Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

The Nevada Museum of Art is the main art museum in downtown Reno, Nevada, housed in a dark, angular building on West Liberty Street. It is known for art about people and the land, especially Land art and Earthworks, and for a striking design that draws on the Nevada desert.

The story behind it

The museum is much older than its current home. It was established in 1931, and in 2003 it moved into the building you see today, designed by the architect Will Bruder. Bruder took his cue from the landscape of the Black Rock Desert and its unusual rock formations. The tall outer wall is clad in black zinc that has been creased and folded into a pattern based on the textures of desert rock.

The focus on land and environment runs through the collection and the programming, which is why the building feels so tied to the high desert around Reno. From the street it looks as if a piece of the desert walked into town and stayed.

What to look for

• The black zinc facade is folded and creased rather than flat, so its look shifts with the angle of the sun and your position on the street.
• The overall massing of the building is angular and rises from the ground like a rock outcrop, a deliberate nod to the Black Rock Desert.
• Look at the texture of the metal up close, where the pattern is meant to echo the surfaces of desert rocks.
• Notice how the dark, sculptural form contrasts with the more conventional buildings of downtown Reno around it.

Tips for your visit

• Give the exterior about ten minutes. If you go inside, plan an hour or two for the galleries, and check current opening hours and admission details before you go.
• Soft morning or late afternoon light shows the folds in the zinc best.
• The museum sits in the middle of downtown, so it is easy to combine with a walk through the surrounding streets and toward the Truckee River.
• Seeing the building from the sidewalk costs nothing, so it works as a quick stop even if you do not enter.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Reno brings you to the museum on foot as one stop of a longer route through downtown. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Reno is a good choice if you like a mystery theme with your sightseeing. You walk between places at your own pace, hear about each one as you reach it and solve a puzzle on the spot. It is paid, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Reno Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. turns a stroll past the museum into a detective-style outing. You reach the building as part of a route through the area, learn about it in the app and work through a puzzle at the spot. It is paid, and one ticket covers the whole group.