A week ago we took our annual National Park trip and this time it was to Crater Lake NP. We knew that because of reservation issues we wouldn’t be able to stay in the park this time. So we decided to just go for the day and turn our National Park trip into a fun road trip. Even though we live less than two hours from Reno we’ve never spent time with the kiddos there–we’ve merely passed through on our trips along I-80. Reno might not be the first place you think of when you think of a family-friendly destination, but we all had a blast! We’re looking forward to taking the family again because there really is a lot to do in Reno with kids. This post is in collaboration with The Discovery in Reno. Our family was hosted for a visit but all thoughts are completely my own.
our favorite destination in Reno with kids
The Discovery
Our family attended The Discovery: Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum on a Tuesday morning about an hour after they opened. Even with some day camps attending we had plenty of space to explore. We were there for almost four hours and didn’t even experience everything! The Discovery is a hands-on museum that’s enjoyable for kids of all ages. It boasts 67,000 square feet and is divided into different interactive and completely hands-on exhibits.
There are exhibits depicting the history of Nevada, there are scientific experiences where you can explore how the human body works, and in-depth looks into green energy. Best of all, there were opportunities for inventing and problem-solving around every corner. As a homeschool mom this is exactly the type of place I love bringing my kids to!
Our family really enjoyed spending time in the Mindbender Mansion exhibit together. This is a special exhibit that just opened in February of this year. It’s a space full of brainteasers, interactive challenges, and puzzles that your whole family can work out together. Once you’ve solved all the challenges you can get passwords and at the end you can get a personalized certificate!
When asked which part was their favorite all my kids will unanimously agree that it was the Truckee Connects and the Cloud Climber exhibits. My kids enjoyed interacting with a working scale model of the Truckee River. They got to have fun and splash around while learning about hydroelectricity, irrigation, and more. The Cloud Climber exhibit rises three stories above Truckee Connects. It was a great way to get any extra energy out! My kids loved exploring through an interactive model of the water cycle.
The Discovery was an amazing experience for our whole family! With more than nine interactive exhibit spaces and more planned for the future it’s a great destination when you’re planning a trip to Reno with kids.
other kid-friendly picks
- West Wind El Rancho Drive-in
- Scheel’s at The Outlets at Legends
- Circus Circus Midway at The Row
- Animal Ark
- Wild Island Family Adventure Park
- The Riverwalk District
- The National Automobile Museum
