Sparks Heritage Museum

The city of Sparks was founded in 1904 to serve as Western Nevada's home of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Its history is intertwined with neighboring Reno and extends from railroad activities to prospecting, mining, farming, and ranching, too. All of these aspects of life in Sparks are the subjects of the Sparks Heritage Museum, which offers a chronological look at the area's past.

On display here are exhibits related to Native American Indians, the lifestyles of early settlers, Nevada history, and local culture, as well as artifacts and collections generic to the Truckee Meadows. There are examples of centuries-old Anasazi pottery, Navajo rugs, arrowheads, peace pipes, old telephones, mercantile items, vintage photographs, and more. There is also a Museum Store offering an excellent collection of books and gift items.

The Sparks Heritage Museum is housed within the former Washoe County Sparks Justice Court/Library and Hale's Drugstore buildings, which are themselves historic structures, at the northwest corner of Pyramid Way and Victorian Avenue. The address is 820 Victorian Avenue, Sparks, Nevada 89431. The museum's hours of operations are from 11am to 4pm on Tuesday through Friday and from 1pm to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission costs $5 for adults, while children under 12 and museum members are admitted free of charge.