Arts & Culture

• Artown began as a City of Reno Arts and Culture Commission project for $12,000 in 1996. By 1999, the event had grown to include a non-profit organization with paid staff and a festival budget of $200,000. In 2006, Artown’s budget exceeded $1 million.
• The City has produced a Veteran’s Day parade every year since 1998.
• The City displays 45 pieces of outdoor public art and 62 art pieces in the City Hall collection.
• McKinley Arts & Culture Center (formerly known as McKinley Park School) is one of two remaining buildings from the "Spanish Quartet." Mt. Rose Elementary School is the other one still in existence.

Buildings & Centers

• Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center was purchased from the YWCA in 1997.
• The California Building was constructed by the State of California in 1927 as part of the celebration of the completion of the Trans-Continental Highway.
• Southside Administration Office (formerly part of Southside School) was built by the WPA in 1936.

Parks

• Oxbow Nature Study Park is one of the few relatively intact riparian areas along the Truckee River in Reno.
• Metal detection permits are available through the Park Maintenance office to use a metal detector in City of Reno Parks.
• Park utility bills are approximately $1,000,000 per year.
• There are seven free water play features available during the summer. Park locations are Idlewild Lion’s Den Playground, Yori, Las Brisas, Summit Ridge, Wheatland, Panther Valley, and Silver Lake.
• Most of Idlewild Park is watered directly from the Truckee River. Parks in Double Diamond and Mayors/Dorothy McAlinden Park are watered using effluent.
• PRCS maintains athletic fields at 18 schools in Reno.
• At 39,000 square feet, Rattlesnake Mountain Skate Park is one of the largest skate parks in the western U.S.
• The trees in Whitaker Park are planted in an aisle because it used to be a "normal" school.
• Dick Taylor Memorial Park was once the location of an army base.
• A fish hatchery used to be located at what is now Miguel Ribera Park.
• Plumas Park was the location of "old" Billinghurst Middle School. New Billinghurst Middle School, in Northwest Reno, was built in 1990.
• Virginia Lake was constructed by the WPA from 1936 – 1938, and serves as a detention reservoir for flood control and irrigation. Gold was found during the excavation.
• A fish hatchery was operated at the current site of Virginia Lake Dog Park from the time the park was created until the 1965 flood.
• Pat Baker and John Champion parks were built by volunteers in one weekend in 1968 and 1998, respectively.
• There used to be a zoo where the Idlewild Park Rose Garden is currently located.

Urban Forestry

• Reno has been a Tree City USA for 28 years.
• The City’s official arboretum is in Idlewild Park.
• The City has 65 landmark trees. Landmark trees are trees on public property having special status due to age, size, shape, species, location, historical association, visual quality or other contribution to the City’s character.
• There are 159 different tree species in City of Reno parks.

Aquatics

• Traner Pool has a double slide, shade structures and a water playground.
• All pools have aquatic lifts.

Golf

• Rosewood Lakes Golf Course was constructed and opened to the public in 1990.
• Rosewood Lakes Golf Course hosts the Reno/Sparks City Championship every year.

Outdoor Recreation

• The Whitewater Park at Wingfield is ADA accessible, with two handicap ramps.

Senior Programs

• The Community Garden at Paradise Park donated over 300 pounds of fresh produce to charity in 2005.

Youth Programs

• The Sierra Kids before/after school program is operated by City of Reno PRCS at 26 school sites.
• The City of Reno provides 25,000 free meals to children throughout the year.

Administration

• Parks, Recreation & Community Services employs 600 temporary staff per year.