This casino hotel’s lively staff includes trapeze artists, bicycle riders, jugglers, and trained dogs, who perform hourly in a midway lined with carnival games, an arcade, and other diversions. Tastefully decorated guest rooms overlook the mountains or the city. Frommer’s says “If you’re traveling with kids, this is the place to stay.”
Run of the House Sky Tower Standard rooms, with one king bed or two queen beds. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, phones, remote control cable TV, pay per-view movies, complimentary coffee & dataports for computer hookups.
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Although both Reno and Las Vegas started out as nothing more than train stops, it was Reno that first rose to prominence as the country's most notorious town, with liberal divorce laws and rowdy game rooms. Nowadays, Reno is a slower, less crowded, and prettier version of Vegas, but still teeming with arts and entertainment.
Reno has two faces. It is the gateway to the gorgeous skiing and golfing excursions of the Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada areas, and it is also a boisterous casino hub downtown. The Reno Arch is where the desert ends and Reno begins, as it overlooks bustling Virginia Street, declaring that Reno is "The Biggest Little City in the World." This reputation rings true as the small-town neighborhoods give way to neon lights, gleaming slot machines, and a thriving cultural scene.
New non-smoking laws are in effect for the entire State of Nevada. Please see our Advisories section for details.
New York City 6 hrs
Miami 6.5 hrs
Philadelphia 6 hrs
Boston 6.5 hrs
Los Angeles 1.5 hrs
Chicago 4 hrs
Dallas-Fort Worth 3.5 hrs
San Francisco 1 hr
Sitting at about 4,500 feet above sea level, Reno and its close neighbor, Sparks, overlook Truckee Meadows. This long valley is enclosed by the Sierra Nevada on the north and west, while to the east and south is the Virginia Range, where the Comstock Lode was discovered. 45 minutes from the city is Lake Tahoe, one the largest and most pristine alpine lakes in the world.
Although the temperatures range widely throughout the day in the Great Basin Desert, the low amount of humidity keeps the weather comfortable. There is not a lot of rain in the valleys, but up in the mountains there is a lot of snow. With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, Reno can reach over 100º in the summer at midday, and drop to the low 50°s later on in the night. Winters get fairly cold and even snowy in the mountains.
Spring average 69º, with just over a half-inch of rainfall per month
Summer average 86º, with less than a half-inch of rainfall per month
Fall average 62º, with just over a half-inch of rainfall per month
Winter average 50º, with nearly an inch of rainfall per month
The summers in Nevada are desert hot, but the winters are cool. And while summer is usually the most popular time for tourists, Reno is really most pleasant in either the spring or fall. The ski trails are still open; the golf courses are beautiful, and the crowds haven't overwhelmed the casinos. The popular rodeos are in the spring, while hot air balloon races are in September, even though no matter what time of year you visit there is most always some event going on.
Reno has a highly-regarded reputation as a smaller, more affordable version of Las Vegas. Combing the cosmopolitan feel of a resort city with the charm of a small town, Reno offers plenty of attractions, from energetic casinos to peaceful parks, unique museums, and experimental theater. The city also happens to be the gateway to the phenomenal Lake Tahoe ski resorts and outdoor recreational areas in the Sierra Nevada.
Sierra Safari Zoo: With over 200 animals and 40 different species, this zoo is the largest in Nevada. Run by the Sierra Nevada Zoological Society, the park has a wide variety of exotic animals from around the world, including big cats, reptiles, tropical birds, and monkeys. Visitors get one-on-one contact with the animals!
Animal Ark: This 38-acre wildlife sanctuary is another great place to see exotic animals, and serves as both a nature center and educational facility for schools and visitors. Get up-close and personal with rare and beautiful creatures such as wolves, regal birds of prey, and a white tiger named Khan.
Nevada Museum of Art: The NMA is the oldest art museum in the state. It features an array of traveling and local exhibitors on display including modern, classic, and impressionist paintings and sculptures.
National Automobile Museum: Discover a century of automobiles with more than 220 antique, vintage, classic, special interest, and one-of-a-kind wheeled wonders as well as cars of the rich and famous. Take a ride down the streets of yesterday!
National Bowling Stadium: Reno is the proud home of the National Bowling Stadium, built in 1995. The 4-story lobby leads to 80 championship lanes, with Brunswick's 30mph high-tech ball return, and the world's longest video screen displaying the scores.
Truckee River Whitewater Park & Kayak Slalom Course: A great place to get close to the river, this recently completed $1.5 million downtown park offers adventure right at your hotel doorstep. At more than 2,600 feet long, its class 2-3 rapids and 11 drop-pools beckon kayakers, rafters, and water enthusiasts.
Skiing: Reno/Tahoe has the largest concentration of ski resorts in North America (18 ski and cross-country resorts), surrounded by 30-feet of average snow pack and 22,000 acres of skiing terrain. Reno/Tahoe skiing and back-country adventures provide breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada range.
