Road Trip Stops in Nevada
Radio Museum
When one thinks of Nevada, they usually think of Las Vegas in the south, or Reno/Lake Tahoe in the north; a few smart ones might actually think of the capital, Carson City, also in the north. Then, there’s a whole lot of desert. Road trip in Nevada, might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but there are some interesting places you can stop along the way.
Virginia City, is a tourist destination for the history buff. It’s known for mining, Mark Twain and even some haunted saloons. Many visitors will stop by to pan for gold, or learn more about their favorite author, but not many know that it’s a stop for radio history too. When the prospecting gets old, the radio museum is a great stop for a different kind of history.
The span of this museum dates from 1910 to 1952, when radio began and when radio was all there was. Nowadays, most of us only listen to the radio while we drive, but before TV, it was the only entertainment that there was… For a while, it was even banned in the US.
When radio started, anyone could broadcast at any frequency, and start their own station to say or play whatever they wanted. There was no oversight, it was more like a free for all. As more and more stations kept cropping up, the government stepped in, and most radio stations were banned. Of course there were those that would go over the border or out to see to broadcast where Uncle Sam had no control, but those in the US were shut down.
In the museum, you see and learn about all of this and much more, like how in the 1930’s, during the great depression, radio really came into it’s own. Companies had figured out how to make radios from cheep materials so that they would be affordable to the masses. This is also the time when the most famous radio shows and the most famous radio personalities became stars. Believe it or not, there was even a ventriloquist who was quite popular.
You can also learn how ham radio operators were one of the first social networkers. Long before the internet, people would search the airwaves for other like minded people to talk to. Pictures were mailed back and forth, and folks even had a handle (much like the screen names of today.
As long as you’re going to Virginian City, and immersing yourself in times past. Take a gander at the Radio Museum. You won’t be disappointed.