Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Sparks (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Wild Island, Nugget Casino Resort, and Bank of Sparks. Also, be sure to include Bourbon Square Casino in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Sparks (Nevada).
Table of Contents
Wild Island
Water park in Sparks, Nevada. Wild Island is a water park located off I-80 in the city of Sparks, Nevada. The park is the only one in the vicinity of the double city.
Wild Island opened in June 1989 and has grown and expanded throughout its history. The park originally opened with only five attractions and two pools and has since added numerous other attractions. The park is usually open from the third weekend in May to the Fourth weekend in September giving its guests one of the longest water park seasons on the west coast. During the summer of 2013, the park hosted over 200,000 guests.[1]
Address: 250 Wild Island Ct, 89434-8946 Sparks
Nugget Casino Resort
Hotel. Nugget Casino Resort is a hotel and casino located in Sparks, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Marnell Gaming. The main portion of the casino consists of two 29-story towers nestled between Interstate 80 and the Union Pacific rail yard. There are additional attached buildings underneath and across I-80 from the towers. It is located in Downtown Sparks at the Victorian Square.[2]
Address: Sparks, 1100 Nugget Avenue
Bank of Sparks
Historical place in Sparks, Nevada. The Bank of Sparks is a bank in Sparks, Nevada. It was built in 1905 in the Romanesque Revival style. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[3]
Address: 814 Victorian Ave, 89431 Sparks
Bourbon Square Casino
Casino in Sparks, Nevada. Bourbon Square Casino was a casino and former hotel in Downtown Sparks, Nevada. The property operated until January 11, 2009 as Silver Club. The property reopened as Bourbon Square on August 1, 2013 and operated until February 5, 2015. It was demolished in 2018.[4]
Address: Sparks, 1040 Victorian Avenue
Glendale School
Building in Sparks, Nevada. The Glendale School of Sparks, Nevada, is the oldest remaining schoolhouse in the state and is also reported to be the longest operating school in the state. It was built in 1864 and served as a school until 1958. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
It was deemed significant as the first educational institution in the "Truckee Meadows" area, where, in 1857, Charles C. Gates and John F. Stone created a rope ferry across the Truckee River and opened a trading post, leading to further development. It was built by Archie Bryant.
In 1976, the school building was moved to a site near the intersection in Reno, and in 1993, it was moved again, to its current location, part of the Victorian Square development in Sparks.[5]
Star Spangled Sparks
Park, Relax in park
Address: 1100 Nugget Ave, Sparks
Immaculate Conception Church
Catholic church in Sparks, Nevada. Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, is currently located at 2900 McCarran Way in Sparks, Nevada, United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno.[6]
Washoe County Library-Sparks Branch
The Washoe County Library-Sparks Branch, at a prominent corner location at 814 Victorian St. in Sparks, Nevada, is a historic building that was designed by Nevada architect Frederick J. DeLongchamps and was built in 1931. Also known as Sparks Justice Court, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It was deemed significant for serving as a unique example of the Mediterranean Revival style in Sparks. It is the oldest surviving government building in Sparks.
It was built as the Sparks Branch of the Washoe County Library System. In 1965 the library was moved to a bigger building and the City of Sparks Justice Court, which had been in the building already, was expanded to the entire building. In 1992 there were plans to make the building into a museum.[7]
Robison House
Historical place in Sparks, Nevada. The Robison House in Sparks, Nevada, at 409 13th St. is a historic mansion-like house with Colonial Revival elements built c. 1904. The property includes small rental cottages used in Reno, Nevada's "divorce trade". It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The house, within George W. Robison's "Robison's Addition" development, seems to have been built for George W.'s son George A. Robison. The neighborhood was developed after the Central Pacific Railroad moved shops nearby. Images of this house were used in marketing lots in the development. The NRHP nomination cites Buildings of Nevada as stating: "'The image of the two-story, wood-frame dwelling with its pedimented gables and bracketed eaves no doubt lent an air of respectability to Robison's speculative enterprise'" and describes that small secondary residences for rent are available, and apparently were in use from the late 1920s and the 1930s, providing the short, six-week residency required for "quickie" divorces in Nevada. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The listing included five contributing buildings.[8]
Mary Lee Nichols School
The Mary Lee Nichols School, located at 400-406 Pyramid Way in Sparks, Nevada, was built in 1917 and expanded in 1920 and 1927. It was designed by architect Frederick DeLongchamps and it was also a work of U. Bernasconi. DeLongchamps designed the 1920 and 1927 expansions as well. It includes Mission/spanish Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
At the time of its NRHP listing, the school was in very good condition, with only very modest changes—including along its roofline—from the original appearance of the school. It was then being modified for use by Spark's Foster Grandparent program.[9]