Golfing: The Reno/Tahoe area boasts more than 46 challenging golf courses, all within 90 minutes of the Reno/Tahoe International Airport and each with its own flair of tranquility and variety. Courses range from high desert to alpine mountains and everything in between -- it’s no wonder Reno/Tahoe was named one of Golf Digest’s Top 50 Golf Destinations!
Amusement Parks: There are some great theme parks in and around Reno, such as Wild Island, known as northern Nevada's tropical paradise. This park features 14 attractions including outdoor water rides, a wave pool, volleyball court, mini-golf, mini-race track, and other rides. The Great Basin Adventure is a children's theme park with a log flume, a petting zoo, and pony rides, among otherinteresting exhibits that explore the mining industry and dinosaur archaeology that are so famous in Nevada.
Lake Tahoe: The surreal landscape of the snowcapped Sierra Nevada range and the gorgeous high-altitude lake make this one of the top outdoor destinations in America, with skiing, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and more. The Tahoe Rim Trail (150 miles long) circles the Tahoe Basin, and the Mt. Rose trail (12 miles) leads up to the top of Mt. Rose for vast panoramic views.
With a vast array of restaurants in Reno, every appetite is sated, whether for steaks, seafood, Chinese, or Mexican. Ranging from very formal to casual atmospheres, the city is a haven for food and drink connoisseurs. Casinos and hotels usually have excellent restaurants, but there are plenty of all-you-can-eat buffets too, the best of which is Eldorado's on the main drag.
Gourmet: La Strada, a Fodor's Choice Italian restaurant on Reno's main street, is designed to complement its name, which means a small street in an Italian market. The Italian chefs imported a special wood-fired brick oven from Italy, and specialize in wild-mushroom ravioli, handmade pastas, and of course, pizza. Eldorado Casino, 345 N Virginia Street
Highly Recommended: Café de Thai is a fancier version of most Thai restaurants in Reno, except that it features exquisitely prepared cuisine by Thai national Sakul Cheosakul, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America. A Fodor's Choice restaurant, it features a creative menu with unique dishes like Oriental sausage salad, and the more traditional rice noodle items. 3314 S McCarran Avenue (Mira Loma Shopping Center)
Local Flair: For over 20 years, the Coffee Grinder has been a Reno institution for family dining and huge breakfasts. The house specialty is chicken-fried steak, but the huge menu and full bar will satisfy any craving. 575 Keystone Avenue
Romantic: Romanza Ristorante Italiano in the Peppermill Hotel Casino features wood-fired Italian cuisine underneath an enchanted sky dome. Around the dome are pillars topped with flaming torches, and in the middle are grand statues of the Roman hero Antinous and two fair maidens that slowly revolve to classic Italian music. Rated 4 diamonds by AAA, this restaurant has a huge selection of pastas and seafood prepared by master chefs, and an exclusive wine list that earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. 2707 S Virginia Street
The glitz and glamour of Reno is most apparent when the sun goes down, as thousands of neon lights beckon you to the many casinos, bars, and nightclubs. Live entertainment is as vibrant as it is varied, from all-night cabaret to fresh, up-and-coming comics, to pop superstars like Bonnie Raitt or Everclear. Whatever your taste, there is always for you.
Casino: The birthplace of Nevada gaming still lives up to its reputation as one of the world's best gaming cities. Dozens of busy casinos keep Reno ringing day and night, but much of the action late at night can be found around Virginia Street. Each casino is made up in a different theme and offers various activities in addition to gambling, so find the lights, fill up your wallet, and walk around!
·The Eldorado Hotel Casino has a unique reputation as "one of the 10 casinos where you're most likely to win." Besides all of the standard games though, this casino also features the Race and Sportsbook, and Stadium Bars. The Brew Brothers restaurant, boasting over 80 beers from around the world, was voted the "Best Microbrewery" and has 8 custom microbrews, plus live rock and jazz on the weekends. This is also where you can find one of the best buffets in town, fine dining at Romanza Ristorante Italiano, and even take in a hit show at the Eldorado Showroom.
·The Reno Hilton not only has a great casino, but also 70,000 square feet of shopping, plus a bowling alley, movie theatres, a comedy club, health center, tennis courts, driving range, laser tag arena, bumpers cars and, of course, a wedding chapel.
·Circus-Circus has all the greats; roulette, craps, pokers, and slots. But the "Big Top" is what sets this place above the norm, with free circus acts every half-hour, including trapeze artists, wirewalkers, jugglers, and acrobats.
