Reno Attractions

Visitors to Reno may think the only thing to do in the Biggest Little City in the World is gamble, but locals know that their weekends (and weeks) can be filled with tons of things to do besides hitting the casinos. How about some hiking? Biking along the Truckee River? Visiting museums? Shopping in used books stores? You can actually do all these in one day in Reno.

Reno has some wonderful access to the outdoors. Most people who live in the area do at least 4-5 different types of outdoor sports. Hiking the foothills or the mountains around the city is a great way to get out of town and enjoy the views. If you like to bike, the Truckee River Bike Trail will take you from Verdi, just West of Reno, into the neighboring city of Sparks. Other outdoor sports include kayaking on the Sparks Marina or at the Truckee River Whitewater Park.

If you are looking for a little culture, visit the Nevada Museum of Art. It's a small museum, but the revolving exhibits are extremely well designed. Nationally recognized exhibits are located here, too. The National Automobile Museum has been voted one of the 10 best automobile museums in the nation, and among the top 16 in the world. The museum shows recreated street scenes and historical information about the automobiles once used by the rich and famous.

If you have kids, take them to several of the local parks including Rancho San Rafael Park where they can enjoy the Wilbur D. May Museum with its science exhibits and dinosaur forest. The Sierra Safari Zoo and the Animal Ark are outdoor, natural exhibits of exotic animals that cannot live in the wild.

For a taste of the natural, Reno and Sparks have several popular Farmer's Markets that are held both during the week and on the weekends. If you want to bury your nose in a lavender plant, visit the Lavender Ridge farm just West of downtown Reno.

For sports fans, you can get your fill of baseball with the Reno Aces Minor League team or some football and basketball with the University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack. Horse lovers should come out during the early summer to see the Reno Rodeo or during the Fall to see the Virginia City Camel Races.


Nevada Museum of Art

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expert pick

160 W Liberty St

One of Reno's pride and joy, this distinctive building just south of downtown Reno was inspired by Nevada's Black Rock Desert and is also a work of art. The various collections in this award-winning museum change every couple of months and some of the featured exhibits are not to be missed...
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University of Nevada Reno Football

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1664 North Virginia Street
(Mackay Stadium)

Fall weather and college football go hand in hand and make for a great outdoor outing. Wolf Pack football is very popular, and its 25,000-seat facility is usually packed with fans. Be sure to wear the Wolf Pack team colors of navy blue and silver...
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Reno Aces

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250 Evans Avenue

Reno's Minor League team's stadium is located in the brand new Freight House District right downtown by the Truckee River. This is the place to be on Thursday spring and summer nights!...
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Truckee River Whitewater Park

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300 W First St.

Surrounding Wingfield Park in Downtown Reno is the very popular Truckee River Whitewater Park. Nearly every summer day there are crowds of people enjoying the river, either by wading in it, rafting in it, kayaking or even swimming on a hot day. On cooler days, this is a perfect place for whitewater kayaking. This park is the only park in the U.S. that is right smack downtown close to hotels and parking and it open year-round...
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Lavender Ridge

7450 West 4th Street

Lavender Ridge is about 10 minutes from downtown Reno in Verdi, NV. It offers a unique and beautiful alternative to casinos and golf courses for special events. The property is graced with stunning mountain views, water features and thousands of thriving Lavender plants in the fields. Lavender Ridge offers great events all year round such as farm tours, wine tastings, art fairs and craft classes. The Lavender Festival in the summer is very popular...
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Animal Ark

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1265 Deerlodge Road

Educational treat...
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Rancho San Rafael Park

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expert pick

1595 N Sierra St

This beautifully landscaped area is one of Reno's premier parks. The Great Reno Balloon Race and "Reno Celebrates America", a fireworks show on the fourth of July, are a couple of the major events taking place here. On the grounds of this huge park you will find the Wilbur D. May Museum and Arboretum and the Great Basin Adventure Amusement Park. You will also find miles of walking or jogging trails complete with exercise stations, a large playground, picnic and barbecue facilities and acres and acres of grass...
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Galena Creek Trail

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18350 Mt. Rose Highway

Take a light hike through this beginner trail among sagebrush scrub and Jeffrey pine forest with thick riparian foliage lining the creek...
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Sundance Bookstore

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121 California Ave

Reno locals consistently vote Sundance the best bookstore in town. Located close to downtown, this store has been dedicated to the service of books and book lovers. As a local, independent bookstore, Sundance is committed to strengthening and contributing to both the local and global communities. Sundance also sells magazines and newspapers, pottery, jewelry, locally made soap and coffee and tea...
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National Automobile Museum

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expert pick

10 S Lake St

Even if you are not interested in cars, this award-winning museum is really interesting and well designed. The National Automobile Museum in downtown Reno was named among the Top Ten Museums by Car Collector magazine and has been ranked one of the best 16 car museums in the world by AutoWeek...
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Animal Ark

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expert pick

1265 Deerlodge Rd

Animal Ark is the place to learn more about wild animals in their natural habitat. This haven for non-releasable animals features black bears, wolves, lynx, Arctic foxes, birds of prey and lots more fascinating critters. The entire family will enjoy touring this nature center and wildlife sanctuary...
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Nevada Museum of Art

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expert pick

160 W Liberty St

One of Reno's pride and joy, this distinctive building just south of downtown Reno was inspired by Nevada's Black Rock Desert and is also a work of art. The various collections in this award-winning museum change every couple of months and some of the featured exhibits are not to be missed...
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Platos Closet

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1509 South Virginia Street

Plato's Closet is located in MidTown Reno...
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Grassroots Books

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660 East Grove Street

Grassroots Books is located in an odd area of town (behind the local car lots off of Kietzke), but this is a great place to buy new and used books as well as sell back you own books, videos, CDs and DVDs...
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CommRow

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255 N Virginia St

The CommRow is located in downtown Reno, but it is not a casino. It's an urban club, hangout and rock climbing wall extravaganza. Tough to describe...
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Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum (The Discovery)

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490 S. Center Street

Wonderful hands-on museum for both adults and children...
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L'essence Day Spa & Salon

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242 West Liberty Street

Housed in a historic Victorian house near downtown Reno, this salon and spa is relaxing and funky at the same time. L'essence Day Spa and Hair Salon offers professional hair care and Aveda day spa services, including haircuts and hair color, esthetic facial treatments, waxing, rejuvenating massage, aromatherapy body wraps, and much more...
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Micano Home & Garden Decor

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1350 South Virginia Street

Handmade and local crafts...
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Mt Rose-Ski Tahoe

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22222 Mount Rose Hwy

A local favorite...
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Junkee Clothing Exchange, Inc.

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960 S. Virginia St.

One of the best shopping experiences in Reno. Junkee is not only a used clothing store, but a Burner boutique for Burning Man participants, an antique shop, an art gallery and just an overall cool and funky place to drop a few bucks. Most items are reasonable and the owner, Jessica, keeps the place hopping and also hosts the local Reno Style TV show...
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