A Short History Of The Reno Arch

Many cities have an iconic structure, a visual symbol that immediately signifies a place. In Paris, it’s the Eiffel Tower, in New York it’s the Empire State Building, in London it’s Big Ben and in Reno it’s the Reno Arch. The Arch stands where Virginia Street meets Commercial Row, and for nearly a century now, it’s stood as an emblem of the city itself.

But, the arch wasn’t intended to be permanent, nor was it designed to celebrate the city of Reno. Built in 1926 as part of the Nevada Transcontinental Railways Exhibition, the city celebrated the completion of the Lincoln and Victory Highways. After the festivities ended, Reno’s City Council voted to keep the arch in place and announced a contest to find a new city slogan. A man from Sacramento, CA came up with “biggest little city in the world” and it was added below the “RENO” on the arch.

The original Reno arch sign was a simple, metal structure dotted with neon and light bulbs. It stood for 40 years. In 1967, the original was replaced with a larger Googie-style sign that featured the city’s name on hexagonal plastic panels and a rotating starburst. The original arch went into storage. It was restored in 1994 as part of a set for the movie Cobb—about baseball player Ty Cobb—and later installed where Lake Street meets the Truckee River.

The Biggest Little City in the World sign. This version was built in 1963 and was replaced by the current sign in 1987

This year, the Reno Arch faces yet another renovation and renewal. The city sought public input for an updated, 21st-century color scheme via meetings and online polls. The consensus was for blue/white/silver, so blue-and-white lettering will replace the current fuchsia pink and brushed stainless steel substituted for shiny gold fittings. The newest rendition is set to finish by spring 2018.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.