Historical Tour, Sparks, Nevada

 The Nevada Humanities and Union Pacific created the Sparks, NV Historic Tour App using the App Builder Website in order to retell and digitize over twenty years of work and research by the volunteers of the Sparks Heritage Museum.  With several tours in the app not only of the Sparks Hertiage Museum and the city of Sparks, NV, visitors and residents alike and relive the rich history of Sparks, NV.  

The Sparks, NV Historic Tour provides a GPS-based walking tour and new, interactive way for visitors and locals to experience the city’s original business district through the tour labeled “Stories of Nevada’s Past.” At designated stops throughout the route—such as the Southern Pacific Roundhouse, Machine Shops and Union Pacific Yards & Depot—users listen to histories share information about each location’s past. They can also view vintage photos to compare the past and present in real-time.   Six nationally registered historic buildings are featured on the tour.

The app also fills a need for Sparks Heritage Museum to provide visitors with a self-guided tour tool and is curated with information about the exhibits that showcase the rapid changes Sparks and its surrounding areas have experienced through the years. App users will learn about Sparks’ start as a ranching and mining community all the way to its significant role in the Space program.

“The app enables us to share our collection, to educate residents about the history of their immediate surroundings, and to preserve local Nevada history in a digital format,” says Anthea Humphreys, the Museum’s Director.

We’re excited that the Nevada Humanities and Union Pacific saw the value in sponsoring an app for the city of Sparks and the Sparks Heritage Museum so the historians and museum volunteers could compile their knowledge and artifacts with our tour app builder and create an interactive experience for visitors.