Did you know that the National Automobile Museum in Reno has been voted the #1 place to visit in Reno and ranked 5th in the world for automobile museums because of its history theme?  Did you know that it is not funded nationally but is a community non-profit?  Did you know that they spent over a million dollars to add an interactive children’s museum which opened last year?  Mike Norman, Volunteer Coordinator at the museum, shared these fun facts, a little about the history, current offerings and volunteer opportunities with the Minden Rotary club recently.

The museum’s history started with Bill Harrah who started collecting cars in 1948 and displaying them at his casinos.  When Harrah’s Casinos was sold to the Holiday Inn, Bill had collected over 1500 cars and the cars were included for free.  Holiday Inn donated 175 of the cars to the museum - this represented the largest monetary donation in American history.  The other 1200 were sold in three different auctions.

The museum is currently 105,000 square feet and includes 240 cars.  The unique decor displays period appropriate street facades with genuine artifacts.  Exhibits are changed frequently and past themes include everything from Jurassic Park to Blues Brothers.  Currently, 13 of Paul Newman’s Formula 1 race cars are on exhibit.  The museum is also the largest riverfront venue in Reno.  

Full service on site catering for all occasions represents 40% of their revenue and makes the museum the largest event facility in Reno.  There is also an amazing private theatre that seats just under 160, a podcast/TV studio and the Riverfront Pavilion - an outside bar/pavilion that seats 2200.

Buses of school kids are often seen outside the museum now that the Children’s Interactive Museum has been added.  In this area, children can operate a car wash (with no water), design cars, and so much more.  This addition has been very popular and weekly repeat visitors are quite common.

Volunteer opportunities are abundant.  This includes greeters, admission cashiers, store clerks, docent tours, event positions and auto preservation.  Contact Mike if you want to work with some great people and have flexible hours, free admission, and quarterly volunteer events.

For more information, visit their website at www.automuseum.org.