Special churches and wedding chapels
Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas
The Chapel of the Flowers, formerly known as Little Chapel of the Flowers, is located directly on the Las Vegas Strip and was one of the first wedding chapels to be built in Las Vegas. In this rather traditional wedding chapel, several celebrities got married, such as ex-basketball star Dennis Rodman and actress Carmen Electra.
| Contact | 1717 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, Nevada 89104 www.littlechapel.com |
Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas
The Graceland Wedding Chapel is a wedding chapel in Las Vegas that is known primarily for its name, which is very reminiscent of Elvis Presley, and the Elvis imitators that occur here. It opened in the 1950s and Elvis personally gave permission to use the Graceland name. Several celebrities’ weddings such as Jon Bon Jovi took place here and the wedding chapel can also be seen in films such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
| Contact | 619 South Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 www.gracelandchapel.com |
Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in Reno
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in the city of Reno was built from 1906 to 1908. In 1909 a fire destroyed large parts of the structure, including the roof. But the church was already renovated in 1910. The church is built in the style of the Greek revival and is extremely worth seeing, also because of its very beautiful interior.
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| Contact | 310 West 2nd Street Reno, Nevada 89503 |
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Virginia City
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was built in 1876. It was a “replacement building” for the church burned down in 1875. What is special is the wooden neo-Gothic style in which the church was built.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Carson City
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Carson City was built in 1868 and has been on Nevada’s list of historic buildings since 1978. The church is still in operation today. What is special is the wooden neo-Gothic style in which the church was built.
Special festivals and events
Burning Man
The Burning Man Festival takes place annually in late August and early September in the Black Rock Desert. The festival is one of the most famous festivals worldwide and usually lasts 8 days. The Burning Man Festival is certainly one of the most bizarre festivals. The highlight of the festival is the burning of an oversized human statue, the Burning Man with a height of over 30 m, on the 6th day of the festival. In addition to the obligatory celebration, the Burning Man Festival is also a place of art and self-expression. The first Burning Man Festival took place in 1986 with only 20 participants, but at Baker Beach in the city of San Francisco. The festival was only celebrated in the Black Rock Desert in 1991. Nowadays, almost 50,000 visitors come to the Black Rock Desert every year. This is how one of Nevada’s largest cities, Black Rock City, is created during the festival. This disappears after the festival.
| Contact | www.burningman.com |
CineVegas
The CineVegas film festival takes place annually in June at the Palms Casino Resort and is one of the fastest growing film festivals in the world in recent years. The first CineVegas took place in 1998. However, the films shown here are by no means limited to Las Vegas. Many premieres take place during the festival. For example, the festival showed the world premieres of films such as Ocean’s Thirteen, Land of the Dead, Whale Rider and Sunshine State.
| Contact | www.cinevegas.com |
Reno Air Race
The Reno Air Race has been an annual aircraft race near the city of Reno since 1964. The event usually lasts 5 days and attracts up to 200,000 visitors. At the races, aircraft in different classes fly through a course made of pylons. In addition to the races, visitors are offered a wide entertainment program and the exhibition of military and historical aircraft.
| Contact | www.airrace.org |
Zoos and amusement parks
Sierra Safari Zoo near Reno
The Sierra Safari Zoo near the city of Reno opened in 1989 and is now the largest zoo in the state of Nevada. Over 150 animals from over 40 species live. The zoo’s main attractions are lions, tigers, hyenas, primates and many more.
| Contact | 10200 North Virginia Street Reno, Nevada 89506 www.sierrasafarizoo.org |
Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park in Las Vegas
The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, also known as the Las Vegas Zoo, is a 12,000 m² complex of zoological and botanical gardens. In the Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, visitors will find over 150 different species from flora and fauna. The zoo specializes in the exhibition of the desert habitat, but chimpanzees and flamingos can also be found here.
| Contact | 1775 N Rancho Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89106 www.lasvegaszoo.com |
Adventuredome in Las Vegas
The Adventuredome is an amusement park in Las Vegas and is located directly on the strip next to the Circus Circus Hotel. It is an indoor amusement park. On about 33,000 m², the Adventuredome, opened in 1993, offers its visitors numerous entertainment options, including two roller coasters. A special feature of the Adventure Dome is that there is no admission fee, but you pay for each trip.
| Contact | 2880 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 www.adventuredome.com |
Shark Reef in Las Vegas
The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is a public aquarium at Casino Mandalay Bay. On an area of approximately 8,800 m² there are several pools, of which the main pool has a capacity of approximately 4.9 million liters of water. Visitors will find different types of sharks here, such as hammerhead sharks, rays, snakes and more. This seems very extravagant, if you remember that Las Vegas is not on an ocean, but in the middle of the desert.
| Contact | 3950 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109 www.sharkreef.com |
National parks
Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park is the only national park in Nevada and is located in the western part of the state on the border with Utah. The 312 km² park was founded on October 27, 1987. In the park, visitors will find Wheeler Peak, the second highest mountain in Nevada and the large pine forests surrounding it. Other highlights of the park are the stalactite caves called Lehman Caves at the foot of the Wheeler Peak and the oldest known organisms with the names Prometheus and Methuselah. These pines, which are up to 5,000 years old, are the oldest known organisms in the world, but it is believed that there are other similar old trees in the region. There are 2 visitor centers in the park, one of which is located at the Lehman Caves. There are numerous campsites and hiking trails in the park. The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is ideal for those who don’t want to move. Here you can reach your car at a height of 3013 m and enjoy the view over the park and above all over Lehman Creek.
| Contact | 100 Great Basin National Park Nevada 89311 www.nps.gov/grba/index.htm |
Other natural beauties
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
The Red Rock Canyon is located in southern Nevada and covers an area of approximately 330 km². The area has been protected since 1990. In addition to the actual canyon, the Red Rock Canyon also captivates with other scenic features such as red rock formations and sandstone hills. In the visitor center you will find information on the creation and development of the canyon. There are a total of 18 hiking trails of various lengths and levels of difficulty in the park. However, if you don’t feel like hiking, you can also drive the scenic drive in your car and enjoy the landscape. Furthermore, you can ride and climb very well in the park.
