Thursday Doors- California Building

Posted in Architecture, National Register of Historic Places, Photography, Thursday DoorsTagged , , , , ,

Copyright ©2026 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

A couple of weeks ago I went up to the Rose Garden in Reno, NV. After my friend and I finished in there we did a little birding in the park. On the way back to the Rose Garden to have a snack we passed the California Building. I loved the 3 arched doorways. I asked the internet about the building’s history and function here’s a quick summary.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//:circadianreflections.com

“The California Building in Idlewild Park, Reno, was built by the State of California as a gift for the 1927 Transcontinental Highway Exposition, which celebrated the completion of the Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway.  Constructed in the Mission Revival style to honor World War I veterans, the structure served as the exposition’s centerpiece and housed exhibits from California cities.  Following the event, it was transferred to the Darrell Dunkle Post No. 1 of the American Legion before being deeded to the City of Reno in 1938. 

Today, the building functions as a historic event venue for weddings, cultural gatherings, and community meetings.  It is affiliated with VFW Post Number 3819 and underwent a significant $900,000 renovation completed in 2026, which modernized its kitchen, restrooms, and patio while preserving its heritage.  The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1992) and the City of Reno’s historic register (1998), standing as the only surviving architectural element of the 1927 exposition.”

~AI generated answer.

Then I went over the Reno Historical Organization’s website. It says the same but, has a lot more information about the highway project and more about the exposition in Reno. There are a number of old images there as well. If you have time and interest head here➡️https://renohistorical.org/items/show/105

There was an event going on that day so I didn’t go in. Hopefully one day I’ll get to go inside.

This post is part of the weekly challenge Thursday Doors hosted by Dan Antion over at https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/02/summer-standard/

Hope on over there to see more doors from around the world or join the craze and add a door or two of your own. 😊

more to come…

15 thoughts on “Thursday Doors- California Building”

    1. We went for the Roses and stayed for the birding. Unfortunately it was warm and after 10AM so rather quiet on the birding front. We heard more than saw.

      Thank you so much, Ashley! Have a lovely week-end!

      Like

      Reply

  2. That’s a neat bit of history about the California Building, Deborah. I like the architecture! The soft, slightly rounded corners and the very bright white, I guess the latter is the result of the recent renovation. It seems a very good building for its purposes I think!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Peter! I’m glad you liked the history and the building. The arches are original but the caps on the tops of the pillars are new. You can’t see the pitch of the roof in my image. I’ll have to look to see if the roof has changed since 1927 the next time I’m up there. I’m they preserved it and it’s still being used.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. That’s a wonderful building. I’m so glad it was upgraded and that it enjoys a protected status.

    Thanks for the link. When I was visiting my brother several years ago, we ate at a little diner that’s part of a hotel and gas station that are preserved. They are all on the Lincoln Highway.

    Like

    Reply

    1. That’s so cool that you’ve eaten in a preserved building right on the Lincoln Highway! Maybe if you’re there again next year you two can do that again to celebrate its birthday. Looking at the map of the highway I’ve been on several parts of it across the country without paying much attention to its significance at the time.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

        1. That was neat revisiting this post. I still love those gas pumps and thought of Bus Stop the play again, and Twilight Zone’s Mirror Image this time.

          The cafe does look like a living museum and bonus great breakfast too!

          Like

          Reply

    1. You’re way ahead of me as I didn’t think about a Bi-Centennial Celebration for the American Railways! So far not much planned. One of my birding girlfriend’s husband is a big train and model train enthusiast. I’ll ask her if he’s mentioned anything for next year around here.

      Like

      Reply

A penny for your thoughts...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.