One of the best ways to fill a rainy afternoon, a blustery winter day, or a rare sunny fall day is to check the events in your community! Here in Reno, one of my favorite annual events is Day at the Museum at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).
It is a day for children (of all ages) to visit the surprisingly large number of museums on the campus and learn about both our diverse community as well as the wealth of educational opportunities it affords.
My niece —and I’m sorry to say, my sister— is just like me. She insists on visiting the campus every year for this event. Most years, I am working at my dispatch job, so I am unable to attend with them. This year, the stars aligned and we were all able to enjoy a gorgeous sunny fall day on one of the most beautiful college campuses I have seen, although I may be slightly biased (it is my alma mater).
We started early at the top of campus (the north end). This way, we were walking south… and that meant downhill. 😉
This year's event featured 20 participating museums, collections, and organizations, and they were almost all open for tours. The Fleischmann Planetarium was undergoing renovations, but fortunately, it had an interactive exhibit in the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, so we still got to enjoy a little astronomy!
Each museum has a stamp that records your visit, a small display for a quick tour and access to the larger museum if one is interested… and of course we were!
We picked up passport books at one of the check-in tables scattered around campus and followed my niece as she collected stamps from each location. Once she'd collected enough, she could exchange them for a small prize.
It was a fun way to keep the kids interested—and, let's face it, some of the adults too! 😂
We visited the history department (of course), the medical museum, the Jon Bilbao Basque Library that explored our rich Basque history and culture here in Northern Nevada, the Archives table, the pollinator garden (with live bees), and the arboretum, the W.M. Keck Museum of minerals, the Anthropology department’s Museum of People, Place, and Time, and several more. It was both educational and tremendous amount of fun.
The medical museum had an interactive virtual cadaver that fascinated my medically curious sister, while the minerals and gemstones kept my niece completely captivated.
History, medicine, anthropology, geology, and even live bees—all in one afternoon!
It was a beautiful day filled with learning, laughter, and a few unexpected discoveries.
One of the best parts? The event was free, including parking in designated areas! The university also provided a map to help visitors navigate between locations, making it easy to choose which museums to explore and how much walking to do.
The Holly Abroad Way — A Few Things We Learned
Explore your own backyard. You may be surprised by the educational and cultural experiences available close to home.
Check university event calendars. Colleges often host community events that are affordable, educational, and open to everyone.
Plan for walking. University campuses can be large and hilly. Comfortable shoes and a little route planning make a difference.
Make learning an adventure. Passport stamps, hands-on exhibits, and small prizes can make museums especially fun for children.
Follow your curiosity. You never know which unexpected exhibit will become your favorite.
