During the late 1880s, the architects Morrill J. Curtis and Seymore Pixley were commissioned to design a government building for the Nevada State Printing Office. The building was constructed in sandstone ashlar that was quarried from the Nevada State Prison, which was also located in Carson City. Completed in 1886, it housed the offices and presses for the Nevada State Printer.In order to complement the other existing government buildings in the Nevada Capitol complex, the architects chose to design this building in the Italianate style. Morrill J. Curtis was a prominent architect who was hired to design many significant buildings in Nevada throughout his career. He was also commissioned to design the octagonal annex that was added to the rear of the Nevada State Capitol Building in 1906.Upon the completion of the Nevada State Printing Office in 1996, it served to house the government presses and offices from 1886 - 1964. Following its tenure in this official capacity, ivy was later allowed to grow on the exterior of the building, adding to its character. A historical marker was erected near the entrance to the property by the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology at the Nevada State Library (Division of Archives and Records).

Nevada State Printing Building, Carson City

Nevada State Printing Building Historical Marker

Nevada State Printing Office (archival images) 

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The Nevada State Printing Building was completed in 1886. It is the second oldest building in the Nevada State Capitol complex. Built to house the government offices and presses of the Nevada State Printer, it was designed in the Italianate architectural style. This design style was intended to complement the State Capitol building, which was built in 1870. 

Nevada State Printing Building

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This short walk through the heart of Nevada's state capitol includes government buildings, monuments, historic buildings, and other landmarks. More entries will be added soon. 

Built in 1862, the St. Charles Hotel is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Nevada. There were originally two separate hotels side by side: the St. Charles Hotel (three stories) and the Muller Hotel (two stories). Both buildings are still standing, and together they now form the St. Charles Hotel (sometimes called the St. Charles-Muller Hotel). The property is significant for its vernacular Italianate architecture. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While still in their twenties, Albert Muller and George Remington decided to embark on a bold new business venture. In 1862, they set out to construct two hotels that they hoped would eventually be located directly across from the Capitol building in Carson City. Although the city had not yet even been named the capital of the Nevada Territories, the two young men believed it was the likely choice. In their view, this also meant that the city would soon be drawing greater numbers of statesmen in need of a quality hotel. As it turns out, their business venture paid off. The St. Charles Hotel became known as "the most desirable and most commodious first-class house in Carson." Adding to its popularity and success, the St. Charles Hotel was the stage coach stop for Carson City, where the Pioneer Stage Company had its offices. During 1860, just two years before the hotel was built, the Pony Express maintained stables across the street. From 1861 to 1864, Mark Twain (the pen name for American author Samuel Clemens) lived in Carson City. He had traveled to Nevada by stage coach with his older brother, Orion Clemens, who was then serving as the Secretary of the Nevada Territory, appointed by President Abraham Lincoln. It is thought likely that Mark Twain would have visited the St. Charles Hotel's restaurant and bar, which was located on the ground level, after the hotel was built in 1862. Twain also returned to Carson City in October 1866 and again in April 1868, by this time a famous journalist, although his career as a major novelist still lay ahead. By the mid-twentieth century, the St. Charles Hotel had fallen into decline. It has become renamed as the Pony Express Hotel, a reference to the Pony Express Mail Route that traversed the western U.S. nearly a century earlier in 1860. However, the hotel would eventually experience a twenty-first century renaissance. Ownership changed hands several times over the coming decades. The hotel was restored and renamed the "St. Charles." With a fresh coat of red paint, striped awnings, and gleaming signage on the exterior, the hotel now looks similar to its original appearance upon its establishment in 1862.

In 1862, the Saint Charles Hotel was built in a vernacular Italianate style. During this period, Carson City, Nevada, was newly founded, and a Capitol building had not yet been constructed. Nevertheless, the hotel's proprietors, Albert Muller and George Remington, two young men in their twenties, were convinced that Carson City was destined to become the capital of the Nevada Territory. They decided to construct two hotels in brick side by side, naming one of the hotels the "St. Charles," as this was the name of many premiere hotels on the east coast of the U.S.  

