Stay Curious
Captivating museums around the Sierra. By Jen Peng
There are plenty of interactive museums in the Reno/Tahoe area, so there’s no reason to stop exploring just because the temperature dips. Here are some of our favorites in the region.
Speed on One of the top-rated automotive museums in the country, The National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection) features a collection of more than 200 historic and one-of-a-kind vehicles. Cruise the streets lined with classics, including some featured on television and in movies, or owned by celebrities such as JFK, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. The museum also hosts special, interactive exhibits, like Be the Astronaut, where you can fly a spaceship or drive a surface rover in simulated space missions; or Speed!, featuring several record-setting vehicles and photos of European racing from the beginning of the 20th century. automuseum.org
Expand your mind The Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, aka The Discovery, is Nevada’s largest hands-on science center, with 67,000 square feet of exhibits focused on science, technology, engineering, invention, art and history. Learn about the human body in Inside Out: an Anatomy Experience, or be an inventor and conduct experiments in Da Vinci’s Corner and Spark!Lab Smithsonian, just a few of the many permanent exhibits at the museum. Through March 2020, test your skills in the museum’s featured exhibition, Mindbender Mansion, with more than 40 individual and group puzzles, brainteasers and interactive challenges. nvdm.org
Fine art finds In addition to its permanent collection, the Nevada Museum of Art is featuring three special exhibits this winter: Wallsprawl #4 (Las Vegas, Next to Nellis Air Force Base) by Andrea Zittel, an artistic transformation of an aerial image into a custom-designed wallpaper; the mural Always Was Always Will Be by Australian Aboriginal artist Reko Rennie, which furthers the discussion on indigenous culture and identity in modern urban environments; and Work Ethic in American Art: The Legacy of E. L. Wiegand, a collection of art depicting the tireless pursuit of work over the last century. nevadaart.org
14 getaway reno/tahoe • planmygetaway.com
Photos this page: The Discovery Museum (Matt Morning)
