A unique holiday gift to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Reno Arch

Are you looking for that special holiday gift for the history lover in your life?

The Nevada Historical Society has two Reno Arch ornaments that document the changes to this unique landmark!

The original arch was built for the Transcontinental Highways Exposition to celebrate the completion of the Lincoln and Victory Highways on October 23, 1926, that included a nighttime Shriners’ parade and Governor Scrugham lighting the sign. The arch was designed by Norman W. Prince and built by the J. L. Stuart Company of San Francisco.

First Reno Arch was repurposed by Reno Mayor E.E. Roberts and the city council. A second contest was held with a $100 prize was offered for the winning slogan. On March 14, 1929, city hall announced the winning slogan” Reno: The Biggest Little City in the World.”

Second Reno Arch, from 1934 to 1963 arch evolved through a series of quick transformations. Some city officials thought the slogan was “too boastful”. In 1934, the torches on the top were removed, the arch was reinforced, and the slogan was removed. “RENO” was ablaze in green, using the new lighting miracle called neon. By 1935, the slogan was reinstated, and the neon became blue. The colors changed again in 1940 and 1950. The second arch was dismantled on December 20, 1963.

Third Reno Arch is not available… check back soon.
Third Arch is the Modernistic Reno Arch that graced the downtown area of Reno from 1963 to 1987. This arch was redesigned to celebrate Nevada’s centennial anniversary in 1964. The arch was designed by William Clark and manufactured by Ad-Art. The new arch was dedicated on New Year’s Eve 1963 by Reno Mayor Hugo Quilici.

For more information about the ornaments or how to purchase one, please email the NHS Museum Store Manager, Ramit Ali rali@nevadaculture.org