Saint Charles Hotel (1862)

The San Francisco architect, Joseph Gosling, was hired to design the Nevada State Capitol Building for $250. He designed it in a Classical Revival architectural style, which was characteristic for government buildings at that time. There are also Italianate and Renaissance Revival elements, such as the rows of arched windows. An octagonal annex was added to the building's east side in 1906-07. Additionally, in 1915, north and south wings were added to accommodate the legislative chambers when in session. (The State Legislature now has its own building). For the first fifty years, the Nevada Supreme Court also met at the Nevada State Capitol Building, until it outgrew the space. As a result, the Nevada State Capitol is today part of a campus setting with other government buildings. The Legislative Building and the Supreme Court Building are both nearby, along with the State Library and Archives Building. These buildings are nestled in a park-like campus setting, featuring walkways, benches, and trees. The trees were brought in from several different counties in Nevada. For example, on the grounds of this campus of state buildings, a Sierra Redwood tree contains a historical marker that states: "Sierra Redwood, Sequoia Giganteum, Clark County." Another historical marker was placed near the entrance to the building on Carson Street. It notes that the sandstone used to construct the Nevada State Capitol was quarried locally on property owned by the town's founder, Abe Curry. In the 1860s, a portion of Curry's land was leased to the Nevada State Prison. Thus, some historical sources note that the sandstone was obtained for free at the quarry of the state prison, which helped to keep building costs low. Today, the Governor maintains offices in the Nevada State Building, and the second floor is used as a museum. Early exhibits included the collections of the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers. This society was established in 1972 as a scientific, literary, and historical organization that collected and recorded information about the settlement of the Pacific States and Territories. The Nevada State Capitol Building is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

The Nevada State Capitol Building was completed in 1871. Constructed with sandstone in a Classical Revival style, the building also includes Renaissance Revival and Italianate elements. Notable architectural features include an octagonal annex (added in 1906-07) and Alaskan marble walls, which are visible in the interior. This is the second oldest capitol building west of the Mississippi River. Nevada officially gained U.S. statehood on October 31, 1864. 


Nevada Capitol Building

General George Washington initially took command of the Continental Army on July 3, 1775, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, underneath the grandparent of this elm tree. Although the exact location where Washington assumed command might be legendary, the Washington Elm in Cambridge has long been revered as the location. As such, it is considered important and symbolic in the history of the American Revolution and the new Republic.The Washington Elm in Cambridge produced several seedlings which were then cultivated by the Maryland Chapter of the Daughters of The American Revolution (D.A.R.). These seedlings were given to different states as gifts to commemorate George Washington's birthday and his role in American history. One of the seedlings which was raised by the Maryland Chapter of the D.A.R. was presented to the Nevada Chapter of the D.A.R. to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of George Washington's birth (b. 1732). The Nevada Chapter of the D.A.R. planted the seedling on East Musser Street in 1932. A historical marker was also placed at the site by the same group in order to share the tree's special history and significance. Elsewhere in the U.S., public parks and university campuses in different states also contain descendants of the original Washington Elm. These trees were similarly planted as seedlings to commemorate Washington's 200th birthday.

The Washington Elm Historical Marker commemorates the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of George Washington, the first President of the United States. This elm tree was raised as a seedling on the east coast of the U.S., and it was planted in Carson City in 1932. Underneath the grandparent of this elm tree, Washington took command of the Continental Army on July 3, 1775. The grandparent elm, known as the original Washington Elm, was located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Washington Elm Historical Marker

For one hundred years, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall was the meeting place for several fraternal organizations in Carson City. The hall was originally built for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF). The history of this fraternal organization can be traced to the medieval guilds of 12th and 13th century Europe. The IOOF spread throughout the U.S. during the 1800s, with local chapters formed in numerous cities.Carson City's IOOF building, which was also called Odd Fellows Hall, was built in the 1870s. It was constructed with sandstone that was quarried from the local Nevada State Prison. Upon its construction, the site served as a meeting place for several different organizations and societies over the years. These included the following:Ancient Order of Accepted and Free MasonsRebekahsEastern StarPythiansIndependent Order of Red MenWoodmen of the WorldThe property was eventually demolished in the 1970s, after serving as the site of local businesses in the mid-twentieth century. Allied Van Lines was the last company to conduct business in the former IOOF Hall building. After the property was demolished, a low wall was constructed using some of the original sandstone blocks from the Odd Fellows Hall. This low wall runs along Musser Street.At one end of the sandstone wall (near the intersection with N. Plaza Street), the original cornerstone of the Odd Fellow Hall is visible, embedded into the wall. Next to the cornerstone, a historical marker was erected by the Security Bank of Nevada in 1980. The marker shares the history of the site during the period when it served as a meeting place for fraternal and other organizations that once gathered at the IOOF Hall.

Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Hall in Carson City was built during the 1870s, not long after the city was founded in 1858. For a century after the construction of the Odd Fellows Hall, the building served as a meeting place for the IOOF and other fraternal organizations. This structure later served as the home of local businesses, including Allied Van Lines. Although the property was demolished in the 1970s, the original cornerstone was preserved and can be seen on the end of the low wall running along the sidewalk, near the intersection with N. Plaza Street. A historical marker was also embedded into the wall next to the cornerstone.

Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Cornerstone and Historical Marker 

During Carson City's early years in the 1870s and 1880s, five brothers in the Olcovich family were entrepreneurs who owned a mercantile business on Main Street. Along with other families of Jewish merchants, they helped to develop Carson City. In particular, their mercantile business supplied goods and services to Virginia City and the Comstock mines. In 1874, Joseph Olcovich built this house and sold it a year later to his brother, Bernard.Although the Jewish community was prominent in contributing to the establishment of several essential businesses in Carson City, the community remained relatively small. As such, a synagogue was never built in the city. However, Jewish families did gather to observe Jewish holidays and practice Judaism within each other's homes. Later, the larger Jewish community that resided in northern Nevada commissioned a synagogue to be built in Reno, NV.After Bernard Olcovich sold this house to George H. Meyers in 1885, Meyers added several Victorian architectural elements, partly altering the original Gothic Revival style. These architectural elements included Italianate bays, porch detailing, arched lintels above the windows, and a cross-gabled roof. Prior to the addition of these Victorian details, the Olcovich-Meyers House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1874, the same year of its construction in the Gothic Revival style.

The Olcovich-Meyers House was built in 1874 by Joseph Olcovich, a Prussian immigrant and merchant. The home features the Gothic Revival architectural style, and it is one of the few remaining examples of this style in Carson City. After the property changed hands, the new owner, George Meyers, added several Victorian details to the house. In addition to its architectural value, the property is also significant because it is associated with the Jewish community and the mercantile trade during Carson City's early years. The home is a private residence and is not open to the public. 

Olcovich-Meyers House

The Methodist Church was built to serve a congregation that is the oldest in Nevada. For this reason, it is considered the "Cradle of Nevada Methodism" within the state. The first pastor of the church was Reverend Warren Nims. While overseeing the construction of the edifice, he drove a two-horse lumber wagon in order to haul rock himself from the Nevada State Prison, which was located in Carson City. He also instructed the prisoners in cutting the rock per his exact specifications for building the church.In addition to selecting the raw materials used in the construction, Reverend Nims also lay the stone himself. Thus, according to historian Sam Broyles, Rev. Nims can rightly be considered the church's "architect, stone mason, and teamster, as well as the pastor of its flock." In 1865, the church was competed and was subsequently dedicated in 1867. One of the earliest members of the congregation was H.G. Blaisdell. He was the first elected governor of the State of Nevada, which officially became part of the United States in 1864. In 1869, Blaisdell paid the remaining balance of $1,500 debt on the church's building and grounds.The twentieth century saw a few significant changes to the exterior. In 1909, the church tower was altered to its current appearance by removing the tall, pointed Gothic spire. Additionally, a stone entrance porch was installed in 1948. However, the arched windows and the octagonal porch posts, which are characteristic of the Gothic style, appear just as they did in the original 1865 design.

This Methodist Church was built to serve a local congregation that originally formed in 1859. Consequently, the site is referred to as the "Cradle of Nevada Methodism." Reverend Warren Nims, who served as pastor of this church from 1863 - 1866, oversaw much of the construction of the building. Although the building has been altered over the years, it retains its pointed-arch windows and remains a strong example of the Gothic Revival architectural style. As is true of many other buildings in Carson City, the stone was quarried from the local state prison. 

