2017: The Year of Nevada Tourism Developments

Posted: May 17, 2018

  CARSON CITY, Nev. – Travel Nevada announces several new experiences, lodging options, breweries and more for visitors to enjoy in 2017. From the Las Vegas strip and its surrounding attractions, to professional sports teams and new businesses arriving in Reno-Tahoe to resort developments in rural Nevada, the Silver State is continually evolving to meet the needs of its visitors and residents alike.  These investments demonstrate a continued dedication throughout the state to provide even more appealing offerings for travelers around the globe. To stay informed on tourism developments in the Silver State, please visit TravelNevada.com.

Attractions

As if the ET Highway weren’t enough, Nevada has continued to invest in unique attractions to entertain and awe its visitors. Whether you’re a superhero fan, an arts aficionado or an avid shopper, there are several new experiences to add to your itinerary.

  • Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. (Scientific Training and Tactical Intelligence Operative Network), an immersive and educational experience that brings visitors into the superhero world of the Avengers, opened in June 2016 at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. This attraction allows guests to engage with Marvel characters including the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and more. Original props and costumes from the Marvel films are also on display so visitors can round out the experience.
  • Seven Magic Mountains, a large-scale outdoor sculpture by Swiss artist Hugo Rondinone opened May 2016 on the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard along Interstate 15. The work, which will be on display for two years, consists of seven individual towers made of fluorescent-colored boulders and standing 30 feet to 35 feet tall. The artwork extends Rondinone’s long-running interest in natural phenomena and their reformulation in art, according to the Nevada Museum of Art, one of the sponsors of the piece.
  • TopGolf Las Vegas, a golf-entertainment venue behind the MGM Grand resort on the Las Vegas Strip, opened in May 2016. The four-story facility has 108-climate-controlled hitting bays as well as interactive golf games that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. TopGolf also has a concert venue, five bars, two pools, a Callaway fitting studio, a retail shop and more.
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Sports

Las Vegas has been a longtime home of the National Finals Rodeo and gambling competitions, but 2017 is expected to be the year that Las Vegas becomes more than a host-city for sports. Reno joins the national sports realm with its first-ever major league team taking the field this spring.

  • Las Vegas’ first National Hockey League team, the Vegas Golden Knights, will kick-off during the 2017-2018 season at the new T-Mobile Arena, which opened in 2016 in the space between New York New York Hotel & Casino and the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, just off the Las Vegas Strip. This is Las Vegas’ first major professional sports league team.
  • After an official signature from Gov. Brian Sandoval last October, Las Vegas will soon be clearing the way for a large-scale football stadium, which may be home to the soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders National Football League team. This project was approved along with a 600,000 square-foot expansion to the Las Vegas Convention Center.
  • Reno 1868 FC is the first-ever major league team to call Reno home. The soccer team played its first match in Reno in February 2017 at the Greater Nevada Field in downtown Reno. The field is also home to the minor league baseball team the Reno Aces.

 

Eat & Drink

In the last several years, the farm-to-table and grain-to-glass movements have found a home in Nevada where spots of incredibly fertile land have created ideal farming opportunities. These farms not only generate great food and drinks, but also offer great experiences for

  • The brand-new craft brewery, Alibi Ale Works, is located in the mountain town of Incline Village, about 36 miles (58 kilometers) southwest of Reno. Using water from Lake Tahoe, its beers truly embody the taste of Nevada. The brewery?s lineup is balanced between traditional European styles, “hop-forward” American beers and innovative one-offs.
  • Bently Heritage, an estate distillery that will produce liqueurs from grains grown on the Bently Ranch, plans to open in 2017 in Minden, about 48 miles (77 kilometers) south of Reno, in a historic flourmill. The distillery will focus on single malt whiskies, gin, brandies and liqueurs using water from a natural aquifer at the foot of the Lake Tahoe basin.
  • Gold Coast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas just opened its classic American steakhouse, Cornerstone. The new restaurant, which features high-end steak and seafood dishes along with whiskey-tasting flights, is part of a larger renovation project that included upgrades in the casino and convention rooms.

