I, really. It's really cool how he's opened the place up for everyone to see it like this, and it's free. We should have brought our camera."

Those who remembered their cameras took turns posing with Hammargren next to a sparkling pool and in front of his outdoor Hoover Dam replica -- built in 1985 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the dam's completion, Hammargren said.

Six months ago Hammargren added a replica of the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, the real version of which is being built.

The bridge replica was dedicated Sunday afternoon to former Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, one of two people for whom the real bridge will be named. O'Callghan, the longtime executive editor of the Sun, died in March. The other person is former NFL football player Pat Tillman, who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April.

"It was dedicated to Mike because there was no finer man than him," Hammargren said.