Wilbur D. May Center, Botanical garden in Reno, Nevada, US
The Wilbur D. May Center is a botanical garden in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno, Nevada, planted with species that grow well in high desert conditions. The property also includes a museum building that holds a large collection of objects gathered from countries around the world.
Wilbur D. May was a Reno rancher and pilot who traveled to more than 40 countries in the first half of the 20th century, bringing back objects from each destination. After his death, the center was established to display his collection and develop the garden grounds around it.
The museum displays objects from around the world, including Tang dynasty pottery, African masks, Inuit carvings, and Egyptian scarabs that Wilbur D. May brought back from his travels. Visitors can explore these collections and learn about the places and cultures that May encountered.
The garden grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset at no charge, while the museum building requires a ticket to enter. The whole property is best explored on foot, so comfortable shoes are a good idea before arriving.
Evans Creek runs through the property, fed by snowmelt from Peavine Mountain, and connects the gardens directly to the Truckee River and Pyramid Lake. This means the water flowing past the plants here is part of a living chain that stretches across a large portion of northern Nevada.
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