My daughter's elementary school went for a field trip so I went as a chaperone. I had never been before and was pleasantly surprised. There are different areas to see with different exhibits. They have one of the original minted coin presses and the man that was giving the information was dressed the part, entertaining, and knowledgeable. All the staff was engaging in each area and you could tell that they genuinely were interested in the history and teaching others about it. The kids favorite area was the "ghost town" since there is a mine that you go through. I definitely learned things I didn't know about Nevada (not originally from the area though). read more

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Quality/Quantity - My ski buddies came to visit from CA, but the snow was so bad, we decided to skip skiing today and visit Carson City instead. They are museum buffs, so it was natural to come here today. We have visited most of the Reno Museums together already. We spent 3 hours here. Also very kid and teacher friendly. 3 school tours today. Lastly, a small gift shop. Ambiance - So many exhibits, and ever changing exhibits. Featured exhibits and of course permanent exhibits. See pictures and their website. Online exhibits are available also. Also, it was cool that this used to be the US mint. And on Saturday, you can still see the mint press in action. Programs and events; see their website. 3 floors, the bottom floor being a mine. So a decent size location. Small parking lot, but always plenty of street parking. Open 6 days a week 8:30am to 4:30pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays. Service - Good. Self service mostly. Price - $10, affordable. Member discounts available; see their website. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1939. So much history. read more

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This 3 story museum has free street parking for 2 hours. It covers Nevada history from its inception as a territory, statehood to modern times. I found it interesting and worth the time and admission cost. Many exhibits and artifacts that you can follow on their QR code map. Budget about 90 minutes to see it all at a leisurely pace. Of course they have a gift shop. read more

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Came by to Carson city while visiting South Lake Tahoe and wanted my kids to learn about the area. Service was excellent! The docent really took their time to explain everything in their campus. The exhibits were great to check out especially their guns and ghost town/mines. There is so much here that you can spend a great deal of time here. There really wasn't a lot of people when we went so it would be a great place to come to anytime! read more

We loved this museum and will come back for sure to see the "other" side. We just got there too late to see it all. My sections and really good exhibits. We learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves. Highly recommend read more

This museum is WONDERFUL! I know it sounds boring but it's not. Trust a random stranger, the beautiful rocks to the amazing displays makes the place a must visit. The staff are incredibly nice and the gift shop actually has great stuff! I got a stuffed plush of the state of Nevada and a rock frog. Perfect gifts I know. Anyway I WILL be coming back and you should go as well. 5 out of 5 stars loved every second. (Also not sponsored I just really loved the rocks) read more

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Today I went to the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, Nevada. The displays are amazing! If you have a couple of hours, please check it out! On my way out the door, I stopped by the gift shop. The mint, that made enough silver coins to get the northern states through the Civil War is still in service, but only mints coins on Saturday. Since today is a Thursday, I stopped at the gift store and bought two Datolalee silver dollars. She was the very best basket weaver in the Washoe tribe. They hold a permanent display of some of her finest works. I also purchased a sesquicentennial 1/2 ounce limited .999 pure silver coin replica 1/2 dollar coin 2671/3000 that was sent to the Union 150 years ago. Stop by and spend an afternoon. You will not go home disappointed. read more

Nevada State Museum - Datsolalee, the, "Queen of the Basketmakers." - Museums Near Me - Carson City, Nevada

Excellent museum. Their Nevada geology room is really awesome. The fake ghost town and replica underground mine are so much fun. The only area that is a little lacking was the pre-1900 Nevada history exhibits. I feel like the Comstock Lode should have its own floor in the museum, but it barely gets any exhibits. read more

The man and woman at the front desk on Saturday around 3:00 were very nice. The museum was great! So much to see!! The taxidermy display was fantastic! The woman in the gift shop was RUDE! And therefore, I left what I was going to purchase at the counter. There was no reason for her to behave the way she did, acting if like doing her job was a hassle. It was literally going to be a 1 item purchase. I let the nice man at the counter know on my out that the woman in the gift shop was rude and that someone should let the manager know. And that I didn't buy what I wanted because she was rude. read more

