Welcome to Reno!

History

Reno's history starts in the mid 19th Century. As early as the 1850s a few pioneers settled in the Truckee Meadows, a relatively fertile valley through which the Truckee River made its way from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. These early residents survived by farming and by business from travelers along the California Trail. Mining-related activities started with the discovery of gold around Virginia City in 1850 but it was the discovery of silver in 1859 that led to one of the greatest mining bonanzas of all time - the Comstock Lode. Reno was officially founded in 1868 at the site where the Central Pacific Railroad crossed the Truckee River. As the mining communities like Virginia City faded in the late 19th Century, business moved into Reno which became the major city in the area. Legalization of gambling (1931) supported growth through the middle of the 20th century. While the resorts continue to contribute significant income to the city, the community has become increasingly diverse and Reno is benefiting from significant public investment and city improvement projects, especially in the downtown area.

Reno today is known not only as "The Biggest Little City in the World" but also as "America's Adventure Place" - with a wide range of out-door activities available in and around the city, as well as having Lake Tahoe less than an hour away. Indeed, Reno is currently bidding to be the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Starting in 2009, Reno will host the Reno Aces, a Triple-A minor league baseball franchise. A new 10,000-capacity ballpark has been built for the team.

Reno Recreation and Culture

Reno is home to a variety of recreation activities including both seasonal and year-round. Water sports are popular in the summer and skiing in the winter. Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake are covered on our Nature and Beauty page, but in the city itself, the focal point is the Truckee River which flows right through the center of downtown. This features a city center Whitewater park with kayaking and rafting for the more adventurous plus a green park for those of a gentler disposition. The Reno area also supports a variety of arts and cultural activities. These include: A major arts festival, Artown, held every July. The Hot August Nights classic car festival in early August. The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, which will be on during the week of the Reno Worldcon and must have one of the most scenic venues imaginable for live outdoor theatre. The Great Reno Balloon Race in September. Not quite in Reno, but not too far away, is the site of Burning Man, held the week prior to and including Labor Day weekend. With our proposed mid-August dates, why not consider staying on and attending both events for a truly unique summer? There are also plenty of permanent attractions which will be available while you're in town. The Magic Underground is a concealed theatre built purely to showcase the best of modern magic. The Nevada Museum of Art features an eclectic mix of permanent and travelling exhibits. There are also top quality transport museums covering both rail and road. Finally, a large number of retail and cultural activities are collected together in the Truckee River Arts District. This is a great place to take a stroll, eat, drink and generally enjoy yourself when you want a break from the convention.

Useful Resources

We have of course included links to other websites across our bid pages, but for your convenience, here is an annotated list of some of the more useful starting points for learning about Reno.

• visitrenotahoe.com is the official site of the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (CVA). This award winning site is generally the best starting point for Reno visit information.

• blog.visitrenotahoe.com is an associated blog, produced by a collaboration of writers from the Reno area.

• The CVA also has a channel on youtube, with over 100 videos relating to the area.

• visitvirginiacitynv.com is the official visitor site for Virginia City.

• visitcarsoncity.com is the official visitor site for Carson City.

• Reno entry on Wikipedia.

• reno.com is a commercial site promoting Reno, with plenty of information about local businesses and attractions - we think the most useful part is the 99 things to do in Reno list.

• newtoreno.com is another good general site, and includes a wide range of information on the city, shopping and events as well as extensive picture galleries of Reno and Nevada events.

• cityofreno.com is the Reno local government site - not much of interest to fans but the site does include a couple of webcams.

• Official site for the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

• Reno-Tahoe entry on About.com.

• Reno entry on TripAdvisor.com.