Discover Reno: Casinos, the River, and Lake Tahoe
Travel guide · editorial"The Biggest Little City in the World" glows in neon letters on the arch over Virginia Street – Reno's motto dates back to the 1920s. A vacation in Reno combines casinos and art with a river that rushes right through downtown, plus Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada practically on your doorstep.
Divorces, Gambling, and Silver
Reno was founded in 1868 along the transcontinental railroad and profited from silver mining in nearby Virginia City. The city became famous when Nevada legalized gambling in 1931 and allowed divorces after just six weeks of residency – celebrities from around the world traveled here to end their marriages. For a long time, Reno was Nevada's gambling capital before Las Vegas overtook it. Today, tech companies and logistics centers have settled in the region, and Reno is reinventing itself as an outdoor and cultural city.
Sights in Reno
The Truckee River flows through downtown; in the Riverwalk District, you can kayak or float on an inner tube in a whitewater park in summer. The Nevada Museum of Art, housed in a striking dark building, shows art focused on landscape and the environment. The National Automobile Museum is home to one of the largest classic car collections in the U.S., including vehicles from the collection of casino owner William Harrah. The big casino hotels such as the Eldorado, the Silver Legacy, and Circus Circus are connected by underground walkways. Many installations created at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert now stand around the city.
Eating and Going Out in Reno
A local tradition is the Basque restaurants, which grew out of boardinghouses for sheepherders and serve meals at long communal tables; the signature drink is the Picon Punch. In Midtown, just south of downtown, bars, breweries, vintage shops, and cafés have set up shop, often in converted motels. In the evening, the local scene and casino entertainment blend together here. In summer, numerous festivals take place, such as the Rib Cook-Off in Sparks and the Great Reno Balloon Race in September.
Art and Major Events
In July, Artown turns the city into a stage for a whole month, with numerous events, many of them free. In summer, Hot August Nights draws classic car fans who cruise the streets in gleaming chrome-covered cars. At the end of August, tens of thousands set out for Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert, about a two-hour drive to the north, and Reno is the last major supply stop along the way. On the University of Nevada campus, the Fleischmann Planetarium is worth a visit, and new murals appear on the façades in Midtown every year.
Getting Around Reno and Day Trips
Reno-Tahoe International Airport is just a few minutes southeast of downtown. Amtrak stops here with the California Zephyr, one of the most scenic train routes in the U.S., on its way across the Sierra to San Francisco. Buses serve the city, but you'll need a car for day trips. You can reach Lake Tahoe in about 45 minutes; in winter, ski areas such as Mount Rose or Palisades Tahoe beckon. The historic mining town of Virginia City lies halfway to Carson City, Nevada's capital. The best time to visit is summer, with dry, warm weather, or winter for skiers.