Fun day in Carson City. Lots to see and learn. Staff is very friendly and will point you the best way to start your tour and even provide you with a map. read more

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What a great place to visit with your family and friends. It's suitable for every age group, my 3 year old had fun watching all the animals and mammoth fossil. The museum staffs were very helpful and friendly, they gave us a map and guided us to see the museum nicely. This little museum is a bundle of everything, we covered this entire museum within 3hrs. We were guided by the museum staff to start from basement where we got to see the history of mine and its workers. The museum has stairs and elevator so easy to go up and down. We got to see the history of Nevada starting from the fossils of a mammoth and some other wild animals and birds to the history of gambling and mint coin machine etc. The museum has nice and clean restrooms and it has few parking spaces outside the entrance of the museum. read more

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$10 admission for adults and free for kids! This museum was on my to-do list so I'm glad I was able to visit. There's plenty of free parking on the streets. The museum itself is actually pretty big and tons of exhibits to see. It took about 1.5 hours to see everything and it's great place to visit if you have a few hours in between your day. read more

The entrance fee to this museum is $10, which is very unreasonable. There is a parking lot next-door. Museum is well clean and provides a description of mining, geological formations, basket, weaving, and Native American history. The volunteers that work there are very helpful and the museum is modern looking. If you're looking for activities in Carson City I recommend visiting this museum. read more

Spent a day in Carson City and opted for the museum over casino which I would definitely recommend!! There were many exhibits from Nevada and the Mint Building history, to ancient geological and Native American. One of my favorites was the recreated mine shafts where you go down a flight of stairs (which used to be the Mint buildings basement) where you could see the mechanics and conditions miner had to work in. The immersion really transports you there. It wasn't too busy on a Sunday afternoon and the docent at the front was friendly to give me an overview with a map at the beginning as well. To see everything will take 1.5 to 2 hours read more

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What a treat to visit the Nevada State Museum in Carson City. Over several floors, there are many artifacts from Nevada life. A whole display of various guns used in the State is in one room. A basement that was a replica of what a mine would look like including equipment used in the mines was a very interesting exhibit. There were examples of thule baskets and other uses for the thule that grows in the area. Much space is given to the indigenous people. I especially liked the entrance with its mine headframe shape enclosing the elevator. The museum is fully handicapped accessible. I suggest care in the mining exhibit area as there are rails like the ones used in mines to push out the ore cars. What an excepotional visit. read more

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This is a wonderful museum with a lot to see! It has exhibits on Nevada history, wildlife native to Nevada, lots on the minerals of the state, including gold and silver (silver and gold!), an actual minting machine (demonstrations only in some Saturdays!), a ghost town to walk through, and a mine underneath the building! It had lots more than what I've listed, so there should be something for everyone to see and enjoy. My kids and I have come every year for at least 5 years, and they STILL an to go each time we're in Lake Tahoe. It really is one of the best museums that I've been to and I've been to a lot. The cost is $10 for adults (in 2025), and kids under 17 are free! Please Note - They are not open in Mondays. (in 2025), and that info may not be on Yelp or even their website. Find some street parking, go to the front desk, get your map and enjoy a great museum of Nevada history! P.S. Find the men's bathroom with the vault door! read more

Great museum. It does an excellent job of showing what made Nevada a great state. Tough folks founded and worked in the state to make it what it is today. I really enjoyed the mine exhibit. You feel like you are in a real mine. It goes through all the mining processes. My favorite exhibit is the antique gun display. It's amazing that they were able to collect that many pieces. Shows you how the West was won! It's only 10 bucks to enter and you can spend several hours inside. There is a nice gift shop with friendly folks working it. read more

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Tremendous museum! Perhaps the best I've seen; so modern and impeccably clean. Soon they will be featuring an exhibit dedicated to the Battleship USS Nevada so you know I'll be back. The Pony Express plaque and artifacts are fascinating. Just get here. Hide the kids' iPads and spend a meaningful and educational afternoon with the family. read more

