Nevada History & Heritage

In nearby Carson City, the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum stands as a stark reminder of when American Indian children were forced into boarding schools for assimilation. The lessons are powerful, as is the celebration of a resilient people and a reclaimed culture. And in Moapa Valley, the Lost City Museum showcases Ancestral Puebloan artifacts recovered from the on-site excavation pit, plus reconstructed homes and a desert garden.

To see petroglyphs and rock shelters with remarkable stories (and relics), point the car toward Hidden Cave & Grimes Point Archaeological Site, Lovelock Cave & Backcountry Byway, and Toquima Cave. Just remember not to touch or interact with any petroglyphs or pictographs you see, so they can be preserved for future generations.

While there’s plenty to be found in the past, don’t forget about the countless powwows and cultural events that travelers can experience today. Stewart Father’s Day Powwow, Numaga Indian Days Powwow, and the Pahrump Social Powwow are three of our favorite multi-day festivals where everyone is welcome.

Of course, if you’ve ever played “The Oregon Trail,” you know how important forts were for travelers heading west. Nevada still has a few proud examples left, including Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Park in the south (where Nevada’s largest city first sprung to life) and Fort Churchill State Historic Park, an old military base now preserved as weathered adobe ruins, in the northwest. The California Trail Interpretive Center, just outside Elko, is a must for anyone interested in seeing the trek the Donner Party—and more than 200,000 fellow pioneers—took through Nevada on their way to California.

Nevada’s first non-native settlement was Mormon Station—now Genoa—founded in 1851. Stop in at the Genoa Bar & Saloon, established in 1853 and considered Nevada’s oldest thirst parlor. Afterwards, stroll over to Mormon Station State Historic Park to explore the remains of some of Nevada’s oldest permanent structures.

In eastern Nevada, towns like Winnemucca and Elko are still major gold producers. But there are plenty of historic mining communities as well. Austin was the site of an early gold rush and is one of the oldest communities in the state. Today, its skyline features 19th-century steeples like St. Augustine’s, restored today as a cultural center reflecting the town’s frontier faith and history. In Ely, visitors can explore a historic, working train depot at the Nevada Northern Railway, which helped support the area’s copper industry. And in Tonopah, you can explore the more-than-100-acre site of the original mining claims that gave the city its “Queen of the Silver Camps” moniker.

For more mid-20th-century history, head to Las Vegas. During Prohibition, the city was virtually run by the Mob, so it’s only fitting that Vegas is home to The Mob Museum. Housed in a former federal courthouse, this museum tells the gripping story of the battle between the law and organized crime. And just down the street, history practically buzzes at The Neon Museum, where you can trace Las Vegas’ electric evolution through rescued signs from the city’s past.

Only half an hour from Las Vegas, Hoover Dam is another must-see attraction. This modern marvel was constructed during the Great Depression and continues to awe travelers to this day. Choose from two guided tours and go inside the second-tallest dam in the U.S.