Nevada's New State Veterans Memorial Opens Nov. 11 at Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, With a Nellis Flyover

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

Here are the key details in one place:

What: Opening ceremony for the new home of the Nevada State Veterans Memorial
When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Northwest end of the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, 6105 N. Durango Drive, Las Vegas
On the program: Presentation of the colors by the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard and a planned Nellis Air Force Base flyover
Watch live: City of Las Vegas TV (KCLV) and the city's YouTube channel

The City of Las Vegas announced the opening in a Nov. 4 release. Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley and Ward 4 Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske will take part, along with state officials and local veterans. The Joint Armed Forces Color Guard will present the colors.

The flyover is the part many people will look up for. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the city did not say what type of aircraft will fly over. So please do not assume it will be the Thunderbirds, even with the park's name. We will all find out on Wednesday.

The project is a partnership between the State of Nevada, the City of Las Vegas and the Mayor's Fund for Las Vegas LIFE. The Mayor's Fund is an independent nonprofit that supports city projects. Rafael Construction built the site, and the city managed the work.

The statues are only part of what is new. The site adds an open-air promenade with landscaping, an amphitheater and signs that explain what visitors are seeing. The city's memorial page says it also has an oral history section, with excerpts from 50 veterans recorded from 2021 to 2024 by UNLV Special Collections and Archives.

Some of the money was accepted late in the process. FOX5 reported that the Las Vegas City Council voted on Wednesday, Nov. 4, to accept $3 million from the state to help pay for construction. That was just one week before the opening. FOX5 did not report the vote count.

Other cost figures are out there, so let's be careful. A January release from the city listed the project at $7.69 million. The Review-Journal's Mark Davis called it a "$10 million" memorial in a Nov. 6 story. The city's opening release gives no total. None of these sources explains the gap between those numbers, so we are giving you each one with its source and not guessing at the final bill. We also cannot tell whether the $3 million from the state is already inside those totals, so please do not add the numbers together.

Stock photo of four fighter jets flying in tight formation against a pale sky, the kind of sight a Veterans Day flyover can bring

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Start with the numbers. The city says Nevada has more than 200,000 veterans. That is a lot of neighbors, coworkers, parents and grandparents. Add the families who stood behind them, and this memorial speaks to a big share of the people who live here.

It also matters where the statues ended up. The old site sat in front of an office building downtown. You had to make a special trip to see it. The new site is inside a city park with playgrounds, picnic shelters, a walking path and lacrosse fields. A family could come for a game or a picnic, then walk over and see the statues. A kid could ask what a statue means, and a grandparent who served could answer.

The park already has a military tie. Its centerpiece is a quarter-scale F-22 Raptor exhibit. The city's park page says it picked the Raptor because the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base uses that aircraft. So a memorial here fits with what the park already honors.

For people who live in the northwest valley, this adds a statewide landmark close to home. News 3 has described the area as Centennial Hills. Expect more visitors around N. Durango Drive on big days like Veterans Day and Memorial Day. That could mean busier parking and traffic around the park at those times. The city has not published a traffic or parking plan for the opening that we could find.

There is a practical side for military families too. The new amphitheater will host ceremonies, educational programs and community gatherings, according to the city. Schools, veteran groups and families now have a place built for these moments. The city says using the amphitheater requires a facility rental request, and that requests are subject to city review and permits. Fees are not listed on the city's page.

The move also keeps a statewide memorial in the valley's biggest city. Veterans who lobbied to keep it in Las Vegas wanted it close to the people it honors. Now, someone who lives in Southern Nevada can visit without a long drive or a special errand downtown.

Then there are the oral histories. Statues show you the uniform. Recorded voices tell you what it was like. Having excerpts from 50 veterans tied to this site gives students and families a way to hear real Nevada stories in veterans' own words.

Background and History

This memorial has already had a long road. The state commissioned the statues in 2011. Sculptor Douwe Blumberg designed and produced them. The Nevada Department of Veterans Services says the memorial was dedicated in 2015, with support from fundraising by the Las Vegas Memorial Foundation. A Las Vegas veteran-operated business, American Shooters, Inc., created that foundation.

The first home was a two-acre site in front of the Grant Sawyer State Building at 555 E. Washington Ave. in downtown Las Vegas. The 18 figures cover conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the wars of recent decades. One piece shows a modern-day family. It stands for the sacrifices made by people who never wore a uniform.

