Talking With Amber Colbert, Bob Stoldal, & Geoff Schumacher – July 27, 2026
Clark County Museum Project to Move the Howard Hughes Green House
Some buildings tell stories. Others make history.
This week on “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Ira welcomes three of Southern Nevada's foremost historians and preservation advocates—Amber Colbert, Administrator of the Clark County Museum; legendary journalist and broadcaster Bob Stoldal; and Geoff Schumacher, Director of Research, Collections & Programs at The Mob Museum—to discuss one of the most significant historic preservation projects ever undertaken in Las Vegas: relocating Howard Hughes' legendary Green House from the KLAS-TV property to the Clark County Museum.
The Green House is far more than an old building. It represents the moment when one of America's most mysterious billionaires helped transform Las Vegas forever.
Together, Amber, Bob, and Geoff explain how this ambitious preservation effort came together, why Howard Hughes' Green House deserves to be saved, what it will cost to relocate it, and why community support is essential to making the project a reality.
Listeners and viewers will discover why Howard Hughes changed the trajectory of Southern Nevada, how this historic home tells the story of his remarkable influence on the city, and why Bob believes it's the only significant structure Hughes purchased that still survives today. Geoff shares why the Green House offers a unique way to tell the Hughes story—from its origins in the early 1950s. Bob recalls how Hughes witnessed the construction of KLAS-TV nearby—and why preserving it matters for future generations. Amber remembers being approached by KLAS-TV about moving the historic house shortly after taking over as museum administrator, and the benefits of the move for school children to learn about history.
The conversation also explores the emotional experience each guest had walking through the historic home, Howard Hughes' surprising comfort in Las Vegas compared with Los Angeles, his astonishing purchase of six Strip hotels in just 13 months, the Clark County Museum Guild's 50th anniversary fundraising campaign, and the goal of moving the house to its permanent new home by the end of 2028.
If you love Las Vegas history, Howard Hughes, historic preservation, or the stories behind the city's remarkable transformation, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
ABOUT AMBER:
Amber Colbert serves as Administrator of the Clark County Museum, the oldest historical museum in the Las Vegas Valley. Under her leadership, the museum has mounted major exhibitions including a survey of 250 years of American and Nevada history, the "Remembering 1 October" exhibit, and, most recently, "Empowered: Women of Clark County.
ABOUT BOB:
Bob Stoldal has spent decades telling the stories of Las Vegas through journalism, broadcasting, and public service—and few people have a deeper firsthand perspective on the city’s remarkable transformation.
ABOUT GEOFF:
As Director of Research, Collections & Programs, Geoff Schumacher oversees the Mob Museum's artifacts, exhibits, public programs, and digital historical content. In addition, he is a renowned expert in Howard Hughes history, myth, and the blending in between.
Clark County Museum Guild Website
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