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This is a very pretty place with a good libraby in many subjects and a neat gift store my open manuscript with my biography of living in las vegas nv , inthe 197os might stiil there i visit this place many times Thank you, madam vanessa read more

We are a nonprofit dance group and we were contacted to perform on the Day of the Dead festival. Mahal the Curator of Education of Nevada State Museum offered us a donation, which was suppose to go towards the dresses and shoes of the group, but we never received it. There was another group performing before us, I hope they didn't get as unlucky as us. read more

Love the State Museum. Great exhibits, delightful people and a great place to bring out of town guests. We took some cousins from Germany and they absolutely loved it!! read more

Start at the top floor and work your way down. When you see the old mining town you know the excitement will begin. I've not seen anything like the mine before and that exhibit alone is worth seeing. read more

This is a great museum! Full of history, and very well organize. Staff is friendly and attentive. Highly recommended.

Excellent state museum. I've visited Carson City at least a dozen times, and this was my first visit to this museum. Exhibits are well laid out, and there's even a geology section. The price is right and they've got just about something for everyone. read more

This was one of the best museums I have visited in a long time. This museum was definitely a lot more detailed than I was expecting. If you come here, I recommend you at least spend an hour and a half because there was just so much different things to see in this museum. I think some of the highlights that I really liked about this museum is that it has a scale down but complete rendition of what a western town in Nevada would have looked like in its day. All of the woodwork, all of the masonry and signage, and even all of the contents inside each of the buildings that you can see through the windows are very authentic and I think some of them may be actually original pieces. Also to the underground silver mine replica was a very unique experience for me. I really gain the sense of how it must have felt like to work in one of those mines. The museum really put a lot of detail also into these mines using materials that really reflect how they actually look like in a real mine. There is even train tracks for the minecarts that are laid out all over the floor so when you're walking through the exhibit you actually feel like you're walking on the tracks itself. And besides you know Nevada's Rich history and silver mining and mineral mining exploration, the museum also showcases a lot of elements besides the mining expeditions that really tells the story about Nevada's history. The museum also has a gift shop and has some really cool things that they sell including a penny minting machine so you can go ahead and mint your own souvenir penny. And they also sell Boolean silver coins if you're into collecting coins as well. I'm glad that we stopped by here and I have to give this museum a solid 5 stars. It was just an amazing experience and I learned a lot about Nevada's Rich history. read more

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Gayle and I recently paid a visit to the Nevada State Museum during a self-walking tour of Downtown Carson City. This cultural landmark nicely blends a newer addition to the main historical US mint building. And on certain days, you too can own a freshly minted coin and watch it being made. The Museum does a very good job in helping folks understand Nevada's natural and cultural heritage. There's a lot here and I personally found that it was easy to get lost with all the twists and turns to this place. And yes, it will take at least a couple visits to fully map out this place. My favorite exhibit was the "mine shaft" exhibit in the basement. The various authentic-looking displays were both education and properly claustrophobic. I also enjoyed the Walk through Nevada History, the Under One Sky (Native American), and Chinese Woodcutter exhibits. And if you like looking at rocks (considering Nevada's mineral wealth), this is the place for you. My tolerance for any museum is about 1-2 hours. And I found the Nevada State Museum easily kept my attention for that long. I'm sure we'll be back on our own or with friends and family. And with a number of nice lunch places nearby (Union, Fox Pub, etc.), it's easy to make a short outing of it here in Downtown Carson City. read more