·Fitzgerald's is Reno's most famous casino, in the center of downtown right next to the Reno Arch. The game floor is styled into the Lucky Forest, which is at the end of the Rainbow Skyway, which leads to the Lucky Waterfall, where you toss a coin into the Mystical Waters. Then you will come across the magical Genie's Lamp, and a statue of Ho Tei, the Japanese God of Luck, who offers his round belly for you to rub. Just in case this isn't lucky enough for you, the horseshoes of Triple Crown winner Secretariat are on display. It almost feels like they don't want your money!
·The Sands Regency has a great casino but also features the "Just for Laughs" comedy club, with a comfortable non-smoking lounge. The country's best comedians perform all week, as do the musical entertainers in the Empress Lounge.
Theater: The stage has a strong presence in Reno, as there are dozens of theaters that put on diverse and experimental plays. The Brewery Theater, the Lear Theater, and the Gothic North Theater are all popular institutions in the city, as is the Summer Shakespeare Festival near Lake Tahoe.
Celebrate the River: A summer celebration of the Truckee River, with entertainment and food lining the banks of the River in Reno. June
Reno Rodeo: The Reno Rodeo has stomped into town every June for over 80 years, and is known as the wildest, richest rodeo in the West, and is the third-largest professionally sanctioned rodeo in North America. Besides the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world competing in traditional rodeo events, there are also family carnivals, great food, and kids riding sheep, in what can only be called "mutton bustin'!" June
The Big Easy: The spirit of Louisiana fills Victorian Square in downtown Sparks, with good food, loud music, parades, and dancing in the streets. July
ARTown: There are free concerts at Wingfield Park, special art shows in the local galleries, and ballet by the river, during this month-long festival, when Reno displays the high quality of the arts that permeate throughout the city all year. July
Hot August Nights: The most popular event by far in Reno is this citywide tribute to the 50s and 60s. For 15 years now, the main drag in Reno has been flooded with vintage cars parading in front of thousands of fans, while retro-cover bands sing the golden oldies, and the sock-hop dance-a-thons go all night long. Over 5,000 cars from around the world register for the event! July - August
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival: For almost 30 years, Sand Harbor on Lake Tahoe has transformed into the exalted stage of the Bard during the summer. Under the snowcapped Sierra Nevada and overlooking the Lake, the sandy natural amphitheater hosts outdoor Shakespeare plays every night, earning national acclaim, and was named as one of the 2001 Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association. July - August
Street Vibrations: The Hottest Time on Two Wheels! It's music, metal, motorcycles, and more, with concerts and other entertainment, poker walks and runs, special slot tournaments, ride-in shows, parades, and some of the finest scenery in the West. September
The Great Reno Balloon Race: The nation's top hot-air balloonists compete in exciting events such as the Target Drop and the Key Grab, while displaying their spectacular flying machines. September
National Championship Air Races: This international event is the world's longest air race, featuring military jets, old biplanes, and much more. Besides a variety of races and competitions, there is also historical information about the planes, and dazzling acrobatic displays. September
Celtic New Year Celebration: With dancing, food, arts and crafts, and live entertainment, downtown Reno hosts a huge celebration culminating with a great Pipe Band competition. October
National Senior Pro Rodeo Finals: Over 1,400 contestants from the US and Canada compete all year just to qualify for this event. Over a million dollars are awarded to the winners of the 70 rodeos, besides the esteemed title of World Champion in individual activities. November
Festival of Trees: To the get the children of Reno in the spirit of Christmas, this downtown festival celebrates the arrival of Santa with lights, music and, of course, the Christmas Tree Lighting in Wingfield Park. November - December
Sparks Hometowne Christmas: Reno's little neighbor holds this festive Christmas celebration in Victorian Square with a parade, tree-lighting ceremony, food, and caroling. December
The unassuming Westerners in Reno are not fancy or particularly conservative, except for evening shows and events, when men will usually be required to wear a jacket and often a tie as well. Jeans and shirts usually work for everything else, but keep in mind that summer temperatures can exceed 90º but still fall below 50º later the same night. If you plan on traveling in the winter, pack for cold and snow.
We strongly advise that you confirm the following information and regard this only as a basic guide.
Gambling: The legal age for gambling is 21, and many casinos will not even permit people under the age of 21 to enter.
Smoking: New non-smoking laws are in effect for the entire State of Nevada. There's no smoking in hotel corridors and elevator banks. You are allowed to smoke in designated smoking guest rooms and in areas of casinos where food is not served.
Nevada Commission on Tourism
401 North Carson
Carson City, NV 89701
Phone: 775-687-4322
Toll Free: 800-NEVADA-8
Fax: 775-687-6779
Nevada Welcome Center: 460 N. Sandhill Boulevard, Mesquite, NV 89027, phone 702-46-2702 or toll-free 1-877-MESQUITE, fax 702-36-2709
Reno/Sparks Convention and Visitors Center: 4590 South Virginia Street, Reno, phone toll-free 1-800 367-7366