Then the state moved its offices out of the Grant Sawyer Building. The Department of Veterans Services said the grounds at the new state offices were too small to hold the memorial. A local veterans group petitioned to keep it in Las Vegas, and Councilwoman Allen-Palenske backed that effort. The Governor's Office, Nevada State Public Works and the Department of Veterans Services worked with her on the move. News 3 reports the Grant Sawyer Building has since been demolished.

Here is the timeline, as best the public record shows it:

2011: The state commissions the 18 bronze statues.
2015: The memorial is dedicated at the Grant Sawyer Building downtown.
Sept. 13, 2024: The date set for a public ceremony at the old site to mark the planned move.
Jan. 14, 2026: The date set for the groundbreaking at Thunderbird Family Sports Complex.
Nov. 4, 2026: The City Council votes to accept $3 million from the state.
Nov. 11, 2026: The memorial opens in its new home at 4:30 p.m.

In 2024, officials said the new site could offer things the old one did not, including an outdoor amphitheater with the memorial as a backdrop, restrooms, parking, lighting and easier viewing. Two years later, the amphitheater is part of the finished plan.

Stock photo of bronze statues of service members with rifles against a clear blue sky, showing the style of a large war memorial

What Happens Next

The next few days are set. The city scheduled a media preview for Monday, Nov. 9, at 9 a.m., with Councilwoman Allen-Palenske on hand for interviews. That means you may see the first good look at the finished site on local news before Wednesday. The grand opening follows on Nov. 11 at 4:30 p.m.

After opening day, the memorial should become part of everyday life at the park. The city lists park hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and shows those same hours on the memorial's page. The page also says the site is "Set to open Nov. 11, 2026," so wait until after the ceremony to plan a regular visit.

We also expect more detail to come out around the opening. Here is what we looked for and could not confirm as of Nov. 8:

Whether the general public can attend the Nov. 11 ceremony: NOT FOUND. The city's release names officials and local veterans and does not address the public.
Cost to attend: NOT FOUND. The release does not state one, so we are not calling it free.
Parking plan for the ceremony: NOT FOUND.
Ending time of the ceremony: NOT FOUND.
Type of aircraft in the flyover: NOT FOUND. The Review-Journal reported that the city did not specify it.
Final total project cost: NOT FOUND. Published figures differ, as noted above.

Over the longer term, watch how the amphitheater gets used. If the city books regular ceremonies and school programs there, this site could become the main gathering spot for Veterans Day and Memorial Day in the valley. That part is still to be seen. For now, the first ceremony is the one on the calendar.

Ryan's Take

When people pick a part of town to call home, prices and floor plans matter. So do the places that give a neighborhood some meaning. A park where your kids can play and where they can also learn what service cost people is a good thing to have down the street.

I will be honest about what this does and does not mean for housing. I have not seen any data that ties a memorial to home values, and I am not going to tell you this will raise prices in Centennial Hills. What I can say is that public places shape how people feel about where they live. A local veterans group petitioned to keep this memorial in Las Vegas, and now it has a new home here. That says something good about this community.

If you served, or you are the family of someone who did, thank you. I hope this site gives you a place that feels like yours.

Stock photo of small American flags lined up in a row on a lawn, a common way to honor veterans

What You Can Do

Watch it live. The surest way to see the ceremony is on City of Las Vegas TV (KCLV) or on the city's YouTube channel, starting at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. No parking needed.

Check before you drive over. If you hope to go in person, look at the city's website or social pages first, since the release does not address public attendance. If you do go, give yourself extra time around N. Durango Drive. Bring a jacket, too. It gets dark early this time of year, and evenings cool off fast once the sun goes down.

Plan a visit after the opening. Pair it with time at the park. Let the kids see the F-22 Raptor exhibit and the playground, then walk the promenade. Find the statue from the era your family member served in, and tell that story.

Save a veteran's story. The city's memorial page has the oral history section and also links a brochure and a commemorative flag display request form. If you have a veteran in your family, this is a good week to sit down and ask them about their service. Write it down or record it.

Check your property tax exemption. Clark County offers exemptions for qualifying veterans and for disabled veterans with a permanent service-connected disability of at least 60 percent. The Assessor's page lists an exemption of 3,640 in assessed value for a veteran, and 18,200 to 36,400 for disabled veterans, depending on the disability rating. Those amounts are assessed value, not tax dollars, and they change each year. The county says you can apply them using your Nevada ID and discharge papers. Ask the Assessor's office for the current numbers and rules.

Thinking about buying? If you served and want to own a home here, ask a lender about the VA home loan benefit. Rules differ from person to person, so get an answer based on your own service record.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood, or want to know what life is like in the northwest valley? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com