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Nevada state parks
Step Into Reno’s Past Take this guided stroll of the town’s cultural center.
NEVADA MAGAZINE & VISITOR GUIDE
BY CORY MUNSON
So you’re in Reno and want to get acquainted with the city: where should you start? Consider this walking tour a primer for exploring the city. Beginning next to the neon and nightlife of downtown, you’ll end your walk on a bohemian street where locals shop and dine. Along the way, discover a post office-turned-indie mall, a riverside restaurant on Reno’s most historic site, and one of the town’s earliest buildings. We begin just south of the Truckee River right after crossing the bridge on Virginia Street.
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DOWNTOWN POST OFFICE (1933) In 1931, Nevada passed two laws that were found nowhere else in the country: legalized gambling and speedy divorces. As the largest town in the state, Reno quickly became America’s hottest tourist destination. To support the flood of mail that followed visitors, a new post office was needed. Officials chose a site that was then home to the Carnegie Free Library, built in 1904 after Andrew Carnegie donated today’s equivalent of $1.5 billion to construct libraries POSTCARD OF POST OFFICE across the nation. The small library had been vacant for years, so it was demolished to make room. The new post office was designed by Reno-native Frederic DeLongchamps, a prolific architect whose work is found throughout northwestern Nevada, including the two buildings across the street: the Riverside Hotel and the Washoe County Courthouse. University of Nevada, Reno Special Collections (Postcard)
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