Virtual Museum Tour: Nevada State Museum by Gina Riggi,Outpost staff In this package Nevada State Railroad Museum UNR Anthropology Department Research Museum On the Web Division of Museums and History "Bonanza" gave us a glimpse into the state's ranch life. Our history texts shared the trials of the Donner Party. But how many of associate a 13-foot-tall mammoth with Nevada's history? Yet there he (or at least his skeleton) is at the Nevada State Museum, taking visitors to pre-historic mud pit that marked his end. The Imperial mammoth skeleton, the only exhibited one of its kind in the state, is one of the most popular exhibits with children, said Judy Hendrix, the museum's acting director. "The mammoth is appealing because of its size and is a real favorite with kids," Hendrix said. The mammoth is just one of hundreds of Nevada's artifacts on exhibit at the museum, which opened appropriately on Nevada Day, Oct. 31, 1941. Today, the museum receives about 100,000 visitors annually. Click on this photo to view a virtual tour of the Nevada State museum. Photo by Gina Riggi Hendrix said the exhibits are designed to reach a large audience from school children to senior citizens as well as both area residents and tourists alike. Displays of Indian basketry, archaeology, natural history, gaming and an underground silver mine to take visitors to days gone by. Other attractions include a walk-through Devonian Sea, a silver mint and a plate tectonics video in the Earth Science gallery. Another favorite, although not with some very young children, is a walk-through ghost town and underground mine. "The mine continues to be one of the most popular exhibits," she said. Nevada State Museum 600 N. Carson St. Carson City, Nev. 89710 Admission $3; Adult, Senior, $2.50 Children under 18 and museum members, free Museum Hours: 11/1 - 5/31: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily: 6/1 - 10/31: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day Wheelchair access, elevator Docent tours available by appointment For more information, call (775) 687-4810 Directions: To get to the museum from Reno, drive south on U.S Highway 395 until it becomes Carson Street. Look for the museum on your right. Click here for a map of the museum. The museum also offers a changing gallery where different installations are exhibited. The current exhibit in the changing gallery is called "Amerikanauak! Basques in the High Desert." The museum is part of the state's Department of Museums, Library and Arts for the State of Nevada. Its mission statement states: "The mission of the museum is to collect three-dimensional objects covering the areas of pre-history, history and natural history, through the development of passive and interactive exhibits, through public programming consisting of lectures, seminars and exhibits, through its publications program and through scientific research conducted on its collections to increase the basic knowledge of Nevada's past and present."             Posted Dec. 1998 Copyright 1998 Nevada Outpost Outpost | Metro | Lifestyle | Travel | Dining | Outdoors Specials | Links | About us | Mail us