Rarely do museums have as much "wow" factor as the National Automobile Museum (NAM). Home to over 200 jaw-dropping cars, NAM's car collection dates back from the late-19th Century through to modern times, and is rivalled only by the Henry Ford Museum when it comes to size and significance. Containing everything from marquee automobiles such as Ferrari, Porsche and Bugatti, to one-of-a-kinds like a Jeep fitted with a V-12 Ferrari engine, NAM is undoubtedly one of Reno's must see attractions.
Split into four galleries, Gallery 1 is where you can see the oldest of the old-school and showcases cars built during the 1890s & 1900s. Over at Gallery 2 and Gallery 3, you'll find fourty years of history between the 1910s and 1930s and 1930s and 1950s respectively. For automotive examples you might remember but have probably never seen, Gallery 4 displays cars from 1950 onwards. It's also where you'll see race cars and other sports vehicles at a much slower pace than you'd see them in action.
You might be thinking "how impressive can a collection of cars really be?" The answer is "very"! At NAM , you'll see not only cars but also authentic street scenes and sounds that help bring the cars to life. What a life these cars have had too! Many of the automobiles are owned by William F. Harrah, founder of Harrah's Hotel and Casinos, while some have even had celebrity owners.
You may not be able to step on his 'blue suede shoes' but you can definitely get up close to Elvis Presley's 1973 Cadillac Eldorado. It's not the only famous singer's car at NAM either. Home to a 1961 Ghia owned by Frank Sinatra, NAM is also where you can see John Wayne's 1953 Chevrolet Corvette and a John F. Kennedy's Lincoln Continental.
Open seven days a week, the 224 cars at NAM can be a lot to take in, so it's a good idea to set aside at least a couple of hours at the museum. If you really want to be a clever cookie, take an audio tour to learn all about the museum and its individual cars.
