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Oct. 23, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NEVADA DAY MAINSTAY: Hammargren takes a year off

Neighbor not disappointed open house mothballed

By F. ANDREW TAYLOR
VIEW STAFF WRITER

Lonnie Hammargren stands earlier this month near a new "Night at the Museum 2" display inside a movie tribute room in his southeast Las Vegas home. For only the second time in 15 years, his home won't be open to the public for this year's Nevada Day.
Photos by F. Andrew Taylor/View Newspapers



A road runner perches on a statue this month by one of the pools at former Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren's home. It was the second road runner to invade the premises.

Dr. Lonnie Hammargren is one of the valley's more colorful characters and owns of one of the area's most unusual homes.

The past 15 years, Nevada's former lieutenant governor has opened his home in the Paradise Crest neighborhood, near Flamingo and Sandhill roads, for tours on Nevada Day. This year, for only the second time since he and his wife began the tradition, the Oct. 31 party is off.

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    • "I had heart surgery just before Nevada Day one year," Hammargren said. "This year, it's a bunch of things that led to us deciding to hold off on it."

    Hammargren cited a couple reasons:

    • His wife, Sandy, is recovering from knee surgery to repair a sports-related injury from her teens.

    • Much of the time Hammargren typically spends preparing the home for visitors will be consumed by a pair of trips across country, one to visit family and an ill friend in Minnesota, and the other to see the grandkids in Florida and attend the 90th annual meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

    "Roosevelt is my ego ideal," Hammargren said. "I've been following in his footsteps all my life, which I didn't realize at first."

    Perhaps the more pressing reason is a result of formal complaints that have been filed with Clark County. Hammargren has decided to hold off on the event while he works to get the property up to building codes.

    Although the Nevada Day tour is popular, attracting thousands of visitors each year, Hammargren's neighbor Barbara Robinson, who acknowledges she's behind many of the complaints, isn't sad to see it take a year off.

    "I love Lonnie, but I can't stand his house," Robinson said in a front yard interview with Hammargren standing nearby. "Would you like to live with that in your neighborhood?"

    Over the years, Hammargren has made additions and connected the buildings on his property with bridges. One building includes a dome hidden beneath a more traditional roof. That same building is topped with an unfinished model of Stonehenge.

    "We've limited the roof to 35 feet," Hammargren said. "I've had teams of inspectors on the roof checking that out."

    He did note that in order to have people walking on the roof, a safety rail is required, and that rail rises 42 inches above the 35 feet. The presence of people on the roof, particularly during special events, is one of the things that irks Robinson the most.

    "You're out there by your pool in your bathing suit, and there's someone walking along the roof, and what are they looking at? My yard," Robinson said.

    Hammargren said he built a low, plywood wall to block the view into Robinson's yard from the catwalk. Prior to the wall's construction, a 20-foot balance scale holding models of UNLV and UNR could be seen from Robinson's backyard. The building has all manner of objects attached to it and on top of it. Hammargren has purchased, salvaged or collected the items over the years. These days, people just call him up when they have something unusual that needs a home.

    "That stuff in there, nobody wants it," Robinson said. "Ask him how much he paid for it. People just give it to him instead of throwing it out."

    Aside from being flat-out strange, Robinson contends, Hammargren's collection is a nuisance and draws unwanted traffic and attention to the otherwise quiet neighborhood.

    "You get a lot of lookie loos," she said. "We're just trying to get home, and they'll be creeping down the road, blocking traffic."

    Robinson says the house has gotten stranger over the years. She pointed out a few rooftop embellishments: a life-size elephant, with its posterior facing the neighborhood; a giant orange hand; a barbecue grill.

    "It wasn't like this when I moved here," Robinson said. "I'm not crazy."

    Three years ago, she decided to ask the county to get Hammargren to stop the expansion of the visible collection and bring the house more in line with the rest of the neighborhood.

    "I have an agreement that Lonnie signed in 1999 saying that he wasn't going to put stuff above the fence, but that's been violated 1,000 times," Robinson said. "He's gone past the height regulations. He doesn't take care of it. Stuff is broken."

    Hammargren says he is doing his best to bring the house up to code. He pointed out a number of recent changes, including increasing the head clearance on some of the stairwells, reinforcing safety rails and removing some of the exhibits, such as Gary Wells' stunt motorcycle, which was mounted on a beam about 10 feet above one of the swimming pools.

    "We can't comment on Dr. Hammargren's case because it's still open," Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said.

    The first step from home to self-made museum began 34 years ago, when Hammargren, concerned about the lack of science education in town, added an observatory and planetarium to his home. He said the plans were approved by Al Collins, who represented the Collins Brothers, who developed the Paradise Crest neighborhood.

    "Buckminster Fuller, the world-known architect and inventor of the geodesic dome, visited here and approved the plans for my dome," Hammargren said.

    Things were not always contentious between Hammargren, a prominent neurosurgeon, and Robinson. For many years, Robinson's husband was Hammargren's preferred anesthesiologist, but Hammargren retired from surgery three years ago.

    "We have no anger. We have philosophical differences on what's beautiful and what's not. Why would you paint your cement red when, as soon as you do that, when the cars go over it, it's going to get dirty again?" Robinson asked. "Years ago, he used to be the entertainment in the neighborhood, but we've grown. We've outgrown Lonnie. This is not what we look on as entertainment anymore."

    Sandy Hammargren disagrees. Although she has kept her husband from putting too much of his eclectic touch on the north house, where they actually live, she seems to enjoy him and his eccentricities and sees no reason to rein him in.