Lake Tahoe – Nevada State Park
Lake Tahoe – Nevada State Park in western Nevada is located around Lake Tahoe and covers an area of approximately 58 km². In addition to Lake Tahoe and its landscape itself, special highlights of the park are the very beautiful sandy beach Sand Harbor, where the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival also takes place, Spooner Lake, which is known as an excellent fishing spot, and the hiking and biking trails in Marlette / Hobart backcountry.
| Contact | www.parks.nv.gov/lt.htm |
Valley of Fire State Park
The Valley of Fire State Park is located in southern Nevada and was opened in 1935. It is the oldest state park in Nevada. The park covers an area of approximately 141 km². The park is easily accessible from Las Vegas and borders the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The name of the park came from the red sandstone formations, which shimmer fiery in the heat. Petroglyphs of the Anasazi Indians can be found in the park. In addition to these rock carvings, there are also striking rock formations in the park, such as Elephant Rock. The Anasazi Indians probably lived here from 300 BC. AD to 1150 AD. The park might seem familiar to fans of Star Trek films, as several scenes were shot here for the film Star Trek: Generations Meet.
| Contact | www.parks.nv.gov/vf.htm |
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park is located in southern Nevada and was founded in 1976. The park is home to the Sandstone Ranch cattle farm, founded in 1876. It is a complex of buildings from the main house of the farm, Wilson Cemetery, Sandstone Cabin, a smithy and many more.
| Contact | www.parks.nv.gov/smr.htm |
Washoe Lake State Park
Washoe Lake State Park in western Nevada and was founded in 1977. The park is located between the cities of Carson City and Reno. The park offers its visitors excellent opportunities for fishing, hiking and even hunting. The area is very windy, making Washoe Lake a popular destination for windsurfers.
| Contact | parks.nv.gov/wl.htm |
Cathedral Gorge State Park
Cathedral Gorge State Park is located in eastern Nevada and was founded in 1935. The park covers an area of approximately 7.2 km². The park is known for its rugged eroded rock formations. In 1864 silver was found in the area and the area and silver miners were overrun. That is why parts of the former city of Bullonville can still be found in the park.
| Contact | parks.nv.gov/cg.htm |
Cave Lake State Park
Cave Lake State Park in eastern Nevada is a popular recreation area that covers an area of approximately 17 km². The center of the park is Cave Lake. The Cave Lake covers an area of approximately 130,000 m². Visitors can go swimming, boating and fishing in the park. Fishing is particularly attractive as Cave Lake is the largest and heaviest fish in all of Nevada.
| Contact | www.parks.nv.gov/cl.htm |
Dayton State Park
Dayton State Park in western Nevada was founded in 1977. The park covers an area of approximately 615,000 m². The park is located around the Rock Point Stamp Mill, built in 1861, and is designed to protect it. Ore used to be processed here and the Rock Point Stamp Mill was one of the largest of its kind. Unfortunately, after the Rock Point Stamp Mill closed, the area was initially used as a landfill before it was raised to the State Park in 1977.
| Contact | www.parks.nv.gov/dsp.htm |
Devils Hole
The 150 m deep Devils Hole (Devil’s Cave) in the US state of Nevada offers a view of an underwater reservoir.
The water reservoir is so interesting because calcite – also known as calcite (CaCO3) – has crystallized out of the warm water and has deposited on the walls of this crevice.
Scientific studies have shown that these deposits provide an almost complete and accurate overview of the climate of the past 500,000 years.
It is also very interesting that the last polarity reversal of the earth’s magnetic field around 780,000 years ago has been preserved here in the lower calcite layers.
Fly Geyser
The Fly Geyser is a human-made geyser in Nevada that was created by human activity as a result of an improperly drilled hole.
Several drill holes were made in the area in 1964 in search of geothermal energy, although one well was not properly closed.
This allowed water to rise and carry up minerals that were deposited at the exit of the borehole. Through this ongoing process, the cone and rock around the geyser continue to grow. It has now reached a height of 1.5 m and a width of 13 m. The running water, which covers an area of 30 hectares, has formed an impressive terrace landscape over the years.
The geyser is located on private property – about 32 km north of Gerlach in Washoe County with the county town of Reno.
Nuclear tests
Nuclear tests were conducted on the Nevada Test Site, officially the Nevada National Security Site, in the south of the state from 1951 to 1992.
The area covers an area of approx. 3,500 km², a total of over 1,120 nuclear weapons tests were carried out here. Up to 1958 of these were 119 above-ground tests. Particularly noteworthy is the nuclear weapon test called “Sedan”, which should prove that the nuclear weapons are also suitable for peaceful use, such as the construction of canals and the like.
On July 6, 1962, the explosion of a 104 kilotonne bomb created the Sedan Crater, which has a diameter of 390 m and a depth of 100 m.
This crater is visible from space and is a tourist attraction and is visited by over 100,000 visitors a year. The Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas is also worth visiting.
However, it should be noted that due to the nuclear test in this area, it is one of the most contaminated in the entire United States.
The level of radioactivity has decreased over the years, but isotopes with longer half-lives will continue to contaminate the area for many years to come.
