The Reno Arch is the most prominent feature of downtown Reno, Nevada. Welcoming guests and residents to the city, the Reno Arch highlights what it can mean to create an icon out of something that would otherwise be mundane or non-existent.
Creating an Icon and Motto of Reno
Originally installed as part of an expo in 1926 to commemorate the completion of the Lincoln and Victory Highways, the Reno city council decided to keep the arch as a permanent downtown gateway. Lettering that promoted the expo needed to be replaced, prompting the creation of the city’s now famous slogan, “The Biggest Little City in the World.”
The current version of the arch is the 3rd, which for most of its history has featured the city’s motto. After being adjusted and taken down in 1987, the original 1926 sign was reassembled as a prop in the 1994 baseball biopic “Cobb” starring Tommy Lee Jones. The popularity of the reinstalled landmark saw it once again become part of the city. In 2017 the City Council voted to change its colors to silver and blue, which define the current Reno Arch.
Many shows and activities, such as Hot August Nights, are held under the landmark. Additionally, stores and shops in the area use imagery of the Reno Arch as a means of identity to attract audiences and sell products, spurring a great deal of economic opportunities. It is also featured on countless maps and guides to the city and region.
In becoming a permanent fixture of the culture and economy of the community, the Reno Arch highlights what it can mean to enable engagement with residents and visitors with little more than a distinctive “welcome” sign in a way that resonates across the eras.
An Icon for Reno
Mentioned as an iconic landmark of the region and beyond, the current version of the Reno Arch won’t be the last, as new materials and designs are an inherent part of the legacy that it has come to represent. This continual evolution further reinforces the iconic nature of the arch for the city and community in the present and future.
