DJ Museum Opens in Las Vegas: A Journey Through DJing’s Golden Era

Sam Maxion, known in the scene as DJ Slammin' Sam, opened the DJ Museum last October in Las Vegas' Filipino Town to spotlight the evolution of DJing from the 1950s through the 1990s. The museum traces how the craft moved from analog roots to early digital experimentation, emphasizing both technological change and cultural impact across decades of music history.

“You could go to Walmart right now, grab a little controller, sync it to your phone, and DJ your uncle's party at six years old,” he says. “But it's still important for people to do a little reset, take a step back, and find out how everything got to where it's at.”

The museum offers immersive, hands-on experiences designed to reflect how DJs learned and practiced in earlier eras. Visitors can explore a mock 1980s-era DJ bedroom, an expansive archival wall of posters and magazines, and interactive rooms featuring turntables, keyboards, and arcade-style DJ games.

“This is meant to be a time capsule of the period where I just fell in love with the idea of being able to play records and have people enjoy those moments,” Maxion says. “It's kind of disjointed, with records and cassettes everywhere, but that's just how it was.”

The collection highlights milestones and innovators, including Francis Grasso, Cameron Paul, DJ Qbert, Grandmaster Flash, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Artifacts range from classic turntables and mixers to rare pieces such as a 1983 Randix HG-40P boombox and hybrid record players, illustrating the evolution of DJ technology.

“A lot of people who come in will say, ‘I can't believe you still have this. Let me show my kid what I used to do,'” Maxion says of his memorabilia collection. “To me, that's very heartwarming.”

Vinyl Hall anchors the space with a 1,500-square-foot event area for the all-ages Level Up DJ Workshop, alongside an 800-square-foot Chamber Lounge that hosts rotating open-mic sets. Maxion envisions the museum as an ongoing, living archive shaped by community engagement.

“With the Punk Rock Museum and others that are already here, I think it was a no-brainer to open in Las Vegas,” he says. “People come to escape and see Bruno Mars or watch the Raiders play, but I want them to add the DJ Museum to their list, too.”

The DJ Museum is located at 3507 S. Maryland Parkway in Las Vegas and operates Wednesday through Sunday from 6 to 10 p.m. More information is available at djmuseumlv.com.