    "The roadrunner would be easier to contain," Sandy said.

    Contact View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.

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    James Gutierrez wrote on October 30, 2009 08:12 PM: I lived in Las Vegas for 17 years and have driven by the Hammargren home countless times. I never had a problem with people slowing down nor did I anything so offensive to warrant the wrath of this Robinson person. Dr. Hammargren has done so much not only for Las Vegas as a city but has given so much of himself to the medical field. He is such a compassionate person and has saved thousands of lives. His wife Sandy has also dedicated her life to the medical field as a nurse. She has worked in the intensive care area as well as the heart cath lab. Hence, we have two people who care so much about others and whos lives revolve around GIVING to others, why not allow them to be happy in their own home and with surroundings that are comfortable for them. LEAVE THEM ALONE is all I have to say.


    Chip Hayward wrote on October 29, 2009 06:20 PM: Like Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci, Dr. Lonnie Hammargren is a real renaissance man. Lonnie, as he likes to be called, is known for being a prominent brain surgeon, previous Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, and an extremely fascinating man with interests in biology, medicine, mathematics, anthropology, psychology, astronomy, and archeology. He's also an artist, musician, historian, and an avid collector of art and eclectic memorabilia from Las Vegas and around the world.
    Lonnie, with his wide mustache and wire-rimmed glasses, looks strikingly similar to his idol, Teddy Roosevelt. And like Roosevelt, Lonnie is a great American, a very special part of this great country, and more importantly, a man who has kept the history of Las Vegas alive more than any other man on the planet.
    After meeting Lonnie, and touring his home, I was awed and impressed. He is one of the most amazing, intriguing, and interesting people I have ever interviewed, and I felt very honored to have met this very special man. Never have I encountered anyone with such a wonderful, diverse collection of memorabilia, and such a wide range of interests, abilities, and accomplishments as Dr. Lonnie Hammargren. He is truly a renaissance man extraordinaire.
    And so, to the neighbor who has filed complaints: Please leave Dr. Lonnie Hammargren alone, and drop all your charges. Lonnie is a decent, law abiding, humanitarian, and you should feel honored to be living in the same neighborhood of this truly great man. Perhaps you might even try to visit and befriend this wonderful man, as I am sure the experience would enrich your life much more than any distraction of having him as your neighbor.

    Chip Hayward, Freelance Writer


    Bub Bekkering wrote on October 25, 2009 07:58 AM: When we were out in Las Vegas a couple of years ago we went to his house. I thought it was pretty neat. I saw just about everything except the mine in the cellar and a couple of rooms. One of these days I would like to see the things I missed.


    Bill Sharkey wrote on October 24, 2009 03:28 PM: You know, he may be a nut but he's our nut. I drove by his house often while living in LV and always thought jeez, what a sight! But, hey, it's Vegas, and this guy is an original. I know one of his close neighbors (remain nameless) who does not appreciate the display but I say "You go Lonnie!"


    another paradise crestian wrote on October 23, 2009 04:25 PM: I also live in the neighborhood and feel that Lonnie's house gives it character. His house is fun and different and does not detract from our beautiful neighborhood. Besides the maybe 2 times a year when he has parties/ open houses, we do not get lookie-loos to the point that they hold up traffic.


    LoonyTown2 wrote on October 23, 2009 03:12 PM: I have another idea.

    How about Clark County enforces CODE and makes Loony comply like the rest of humanity?

    Is that to hard for you to understand native nitwit?

    Code is in place so dipsticks like Loony don't destroy property value.

    I use to hang out with Loony. Personally, a great guy to have a few drinks with. We all agree.

    As a neighbor? WHITE TRASH living in a JUNKYARD. He's an a hole. period.


    Native Nevadan wrote on October 23, 2009 01:12 PM: As a native Nevadan, I've had the privilege to meet and enjoy Dr. Hammargren's company many times.

    Ms. Robinson, I have a solution for you. MOVE. From what I understand, nobody in the neighborhood likes you anyways.


    Jessi wrote on October 23, 2009 11:57 AM: The world - and especially L.V. - is mean spirited. Lonnie may dance to a different tune but he and Sandy are great people .. not inhuman robots like his neighbor and some bloggers. Why should the world be "cookie cutter?" He makes things so much more interesting - and individual. Leave him ALONE. Busy-body, do-gooders need to butt out.


    LoonyTown wrote on October 23, 2009 10:01 AM: I have an idea.

    Why don't we selectively prosecute morons who turn their property in to JUNK YARDS?

    Loony and his wife should be sued by their neighbors for illegally turning their neighbohood into a circus.

    Ask the County to show you the PERMITS and INSPECTIONS for every single piece of JUNK he has connected to an ELECTRICAL SOURCE.

    They don't have ONE. End of story.

    Guess what...

    Now you sue the County for allowing this CLOWN to run a CIRCUS without a license.

    For those of you without a CLUE...
    .
    Loony's house is a FIRE HAZARD.

    The County knows it. The Building Department knows it. The Fire Department knows it. Public Response knows it. Loony and his wife know it.

    His neighbor is EXACTLY right about her complaint. She has to deal with this fool. YOU DON'T.

    Loony is a nutbag. No question about it. Let Ms. Robinson handle it.


    Paradise Crest neighbor wrote on October 23, 2009 09:06 AM: I love that his house adds character to our neighborhood, and his workers are always helpful (returning lost dogs, etc.) and respectful. I AM pleased to hear he's bringing things up to code and looking at safety issues. But I certainly enjoy having Lonnie as a neighbor.


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