National Automobile Museum

The heart of the museum is the Harrah Collection, assembled by William Harrah, the Nevada casino magnate whose obsession with automobiles grew into one of the largest private car collections in the world, at one point numbering in the thousands. Harrah restored his cars to exacting standards and displayed them near Reno for decades.

After Harrah's death, the collection was largely dispersed, but a core group of significant vehicles was preserved and became the foundation of the National Automobile Museum, which opened in downtown Reno in the late 1980s. That legacy is why a museum in Nevada holds cars of such national importance.

The collection ranges across the whole history of the automobile. Early galleries hold the tiller-steered horseless carriages and brass-lamped machines of the 1890s and 1900s, followed by the elegant classics of the 1920s and 1930s, streamlined marvels, muscle cars, and experimental and celebrity vehicles.

Among the highlights are cars once owned by famous figures and a number of rare and unique machines, some the only survivors of their kind. The period street scenes, with their storefronts and ambient sound, let you imagine each car in motion in its own time, and the exhibits rotate often enough that no two visits are quite the same.

The museum sits on the Truckee River in downtown Reno, the self-styled Biggest Little City in the World, a compact old gambling town now reinventing itself with a lively riverwalk, arts district, and food scene. The river runs right through the center, with a whitewater park and walking paths.

Reno makes a natural base for exploring western Nevada, with Lake Tahoe's clear water just up in the Sierra, historic Carson City and Virginia City nearby, and the high desert stretching east. The museum is a perfect stop when weather sends travelers indoors, whether from summer heat or Sierra snow.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The National Automobile Museum, in Reno, Nevada, is one of the finest automobile museums in the country, home to a spectacular collection of historic and rare cars built around the famous collection of casino magnate Bill Harrah. The museum displays hundreds of remarkable vehicles spanning the history of the automobile, from early horseless carriages and vintage classics to rare, one-of-a-kind, and celebrity-owned cars, presented in atmospheric period street scenes. A treasure for car enthusiasts and a fascinating journey through automotive and cultural history, it delights visitors of all ages. With its rare cars and history, the National Automobile Museum offers a fascinating destination in Nevada.

You can see hundreds of historic and rare automobiles spanning the history of the car, from early horseless carriages and elegant classics to rare, custom, experimental, and celebrity-owned vehicles, displayed in atmospheric recreated period street scenes with sights and sounds of the eras. The remarkable car collection, the rare and famous vehicles, and the immersive period displays are the highlights, offering a rich journey through automotive and cultural history. Its collection is world-class. With its rare cars and immersive displays, the National Automobile Museum offers an engaging visit in Reno, Nevada.

Yes, the National Automobile Museum is enjoyable for families as well as car enthusiasts, with hundreds of gleaming historic and rare cars, immersive period street scenes, and interactive elements that fascinate many ages. Children and adults alike enjoy the beautiful and unusual vehicles and the sense of traveling through time, and you need not be a car buff to appreciate the collection. Checking current hours before you go is wise. With its rare cars and immersive displays, the National Automobile Museum makes an engaging family destination in Reno, Nevada.

As an indoor museum, the National Automobile Museum is enjoyable year-round in any weather, making it a great stop on a hot summer day or in winter, and a fine complement to Reno and Lake Tahoe attractions. It can be busier on weekends and around special events or car shows. Because hours can vary, checking the current schedule before you go is wise. Because it is indoors, the National Automobile Museum makes a rewarding stop any time of year in Reno, Nevada.

The National Automobile Museum is in Reno, Nevada, within reach of downtown Reno, the Fleischmann Planetarium, Lake Tahoe and its eastern-shore attractions, Carson City with the Nevada State Railroad Museum, and Virginia City. That makes the National Automobile Museum a fascinating stop to combine with the Fleischmann Planetarium, Lake Tahoe, and the other attractions of the Reno area on a visit to Nevada.