Methodist Church of Carson City

The Dat So La Lee House is historically significant for its association with Louisa Keyser, a Washoe Indian basket weaver of world renown. Louisa Keyser, was also known as Dat So La Lee, her Indian name, which means, “big around the middle or big hips”. La Lee was a Washoe from the Woodfords-Markleeville, California area – La Lee was born in this same area around the year 1861.   The Washoe Indians were the primary inhabitants of the Great Basin, with aboriginal territory extending from Honey Lake, California in the north, Antelope Valley to the south, the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west, and the Pine Nut Mountains to the east – the area was approximately one-hundred-fifty miles long by fifty miles wide. During the summer months, Washoe would comb through the eastern valleys and mountains ranges to gather pine nuts and organize hunting trips. Once these hunts were over, the Washoe returned to their winter camps where the women could spend many hours weaving baskets while the men repaired and manufactured tools and hunting equipment.  Very little is known concerning the childhood of Dat So La Lee. Her mother died when she was very young, possibly even an infant, as it was known that La Lee did not remember her mother. La Lee was more than likely raised by an aunt or grandmother, which was a traditional practice for Washoe children who had lost their mother. It was likely this mysterious woman who raised Dat So La Lee who taught her to weave the baskets that she eventually became famous for.  Dat So La Lee is recognized for her outstanding contribution to the practice of Washoe basket weaving – she was largely responsible for developing the practice of Washoe basket weaving into an artform. During her lifetime, La Lee was the only American Indian basket weaver to gain a semblance of international fame for her work. Through the efforts of her primary promoter, Clarrise Amy Cohn, La Lee’s baskets were, and still are, recognized as true works of art and are sold throughout the world for very large sums of money. La Lee was a very intelligent woman who made the best of the whites’ presence in the Washoe world.

The Dat So La Lee House served as the home of the well-known Washoe Indian basket weaver Louisa Keyser, better known as Dat So La Lee, her Indian name. Abram Cohn, the husband of La Lee’s promoter, Clarrise Amy Cohn, built the home for La Lee around 1914. The one-story, gable-roofed, vernacular board and batten cottage is in fair condition and continues to be utilized as a private residence. The Dat So La Lee House resides within Carson City’s historic district on the west side of town. The cottage, during the time when La Lee lived there, consisted of only one room, with a corner sectioned off for the purpose of a bathroom, which had a toilet with a pull-chain. 

Dat So La Lee House / Louisa Keyser House

Orion Clemens moved to Carson City to serve as the first Territorial Secretary of the Nevada Territory from 1861 - 1864. His brother, Samuel Clemens, traveled with Orion from the east coast to work as a reporter and writer in Carson City. Samuel Clemens is better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. Although he was not yet the famous author that he would eventually become, Mark Twain was already known for stirring up public opinion through his writing style, which was considered controversial by some readers.After staying in hotels and temporary lodging, Orion Clemens purchased the land to build a home in Carson City in November 1863. The Clemens brothers lived in this residence along with Orion's wife, Mollie. Originally, the home had wooden shiplap siding, which has since been obscured by a stucco exterior. There was a balcony above the front bay window, which has since been removed. The front porch, and other parts of the house, have also been modified. However, the house still displays elements of its original Greek Revival and Gothic Revival styles. When the Clemens brothers first arrived in Carson City, it was considered a new seat of government for the Nevada Territory. Orion Clemens paid out of his own pocket to furnish the legislative chambers. Formal government buildings had not yet been constructed in the city, thus the Territorial legislature met on the second story of a hotel. In addition, a canvas curtain was used to delineate the two chambers of the legislature. Sawdust was used as insulation to cover the floor. Orion also personally paid to print the Journals of the House and the Senate. Nevertheless, his efforts to get the new government up and running may have been partly overlooked.Nevada officially gained statehood to the United States in 1964. At that time, not long after the construction of his new home, Orion Clemens sought a nomination for candidacy to the position of Secretary of State in Nevada. However, he was defeated. As a result, Orion and his wife, Mollie, moved away from Carson City shortly thereafter. His brother, Mark Twain, also moved away to pursue other opportunities for reporting and writing, traveling next to California. Unlike Orion, who never returned to Carson City, Mark Twain visited Carson City again a few times in the late 1860s, while continue to write about about the places where he spent his time.

Circa 1864, this was the home of Orion Clemens and his brother, Samuel Clemens, who was better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. The Clemens brothers traveled together to Carson City from the east coast. Orion Clemens was appointed to serve as the Territorial Secretary of the Nevada Territory from 1961- 1964. During the mid-1860s, Mark Twain lived at this house with his brother, while working as a reporter and writer in the early years of his career. As a result, the property is also sometimes referred to as the Mark Twain House. In 1964, Nevada attained statehood. By the mid-1860s, both of the Clemens brothers had moved away from Carson City.

