Nevada Division of Museums and History

Tours of the Nevada Historical Society Museum Galleries

Planning a field trip to the Nevada Historical Society 

A field trip to the Nevada Historical Society can be integrated into Nevada history units using the background information provided on the next few pages. Museum exhibits give students the opportunity to ask questions about the past and find their own answers. The Nevada Historical Society is currently the only history museum in Reno that offers tours to school groups free of charge.

Basic Tour Information

To arrange a field trip to the Nevada Historical Society, please make arrangements by calling us at 775-688-1190 ext. 231 or you can email Christine Johnson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Don't forget, we are open Wednesday thru Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm.

When you call us please have a day and time in mind for your visit, and one or two alternate dates. The months of October and May are particularly busy months for field trips, so we ask that you make reservations for those months as far in advance as possible. Many teachers find what our proximity to Fleischmann Planetarium, allowing a combination trip to the Historical Society and the Planetarium, makes for good use of bus and field trip time. 

Tours typically last 60 minutes, but can be tailored to work with groups who have more or less time. We can accommodate a total of 50 students at one time. When a field trip group arrives at the Historical Society they will be split into two smaller groups. One group goes on a 30-minute tour of the permanent gallery while the second group enjoys a 30-minute exploration of the Hands-On History Cart. At the end of the first 30 minutes the groups switch places.  

Members of the Nevada Historical Society Docent Council are responsible for giving tours of the Historical Society galleries and introducing students to the objects on the Hands-On History Cart. The Docents are trained volunteers who, using the Historical Society galleries, give a general tour of Nevada History. If you would like the field trip to emphasize a specific aspect of Nevada history, please let us know when you make your field trip arrangements.

Note: The Nevada Historical Society’s educational programs serve the Washoe County and northern Nevada area. For educational museum programs in southern Nevada, contact the State Museum and Historical Society, 700 Twin Lakes Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89107, (702) 486-5205.