City: Reno, NV

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (775) 329-4777, (800) 687-8733

Address: 407 North Virginia Street

Description: Showcasing Nevada’s silver-mining heritage, the automated mining machine at Silver Legacy Resort Casino is a working model of how ore might have been processed in the 1800s. Towering 120 feet above the main casino floor, the machine is continuously in motion, with pumping bellows, steam engines, and running ore wagons. Designed so that human hands wouldn’t touch the metal throughout the process, the finished product is coins spewing out near the Silver Baron’s Bar and Lounge. Although the resort created a fictitious tale of a miner named Sam Fairchild to explain the development of the machine, it doesn’t have to be historically accurate to be appreciated. From an engineering standpoint alone, it’s fascinating to see all the parts working together. But if mechanics don’t interest you, stick around as this is only part of the action. The machine is encompassed by the world’s largest composite dome. The interior of the dome reflects the skies of Reno, showing an entire day from sunrise to sunset. From noon to 11:00 p.m. daily, the dome is the backdrop for the Legend of the Legacy Laser Show, a whimsical but spectacular production of how the West was won, Reno-style. If you don’t plan to be in the building for at least several hours, it’s best to call ahead to get show times because the laser show alternates with a light show during the day. Admission is free, and the best vantage point is around the railing on the mezzanine level.