Orion Clemens House 

Before it became the state capital of Nevada, Carson City was the seat of government for the Nevada Territory. The first settlement was the Eagle Station Trading Post, established in 1851. In the broader region, the land was inhabited by the Washoe people, who lived around Lake Tahoe and in the area that later became Carson City.When Abraham Curry arrived in the region in 1858, he and his associates decided to purchase land at Eagle Station. For $500 and a herd of horses, Curry's associates purchased one of the best parcels of land in Eagle Valley. This parcel of land contained a sandstone quarry, which was eventually used to construct many of the buildings in Carson City.Curry and his associates surveyed the land and planned out a town. In addition, he set aside ten acres of land specifically to be set aside for a future complex of government buildings. His planning proved to be prudent. As it turned out, Carson City was designated as the capital of the Nevada Territory in 1961. However, it took a few more years for government buildings to be constructed.In 1859, gold and silver were discovered at the nearby Comstock Lode. This mining boom provided a solid economic base for the region. It also increased the likelihood that the Nevada Territory would be granted U.S. statehood. In particular, the silver and gold that were mined in Nevada aided the Union effort in the Civil War. Partly in response to this contribution, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation in 1864 that extended U.S. statehood to Nevada. Carson City was subsequently designated as the capital of Nevada.

This property was constructed from 1869-1871 as the home of Abraham Curry, considered by many to be the founder of Carson City. In 1858, Curry came to Eagle Valley in search of land. that could be developed into a town. After acquiring a large parcel with some associates, he sold off lots while planning the design for a town based on a grid. The lots in town sold quickly following the discovery of gold and mining of what became known as the Comstock Lode, leading this community to grow. When Nevada applied for statehood in the Civil War, local leaders of Carson City succeeded in having their town named as the capital of Nevada. The Abraham Curry House is now used as a private law office. and is not open to the public for tours.

Abraham Curry House

The Nevada State Museum includes a permanent exhibit on the history of the U.S. Mint in Carson City, which operated from 1870 to 1893 in the building that now houses the museum. A historical marker on the building states that, "From its opening in 1870 to the closing of its coin operations in 1893, coinage amounted to $49,274, 434.30." Constructing a U.S. Mint in Carson City was initially necessitated by the Comstock mining boom. The boom began with the discovery of silver in 1857 and lasted for the next two decades, although mining in the region continued thereafter. Before construction of the U.S. Mint in Carson City, silver and gold bullion from Nevada had to be sent by train or wagon on a difficult transit route through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to reach the U.S. Mint in San Francisco. The San Francisco Mint was built in 1852 following the San Francisco Gold Rush. By 1869, Nevada's Comstock mining boom more than justified the construction of a new U.S. Mint in Carson City. Today, visitors to the Nevada State Museum can view the original "Coin Press No. 1," a machine used to mint coins from 1870 to 1893. Each coin that was pressed at the Mint during this period contained the "CC" mark, which stood for Carson City. During the 150th Anniversary of the Carson City MInt (celebrated in 2020), the Nevada State Museum issued special edition commemorative "CC" coins. In addition to the Coin Press No. 1, the Nevada State Museum features other permanent exhibits. "Nevada's Changing Earth" is a display of rocks, fossils, and minerals from Nevada and the western United States. Another permanent exhibit is "Nevada History," which tells the story of how native peoples in the region mined salt and turquoise, wove baskets, and created art, while living lightly on the land. The museum's temporary exhibits further tell the story of the region. For example, "Our Nevada Stories: Objects Found in Time" includes a collection of historic artifacts, natural history specimens, and American Indian art. Another exhibit features archival photographs of a Chinese community of woodcutters that supplied firewood and charcoal as fuel for the Nevada mining camps during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Along with these special exhibits, visitors can also view a re-creation of a Nevada silver mine in the basement of the museum. The building itself was constructed in gray sandstone blocks, quarried at the Nevada State Prison. On the roof of the museum is the original cupola. The Nevada State Museum opened in the former U.S. Mint building in Carson City in 1941. It is considered one of the premiere museums in the western United States.

The Nevada State Museum is the site of the former United States Mint in Carson City. The U.S. Mint Building, also known as the Carson City Mint, was constructed in 1869 during the Comstock mining boom. Previously, silver and gold bullion had to shipped all the way to San Francisco to the U.S. Mint on the West Coast. Today, the Nevada State Museum features Carson City's original "Coin Press No. 1" on permanent display, along with other exhibits and events. A historical marker was placed at the site by the Nevada Landmarks Society. 