Resorts & Casinos

As much as Nevada is known for gaming, it is equally as well known for its world-class resorts. Though investments in those properties are common, 2017 is sure to be one for the books in terms of upgrades.

  • The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas is embarking on a $450 million rebranding project to become two distinct hotel experiences: Las Vegas version of Sydell’s widely acclaimed NoMad Hotel, and the launch of a new luxury hotel named Park MGM. Construction began late last year and will conclude in late 2018.
  • Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino, the city’s first resort delivering an authentic Asian cultural and gaming experience, opened just in time for 2017. With a multilingual staff, the city’s only indoor/outdoor high-end tea garden and lounge, 1.25 glass dragon sculpture suspended from the ceiling, Pan-Asian dining and a 4,500 square foot spa with Chinese herbal medicines, it is proving to be a unique and well-rounded experience.
  • The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe, a 169,000-square foot, 154-room hotel, will begin accepting reservations in June 2017 for visitors who want a true mountain luxury experience. Located at Edgewood Tahoe golf course in Stateline, the property is enhancing its offerings with features including a health spa, a restaurant and bar, as well as a conference and event center.
  • Ramada opened in Elko, taking over the old Stockmen’s Hotel and Casino, in July 2016. The turnover involved a remodel of all 133 rooms on the property, which has been open since 1944.
  • Ruby Mountain Heli-Experience, a helicopter skiing outfitter in Elko, opened the 10,000-square foot Ruby 360 Lodge in January. Located in the Ruby Mountains in eastern Nevada, the two-story Ruby 360 Lodge has 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and serves as the base for helicopter skiing January to April. Off-season, Ruby 360 Lodge can be reserved for weddings, parties and other events.

 

Camping and Outdoor Recreation

Nearly 85 percent of Nevada is public land. As a result, the state offers a seemingly endless number of camping sites and hiking and biking trails. In 2017, several of these sites are expanding or opening new experiences for the active and adventurous traveler.

  • The Sacramento Pass recreation area, which includes camping, and mountain biking trails, has reopened to the public with new improvements. Located along Highway 50 dubbed the “Loneliest Road in America,” the $375,000 renovations include 10 new “pull-thru” and/or “back- in” campsites with low maintenance furnishings, interpretive kiosks and displays, pond-accessible trails, as well as road improvements.
  • Eastern Nevada has a new campground at Echo Canyon State Park, located three hours from Las Vegas in Eastern Nevada. This 1,800-acre park boasts historic pictographs, abundant wildlife, fishing, hiking trails and some of the best stargazing in the country. The new campground offers 20 pull-through sites with full hook-ups, fire rings, picnic tables, and shade structures.
  • Skiers around the country know Heavenly Mountain Resort as a winter destination, but the resort just completed developments to its Epic Discovery Park, an active traveler’s summer dream featuring ropes courses, zip lines, our mountain coaster and much more.
  • Camel Safari, offering desert treks on one- and two-humped camels, opened its Las Vegas location in late 2016. Enjoy rides through the Camel Safari’s 176-acre ranch stretching along the Virgin Mountain range and the Virgin River. Visitors will also be able to pet and photograph the animals, and learn more about camels throughout history.

For more Nevada travel experiences, visit TravelNevada.com, and for images of these and other Nevada destinations, visit Flickr.com/Travel Nevada. Click on the “Albums” link and photos will sort by Nevada town or attraction.   -end- The Nevada Division of Tourism (Travel Nevada) is part of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. It promotes and markets Nevada as a tourism destination for domestic and international leisure and business travelers through its marketing and advertising programs and by coordinating partnerships between public and private entities. Travel Nevada also administers grant programs for local entities to market travel and tourism offerings and publishes Nevada Magazine.

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