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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.

“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…
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