Guide to Reno: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The best things to do in Reno: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to toppharmacyschools, Reno, “the largest of the smallest cities in the world,” is located in the beautiful northwestern region of Nevada, right at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Here everyone will find something to their liking. Reno is the state’s second most popular tourist destination with great resorts, gaming and family activities, outdoor opportunities, many festivals and museums, fantastic cuisine, annual shows, exhibitions and other events. And all this against the backdrop of a rich and complex history. The historic Johnson-Jeffreys flight was undertaken here. This is where Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable created The Misfits in 1961. This is Reno – “the gateway to the Old West.”
Black Rock City is an ephemeral city that exists for only one week of the year, during the radical Burning Man art festival. On the days of maximum occupancy, about 60 thousand people “live” in the city, including, of course, firefighters and ambulance workers.
How to get to Reno
Reno-Tahoe International Airport receives many domestic flights, including aircraft from Alaska, from Chicago, Denver, Portland, Vegas, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego and Salt Lake City. Also stopping in the city are the California Zephyr, a train that runs from Emeryville to Chicago, and the Amtrak train from Sacramento. But still the most interesting thing is to go to Reno on the highway. Long-distance buses go here mainly along I-80, the old immigrant road along the Humboldt Creek, which connects to the city from the west. The alternative is the more direct US-50, “America’s loneliest highway,” but it crosses several mountain ranges with steep grades and sharp turns. You can also get to Reno from Vegas via US-95 (about 8 hours of travel through a rather boring desert landscape). Finally, from the north, from Sacramento.
Entertainment and attractions in Reno
Victorian Square is the heart of the Old City, home to casinos, restaurants, cinemas, and several modern (partially under construction) complexes. It also hosts the annual Best in the West summer show.
The Nevada Museum of Art, in its current beautiful building, opened in 2003. It houses national and international exhibitions in addition to smaller regional exhibits. The museum is located in the financial district of Liberty Street, in the southern part of the city center.
The central library of the city was designed with the idea of building it in the park. It turned out that there was not enough land for both the park and the library, so the park was placed inside the building. This library is a marvelous example of the inspirational school of architecture of the 1960s that has stood the test of time.
Wingfield Park is located along the Truckee River, just a few blocks from the main casino hub. There is an amphitheater with regular summer performances, a kayaking park open all year round, and plenty of great places to sit and relax. This park hosts the annual Reno River festival in May and Artown in July. Another attractive city park is Idlewild. It’s easily accessible via Riverside Drive and is home to the city’s rose garden, skate park, and many walking paths. The park is located on the south bank of the Truckee River.
3 things to do in Reno:
- Eat on California Avenue. This is an area of small shops and restaurants, which is a short walk from the casino area, and here you can dine in a very pleasant environment.
- Walk around the campus of the University of Nevada, modeled after Jefferson University in Virginia. It is very beautiful here, there is a planetarium, and you can sign up for a guided tour.
- Skiing in the winter or mountain biking in the summer, there are plenty of great places around Reno to do just that.
The Nevada Museum of Art is located on West Liberty Street and is the state’s only art museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The main emphasis here is on the growing interest in environmental protection. Among the permanent exhibitions is the photo exhibition “Alternative Landscape”, which demonstrates the human impact on the environment.
South Wells Avenue is the Latin neighborhood of Reno. Here you can find absolutely unique shops and restaurants. True, from the city center it is better to go here by bus.
The National Automobile Museum is located south of the river and has a small but very interesting collection of models dating back to the late 19th century. More than 200 cars in four different galleries, including Elvis’ 1973 Cadillac Eldorado, Frank Sinatra’s Gia L6.4 (1961), John F. Kennedy’s Lincoln Continental (1962).) and John Wayne’s Chevrolet Corvette (1953). Also seen here is a 24-karat gold-plated DeLorean (one of three models made for American Express) and a Jerrari, a Jeep Wagonier powered by a Ferrari V-12 engine. The museum was included in the top ten best automuseums according to the Car Collector magazine.
A few blocks north of the university is Rancho San Rafael. This is a 570-acre country park that houses an arboretum, the Wilbur D. May Museum, and a summer children’s water attraction. It also hosts the annual hot air balloon race at the end of summer.
Reno Casino
Although the glory of Las Vegas Reno cannot be overshadowed, the gambling business here is an important component, and many casinos attract tourists from all over the country and beyond. One of the newest casinos is Silver Legacy, built in 1995 and connected to the pink neon Eldorado by hanging bridges. The latter, by the way, is distinguished by one of the best buffets in Reno and many restaurant options (steakhouse, beer pub, seafood restaurant and cafe). Another casino connected to Silver Legacy is Circus Circus, where it is not recommended to eat, but it is recommended to leave children: there are many interesting things for them.
Reno Nugget is a tiny casino with a fancy bar where the famous Awful-awful burger is worth trying.
Network casinos “Harra” appeared in Reno, and a good Asian noodle restaurant has been opened here. Classic casino in “Rino-style” – “Club Kal-Neva”; Atlantis has a tropical theme, and a large Peppermill rivals the Vegas casino of the same name.
In addition, the casino resorts of Reno are also noteworthy: the Grand Sierra Resort is the largest hotel / casino in the city, which is located near the airport, with a swimming pool, a nightclub, a number of restaurants, a shopping mall, cinema, video games, bowling and god knows what else. Another great casino hotel is John Asquaga’s Nugget, which is located on Victorian Square: it has a wonderful Rosie coffee shop and Orozco Basque restaurant, as well as a Polynesian restaurant, oyster bar, French buffet, pub, Starbucks and live concerts once a week.
Reno Events
Tourism is one of the city’s main sources of income, and therefore many events are held here, especially in summer. The National Aviation Championship is held in the city in mid-September and attracts aviation enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as 200,000 spectators annually. The championship takes place on the territory of the small regional airport Reno Stead, which is 16 km from the city. The program includes competitions in six different classes, a large exhibition of aircraft and several military and civil air shows.
Another big event is Artown, a month-long festival that includes many exhibitions and concerts. The idea of the festival was born in 1996, and since then it has become one of the most significant in the country, bringing together about 350 events at 100 venues in the city. About 350 thousand people visit the festival every year, and world-famous stars are invited to participate in it: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Marcel Marceau, the American Ballet Theater and the Harlem Gospel Choir.
In addition, Reno hosts the Hot August Nights vintage car race, Street Vibes, a rodeo, and a state fair.
In addition, Reno is the closest major city to Black Rock City. Black Rock City is an ephemeral city that exists for only one week of the year, during the radical Burning Man art festival.. On the days of maximum occupancy, about 60 thousand people “live” in the city, including, of course, firefighters and ambulance workers. This week the post office, police station, roads, houses, bars, clubs, restaurants and hundreds of art installations appear in the city. After a week, all this disappears (most of it is burned), leaving behind a bare white desert. The festival moved here in 1990 from San Francisco, where it has been held since 1986. Its main principles are self-service, no “spectators” (all “citizens” take part in performances in one way or another), no garbage after themselves and radical self-expression in within the limits permitted by law, including nudism.
