Museums, Murals and the Mythic West
The Lariat Motel's historic sign | Travel Nevada
On Nevada’s Highway 50, culture hides in plain sight—from roadside relics to abandoned places with rich stories to tell.
The desert can be inspiring, but it’s not just wilderness that will enrich your mind on Highway 50. The Loneliest Road in America is also bustling with culture in the form of lesser-known museums, offbeat roadside attractions, and historic places with stories to tell.
In Fallon, the restored Lariat Motel sign marks the entrance to the Oats Park Art Center. This repurposed brick school house is home to three galleries with free admission, a theater for live music and film screenings, and a bar that serves classic cocktails. While you’re in Fallon, you can also check out the Churchill County Museum and see cave artifacts, a historic school bus, and a re-creation of Stillwater Paiute home.
As you travel east on Highway 50, trek through native history at Grimes Point Archaeological Site and Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area. Both have easy trails and information on the area’s early inhabitants. Experience a different kind of artifact nearby at the Shoe Tree, a towering cottonwood blossoming with something unexpected: hundreds of pairs of sneakers left behind by motorists. Plenty of Pony Express history awaits up the road, including the ruins of Sand Springs Station and what’s left of Cold Springs Station.
In Austin, Nevada, discover something that gives the more famous Austin a run for its money when it comes to keeping it weird: Stokes Castle, a stone tower built by an eccentric and wealthy man in the nineteenth century. Another silver-rush relic along Highway 50 is the Eureka County Opera House in Eureka, Nevada. With its Victorian architecture and pristine red and white trim, the historic structure stands out against the starkly beautiful landscape. Tours are free and self-guided. While in Eureka, spend the night at the Jackson House Hotel, which is considered one of the most haunted overnighters in the state. If you continue on to Ely, you’ll find a town that seems downright metropolitan compared to other Highway 50 settlements with plenty of history to dive into. Spend a few hours at the Nevada Northern Railway, where you can see—and even ride—historic steam trains or discover the town’s proud immigrant heritage at the Ely Renaissance Village.
Head to travelnevada.com to learn more.