MENU
  • Get Involved
  • Nevada's Historic Preservation and Archaeological Awareness Month

Nevada’s Historic Preservation and Archaeological Awareness Month

History Means Nevada!  Get Out and Explore...

May is an opportunity to participate in many family-friendly events that celebrate Historic Preservation and Archaeological Awareness for 2025.

We invite you to:

1.  Learn more about your home.  The vast majority of homes in Nevada are historic in age (over 50 years), even those ranch and split-level houses you grew up in. Visit your local historical society, library, and public records office to get started.
2.  Explore your Main Street.  From Gardnerville to Genoa to Reno to Las Vegas, every town has a historic core or "Main Street".  Go out to a historic restaurant, an old movie house, brewery, shop at stores in older buildings, or explore neighborhoods with older homes.
3.  Take a Trip, Tour or a Ride.  From trains, to trails to urban hikes - history is all around.  Many historical sites and homes are availble for tours.  Check with your local Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce or Nevada's Historic Resources map for where to find historic resources near you, or for new or favorite places you will be visiting.
4.  Architectural Scavenger Hunts.  Some communities feature architectural scavenger hunts such as Carson City.  How many Victorian, Craftsman, brick homes or buildings can you find?  Encourage your local community to participate and create one.
5.  Historical Marker Challenge.  Did you know that Nevada has almost 275 state historical markers?  How many have you seen while driving, hiking, or walking through a downtown?  Get out and take a photo with our unique state markers and their historic resources.  Bonus points for visiting Nevada's resources listed in the National Register of Historic Places or our National Historic Landmarks or Historic Districts.  Don't leave out local historical markers as well.  How many can you visit between May 1st through 31st?  Tag us, and post and share on your favorite social media.
6.  Learn about Historic Preservation.  Groups like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service have webinars about historic preservation and workshops on restoring historic resources.
7.  Get Involved.  Want to save historic places that matter to you?  Support your local main street and preservation organization, speak with your elected officials, and let others know why historic preservation is an important part of your community. Volunteer your time or become a member of a preservation group, historical society or main street program.

Here are some additional places, ideas and resources for celebrating the unique cultural resources found in the Silver State.   Enjoy!

Organizations

Nevada Preservation Foundation

Historic Reno Preservation Society

  • Virtually or Individually Tour the City with Reno Historical  
    • Seeking a bit of fresh air, Reno Historical offers an engaging variety of tours to transport you across time and space. Just click Tours on the website (renohistorical.org) and you’ll find a range of options for exploring the city’s historic landscape.   More information: Historic Reno Preservation Society

State and Federal Resources

National Park Service

Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Travel Nevada 

Museums

  • Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas Online Collections Navigate the database by using the links at the top of the page. If you want to browse, selecting "random image" is a good place to start. 
    • View 3-dimensional artifacts and artwork 
    • View photographs 
    • View records of manuscript/archival collections ("containers" refers to the list of folders within a manuscript collection")
  • Neon Museum Virtual Tours, YouTube channel, web app, articles and interviews all online. 
  • The Mob Museum Virtual tours and videos 
  • National Atomic Testing Museum Videos Distinguished Lecture Series and Oral History Series 
  • Northern Nevada Railway Museum 

Local Government Options

Universities

Virtual Reality Tours of Nevada Resources

I want to...

Revised Language Access Plan Available

Learn More