Wheel Of Misfortune Las Vegas, Guaranteed To Make You Lose
Las Vegas is full of over-the-top glamour attractions that bring in millions of tourist every year. The casino resorts can give any person the chance to feel like a rock star. The photo ops are endless at the Las Vegas strip to give you that glamour look to share with your followers.
Right outside Vegas the City of Henderson has a quirky attraction for those urban explorers and photographers who are looking for offbeat photo opportunities. The Wheel of Misfortune is not your average attraction you would expect and it gives out a vibe that a zombie apocalypse just happened.
ABOUT THE WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE
The Wheel of Misfortune is located in what was formerly The Three Kids Mine. It was an open-pit manganese mine discovered in Clark County, Nevada in 1917. The early years of its operation coincided with World War I and the manganese from the mine was used in military weapons and equipment. When the war ended there was a drop in demand for manganese causing mine to slow down in its production. It remained nearly dormant for several years.
In 1942 mining operations began to boom again as a result of World War II and a mill was constructed for on-site for processing manganese ore to help meet the demand for the war. However, the end of the war once again represented a decline in activity at the Three Kids Mine, and the mill was closed in 1944.
Now its just a place that has been left to urban decay where graffiti artist come to tag their artwork. The most popular being The Wheel of Misfortune.
GETTING TO THE WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE
The Wheel of Misfortune can be located outside of Henderson in what is known as Three Kids Mine. It is located just behind Lake Mead Boat Storage, just a few hundred meters past the entrance to Lake Las Vegas, on the right off of Lake Mead Parkway.
EXPLORE THE WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE
Depending on where you park, head towards the colorful remnants left behind that were painted by various graffiti artist. There are no signs marking this areas. Also be careful where you step, since there is debris everywhere, I highly recommend you wear proper foot attire.
WARNING: Several assessments and studies of the Three Kids Mine site took place in the late 90s through early 2000s. In 2007, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of the site was conducted. The Phase I ESA identified recognized environmental conditions (RECs) at the site through public records review, interviews with knowledgeable parties, and physical site inspections. RECs include dusts, residues, and processing wastes containing lead, arsenic, manganese, and petroleum.
The Wheel of Misfortune was created by artist named Aware along with a crew. It is is modeled after the Wheel of Fortune’s wheel. It is one of the most recognizable art works on display at the Three Kids Mine and due to it being exposed to the elements who knows how long it would be around.
The Wheel of Misfortune has such spaces labeled as “$000”, “Lose a Home”, “Bank Owned”, and “Lose all Hope”. I could’t figure out how to play it. Maybe I should bring a soccer ball and kick it and see where it lands.
Near the Wheel of Misfortune heading towards the boat storage area you will find this massive pit where mining of manganese was occurring. Go check it out.
Explore the area and have fun. This is a good place to take some wonderful urbex type photography.
CONCLUSION
Las Vegas has many attractions, but this one might not be there forever and it is something to consider to add to your list of things to see. If you are a photographer, model, or urban explorer The Wheel of Misfortune is something different and don’t forget to test your luck!
What are some of the most odd places you have visited or explored? Leave your comments and questions below and I will get back with you.