As a teenager I used to collect coins and after I heard that this museum was the old historic Carson city mint, I had to check it out. Most coins minted at Carson city are extremely popular with coin collectors. They are limited and typically worth a pretty penny. Excuse my lame pun. They have a collection of all of the coins minted here on display, but that's where the fun/excitement ends... I suppose different stokes for different folks. I honestly thought they would have more on display but it was really small and underwhelming. The other cool collection were the old guns and military oddities. But again, the collection is very tiny. The rest of the museum was kinda lame, and considering this is a state museum that's even worse. Take for example, state museum in Los Angeles or New York... It would contain millions of artifacts and items, but this museum was just lacking and it almost seemed like they were just putting random things together to open a museum. The mine exhibit in the basement level was interesting to see life in the mines back in the olden days, but i felt like it was poorly done and you can finish it in like 5 mins. It's 8 bucks per adult and you can finish this whole museum in 30 mins. read more

Nevada State Museum - Museums Near Me - Carson City, Nevada

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This place rocks and the visit was the highlight of my weekend. First of all it was free admission with the Smithsonian Museum Awareness Day. Scored! Right off of N Carson Street, located in what was once a the Carson City Mint. The gentleman working there was very helpful and showed us where the off beaten treasures were hidden. We spent about three and half hours in there. There are multiple exhibits; WW1, Natural History, Geology, Silver coin press and silver from the USS Nevada, Ghost Town, mine replica, exhibit on the Chinese and their history in Nevada. There are quite alot of taxidermy animals and dinosuar bones. Really cool stuff about the history of Nevada and it's people Can't wait to return and take my son there. The Nevada State Museum is like a hidden gem in this Great Basin. Well worth a trip! The building looks small but every area is packed full of treasures. Easy parking. Makes for a nice weekend adventure read more

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I really liked it ! Esp the mines and the minting process - would recommend and well worth the ten dollars

This is a fun museum, offering some of your standard exhibits but with a Nevadan twist... and then going all-in on Nevada history with the Mint building and the mining "cave" in the basement. During COVID, they have you following arrows all around, and although it's not always clear which arrows to follow, the basic order is correct: 2nd floor, then through the 1st floor and the Mint, then end in the cave. The cave is so much fun, just watch your head. The Mint... any coin buff will find it worth 8 Morgans to see what they've got. Visit Saturdays for the coin press demo. Took me 80 minutes to walk through and read all the Nevada history panels, allow a solid 90-120 depending on your pace. read more

Hidden Gem, there's something here for everyone. I spent about two hours there and could've spent more if I had made the time. Definitely was better than I expected. read more

The Nevada State Museum in Carson City is a great option to round out your Day trip. If you are visiting Reno or Lake Tahoe, you would enjoy a quick trip to Carson City to visit the state Capitol and hit up some museums. This museum has free parking in the downtown area near the Capitol. The museum has an awkward layout and is mostly focused on the mining and silver history of the state. There is a mine replica in the basement and exhibits relating to the Carson City Mint which operated in this building for a long time turning the nearby gold and silver into coins and ingots for the federal government. There are other exhibits about the history and natural parts of the state. You can also access the Native American section which was the result of a compromise between the native nations and the BLM. It is worth a visit and some thought. If you enjoy museums or air conditioning, you may enjoy the Nevada State Museum. Admission is cheap, but you may take a while to navigate the layout. It's also a pretty cheap mine tour compared to the other nearby sites, but it's much less authentic. read more

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Love this place! They integrated the history if the state in a relaxed and interesting environment. The mine downstairs is amazing! Plan on multiple visits for new exhibits! read more

The Nevada State Museum is a modern, well put together museum that nicely captures Nevada's history. We spent an informative 2+ hours here, and learned a great deal. The history displays I found most enjoyable, as were the Carson City mint exhibits -- an impressive display of the rare "CC" coins are here, kept behind a formidable security barrier. The natural history displays are worthwhile as well: don't miss the near-intact woolly mammoth. Stop by at the museum gift store. Many history books and items, plus a good selection of souvenir coins, numismatic books and supplies. The guest store volunteer enthusiastically told us about what else to see in the area (try the nearby State Capital and its beautiful surrounding grounds). No food is available in the museum, but there's a nice, reasonable diner at the Nugget casino across the street. Parking is free in a parking lot on a side street next to the museum. Only a 30 minute drive from Reno, this museum is well worth a visit. read more

