Random Stories
IXL Laundry
A sudden increase in construction activity hit Reno in the early 1930s, following the legalization of gambling and the reduction to six weeks of the residency requirement for securing a “Reno divorce.” In 1934, one of the largest projects announced…
St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral
There has been a Catholic presence in Nevada since its earliest days. The first Catholic church was built by Rev. Father Hugh P. Gallagher in Virginia City in 1860, during the heyday of the Comstock Lode. Other churches followed as mining boomtowns…
St. Albans Hotel
The St. Albans Hotel opened in the spring of 1908 at what is now 380 N. Virginia Street. At the time, it was situated at the far northern end of Reno’s business district, which was concentrated south of the railroad tracks. Initially surrounded to…
West/Hood House
This residence has been referred to as the “medical mansion”; two physicians owned it, but not in succession. The original building was a large, garage-like structure situated on the Nixon estate overlooking the Truckee River. The structure and…
Orvis Ring School (site)
Orvis Ring Grammar School, in Reno’s northeast quadrant, was the second in the quartet of Mission-style schools built between 1909 and 1912. Orvis Ring opened for students in the spring semester of 1910. The school was located on Evans Avenue between…
Masonic Lodge No. 13/Reno Mercantile (site)
The Reno Mercantile/Masonic Lodge No. 13 building, at 98 W. Commercial Row, was the oldest standing commercial structure in Reno when it was razed in January 2019. The lodge was chartered by Nevada’s Grand Lodge in Virginia City in 1869, and for the…
Featured Stories
St. Albans Hotel
The St. Albans Hotel opened in the spring of 1908 at what is now 380 N. Virginia Street. At the time, it was situated at the far northern end of Reno’s business district, which was concentrated south…
Levy House
Merchant Wilhelm Levy immigrated to America from Prussia (Germany). Later, he moved to Nevada and operated dry goods stores in a couple of mining boom towns. In 1887, he moved to Reno and with his…
Donnels-Cahlan-Scott House
From 1900 to about 1913, Albert T. and Christine Donnels and their son Albert Jr. lived in the Queen Anne house at 815 N. Center. Donnels and his partner Theodore Steinmetz had established a…
Take a Tour
Mansions on the Bluff
28 Locations ~ Curated by Donna and Paul Erickson/Historic Reno Preservation SocietyHistoric University Gateway
12 Locations ~ Curated by Debbie HinmanSchools and Education
13 Locations ~ Curated by The Reno Historical TeamTying and Untying the Knot
19 Locations ~ Curated by The Reno Historical TeamHistoric Downtown Alleys
4 Locations ~ Curated by Sharon Honig-BearReno Historical
A project by Special Collections, University of Nevada, Reno LibrariesReno Historical is a free mobile app that puts Reno history at your fingertips, allowing you to explore the people, places, and moments that have shaped the city’s history. Learn about the history of Reno through layered, map-based, multimedia presentations, use social media to share your stories, and experience curated historical tours of the city. It is a work in progress, so be sure to check in frequently for new tours and stories. Read more About Us