Admission to museums is free for Nevada Day

To honor Nevada Day and the state’s 150th birthday kickoff, state museums will offer free admission and celebrations statewide Oct. 25.

Admission to the Nevada State Museum will be free Friday and Saturday. The museum will start the festivities Friday with the first minting of the Nevada Sesquicentennial medallions, sold through the NV150 Commission at the Legislature’s gift shop. Saturday, the Nevada Day medallions, both in silver and brass, will be minted and sold at the museum. Minting both days will be 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Visitors are also welcome to see a new exhibit that includes a peek at what is thought to be the Frémont Cannon, left behind by the explorer who named the state.

Also new in Carson City for Nevada Day is “Our Nevada Stories: Objects Found in Time,” in which visitors can learn about the state symbols and minerals, and see a detailed model of the Capitol. The display shows a commemorative quilt, the first known specimen of the North American Ice Age cheetah, American Indian art and artifacts. Hours for the museum are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

New at the state’s railroad museum is a rare black-and-white photography collection. Ely photographer Joel Jensen’s collection of photos that show railroad operations in action across the country will be shown Friday and Saturday. Jensen will offer an artist talk in the depot at 4:30 p.m. Saturday as the last train trip ends. The museum’s McKeen motorcar will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Train rides cost $8 for adults and $4 for members and children 4-11, and are free for those 3 and younger. Exhibits in the Jacobsen Interpretive Center tell the story of the railroad’s contribution to the creation of communities and industries that built Nevada.