Nevada State Museum - Museums Near Me - Carson City, Nevada

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Absolutely loved my experience here! I took myv2 children 4 and 13 years old. Their was so much knowledge and so much to look at we were busy for hours. The coin press was the most impressive and the one thing my oldest child was most interested in. The staff were all very friendly and gave so much information that we all learned something new! We will be back with our friends and family! read more

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Nevada State Museum is a MUST to visit when in Carson City. For just $8 per adult and free entry for kids under 17, you can take advantage of this modern style museum. The museum used to be the old Carson City US Mint building. To commemorate its history, a permanent exhibit of the No. 1 coin press is here along with a complete collection of coins pressed with "CC" mint mark. This museum is fairly small, but their collections are fascinating. I've seen the replica of Nevada ghost town, a very impressive replica of the underground mine(my favorite), gun collection, and animal and rock collections that are native in Nevada along with a large exhibit of a Columbian mammoth that was also found somewhere in Nevada. There are more things to see in this museum, unfortunately, we ran out of time. If I have another chance to go back to Carson city, I will try to visit this place again. read more

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This museum is a must visit for 4th grade Nevada history. My son particularly enjoyed the mammoth, the ichthyosaur, the mint exhibit and the mine. We heard footsteps while in the mine (it was creepy enough without them as we were the only patrons there at that time) and googled the building's ghost stories just to freak ourselves out further. I'm a native Nevadan, but I learned some things at the museum that day, too. Easy drive from Reno. read more

Nevada State Museum - Museums Near Me - Carson City, Nevada

A great museum with a wonderful selection of exhibits. We love taking our kids to museums for real-life and hands-on learning and this place definitely provided all of that. We came on the recommendation from a librarian on the NV side of the Tahoe area, and she was right on. It was a great museum with the biggest draw being the mine on the bottom floor. The ground floor has a Native American audio tour exhibit with lots of great photos documenting Native Americans in Nevada, then there's also the museum store which we didn't go into. Other floors included a natural history and geology exhibit, China lumber/logging camp exhibit, a ghost town (which totally spooked one of my kids and fascinated the other), a super impressive and extensive gun collection on display (hubby and son spent a ton of time in there), a collection of taxidermy birds and animals (I really don't like these kinds of "stuffed" animal displays esp the wild felines and canines really creep me out) which were fascinating if not frightening, and the top floor has a great history of Nevada exhibit with SO many amazing historical artifacts that people donated. All in all, this museum is a wonderful treasure trove of history, some natural science, and ecology with even a little bit of art thrown in. A truly enjoyable visit so much so that my little family spent almost 3 hours there! Also, it's only $8 for adults, kids under 17 years are free! :) read more

I have been to a part of this museum before, but never to the larger side aka the best side, in my opinion. I always thought it was rather small, but discovered it is quite large! There are actually several floors on the one side that was new to me. I was floored when I saw that they have an extensive ghost town display area, and underground mine exhibit, as well as some other really cool stuff I hadn't yet seen! This is totally worth the money to get in. It costs $8 for adults and is free for 17 and under as well as museum members or those with the Nevada State Museums pass. I didn't realize until I got home that my hubby recently bought us the pass to all of the state museums. Oops! At least I get to return soon since I didn't get to see everything the other day. I cannot wait! There is definitely something there for everyone. You can very easily spend most of a day here, especially if you love to read everything. I totally recommend this museum! The people working there were super nice, too. read more

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I took advantage of the Smithsonian Institute's free museum day to revisit this museum after many years. Without children in tow and with my sketchbook and pencil at hand , I realized what a great resource the newly refurbished taxidermy exhibits in the Discovery Lab are. Artists, illustrators and students can see and study actual specimens of native birds and animals. Also a great resource for illustrators is the gun collection. The subterranean mining exhibit is still a fun experience. There is lots more to see and learn but I don't try to see everything at once but instead go deep on a narrow focus. read more

Nevada State Museum - Bring your sketch book to the Discovery Lab - Museums Near Me - Carson City, Nevada