Nevada State Museum (U.S. Mint)

This replica of the Liberty Bell was created in a foundry in France and given to the United States government in 1950. The replica was intended as a symbol of the U.S. Savings Bond Independence Drive, which took place from May 15 to July 4, 1950. Unlike the original Liberty Bell, the replica bell at the Nevada State Museum has no visible crack. A historical marker placed at the site, adjacent to the Nevada State Museum, contains the following inscription: <blockquote>"In standing before this symbol, you have the opportunity to dedicate yourself, as did our founding fathers, to the principles of the individual freedom for which our nation stands."</blockquote> The original Liberty Bell rang in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House, also known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The first bell intended for this purpose was commissioned in 1751 from the Whitechapel Foundry in London. However, the bell cracked the very first time that it was rung in Philadelphia. As a result, two local metalworkers in Pennsylvania had to melt down the bell and recast it, creating what became the official Liberty Bell for Independence Hall in Philadelphia. By the 1840s, however, the official Liberty Bell developed a fissure after almost a century of use. The bell was repaired, but nevertheless, a wide crack remained visible. Consequently, the Liberty Bell could no longer be rung freely with a clapper. The National Park Service, which maintains the bell, has made available to the public a digital reproduction of how the bell would have originally sounded upon being rung. Throughout the 1800s, the Liberty Bell traveled the nation, visiting different cities. The bell was intended to remind people of an earlier time when the new nation shared a common cause. The federal government was particularly keen to send this message during the years following the Civil War. In addition, abolitionists and women's suffragists resonated with the bell and the message of liberty inscribed on it. This inscription included a passage from the King James Bible that referred to the Jubilee, a tradition celebrated by the ancient Israelites. According to this tradition, every half century the ancient Israelites returned property and freed slaves. Citing the inscription of this Biblical passage, early supporters of civil rights, women's suffrage, and the abolition of slavery in the U.S. believed that the bell should symbolize liberty for all. Although its earlier name was simply the State House Bell, since it rang at the Pennsylvania State House, abolitionists first began calling it the Liberty Bell in an 1835 Anti-Slavery publication. This moniker did not catch on widely at first. Nevertheless, today the bell is known around the world as the Liberty Bell. It no longer travels to visit different parts of the country. However, several U.S. cities (including Carson City) feature a replica Liberty Bell on public display.

This replica of the Liberty Bell is one of fifty-three such replica bells cast in a foundry in France. It was presented to the United States government in 1950. This particular replica bell is adjacent to the Nevada State Museum. A historical marker placed at the site states that the bell's "dimension and tone are identical with those of the original Liberty Bell when it rang out our independence in 1776." 

Nevada's Liberty Bell Replica 

The Children's Museum of Northern Nevada opened in 1994 in the Civic Auditorium building in Carson City. This historic building was constructed in 1939 as part of a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The PWA was sponsored by the federal government during the Great Depression era as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. The PWA aimed to provide jobs for those unemployed during the Depression and also fund the construction of new public facilities for the benefit of local communities across the U.S.The Civic Auditorium building was designed by the architect Lehman H. Ferris in the Romanesque Revival architectural style. Known for its heavy, fortress-like brick walls and rounded arches above doorways and windows, this style was favored by Nevada architects during the interwar period (between World War I and World War II). The historical integrity of the building remains intact to this day, having undergone few alterations over the years. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1990.A few years later, the Children's Museum opened in this building. Featuring hands-on, interactive exhibits for children and families, these learning experiences were designed in accordance with the Nevada State Teaching Standards. In addition to exhibits, the museum features several programs that emphasize the arts, sciences, history, and humanities. These include an introduction to Astronomy through the museum's StarLab portable planetarium, and a children's sign language class. The museum also holds an annual Chinese New Year Celebration, featuring dance and theatrical productions. All activities, exhibits, and programs are designed to foster imagination and creativity.

The Children's Museum of Northern Nevada is located in the historic Civic Auditorium Building, which was built in Carson City in 1939. The Children's Museum opened in this building in 1994. Children and families visiting the museum can learn about history, humanities, arts, and sciences through interactive exhibits that encourage hands-on participation. The mission of the museum is to inspire creativity and imagination. 

Carson City Nevada Walking Tour

Nevada State Printing Building

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

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Additional Information