For one day in Reno, start at the National Automobile Museum in downtown, where more than 240 cars fill galleries with period street scenes and artifacts. Then choose the Nevada Museum of Art or the Wilbur D. May Museum for an afternoon stop, depending on opening days and your plans.
- Location: 1 Museum Dr., downtown Reno.
- Time to allow: A minimum of two hours to see everything at the National Automobile Museum.
- Typical hours: The National Automobile Museum opens daily, with different weekday and weekend hours.
- General admission: $16 at the National Automobile Museum; the museum also offers reduced admission and free entry for members.
Start with the National Automobile Museum
The National Automobile Museum is a strong first stop for a Reno day, with more than 240 cars displayed alongside period street scenes and artifacts. It opened in 1989 and stands at 1 Museum Dr., on the corner of Lake and Mill Streets in downtown Reno.
Plan on at least two hours to see everything. Admission is $16 for general visitors, $15 for visitors age 65 and older, $14 for active military, veterans and first responders with ID, $13 for youth ages 6–17, and $3 for children age 5 and younger; members enter free. Parking is free.
The museum describes visits as self-guided. Daily guided tours are offered at 1:30 p.m. when a volunteer guide is available; they last about 90 minutes, so verify availability with the museum in advance. Pets are not allowed, but working service animals are accepted.
For more on planning the visit, National Automobile Museum visitor details cover the stop in greater depth.
How do you get from the airport area to central Reno?
The National Automobile Museum is about a 7-minute drive from the hotel. If you are traveling between downtown stops, use their addresses to plan the order: the automobile museum is on Lake and Mill Streets, while the Nevada Museum of Art is at 160 West Liberty Street.
For an airport-area day, a car makes it practical to leave the hotel for downtown and continue between stops. For other ways to get around, transport options around Reno can help with planning.
Choose an afternoon museum
Choose the Nevada Museum of Art for a downtown stop, or head to the Wilbur D. May Museum inside Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. Check each museum’s schedule before setting your afternoon plan.
Nevada Museum of Art
The Nevada Museum of Art is at 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno. Galleries and the shop are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; they are closed Mondays and national holidays.
General admission is $15, student and senior admission is $13, and admission for children ages 6–14 is $3. Children age 5 and younger and museum members enter free. Nevada high school students and students from TMCC, WNC and UNR also receive free admission with student ID.
The museum’s public areas are wheelchair accessible, with elevators throughout. There is a parking lot on the east side; free and metered street parking may also be available nearby.
Wilbur D. May Museum
The Wilbur D. May Museum is at 1595 N. Sierra Street, inside Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. It is closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and open Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Admission to the May Collection from June through December is $7 for adults and $5 for youth ages 3–17 and seniors age 62 and older; children under age 3 enter free. From January through May, special-exhibition admission is $13 for adults and $11 for children and seniors, with children under age 3 admitted free.
That rate includes the special exhibit and May Collection and Gallery. Free parking is available outside the museum, subject to special events. From Sierra Street, follow the sign for Rancho San Rafael Regional Park; the park entrance is not marked with a museum sign.
To compare Reno’s museum options, three museum stops in Reno puts the choices side by side.
Finish with a downtown visit
The Pioneer Center is another downtown stop. The available itinerary facts do not establish a performance schedule, so treat it as a venue to consider rather than a guaranteed evening event.
For practical details about attending a performance, Pioneer Center tickets and visit details may help you plan.
Check opening times and transport
Opening hours, admission prices and parking arrangements can change, so check the official site before you go. For the National Automobile Museum, verify guided-tour availability directly with the museum before planning around the 1:30 p.m. tour.
Keep the museum’s minimum two-hour visit in mind when choosing an afternoon stop, and confirm that the second museum is open on your chosen day. If you are driving, the automobile museum and Nevada Museum of Art are both in downtown Reno; the Wilbur D. May Museum is in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park.
FAQs
How long should you spend at the National Automobile Museum?
Allow a minimum of two hours to see everything. A guided tour, when a volunteer guide is available, lasts approximately 90 minutes.
Is parking free at the National Automobile Museum?
Yes, parking at the National Automobile Museum is free.
Which Reno museum is open on Monday?
The National Automobile Museum lists weekday hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Nevada Museum of Art is closed Mondays, as is the Wilbur D. May Museum.