Exhibit on Sparks’ transportation history opens today (June 9) at Reno-Tahoe International Airport

SPARKS, Nev. — “Runways to Rockets,” an exhibit depicting the history and heritage of Sparks, opens today (June 9) at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Visitors traveling through the airport will be able to learn about the role of transportation, including the railroad and the interstate, in the development of Sparks and the Truckee Meadows. The exhibit is a project of the Sparks Museum and Cultural Center, the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority and Granite Construction. “The Reno-Tahoe airport has been a wonderful supporter of promoting . . . Nevada history and heritage,” Barbara Young, Sparks Museum board member and chairwoman of the Display Committee, said. The exhibit features a rocket and an early 1900s doctor’s buggy. Information also is provided on the Cab Forward Locomotive, developed in Sparks, as well as the role that Sparks played in getting the first man to the moon. The exhibit  is part of a year-long project celebrating 150 years of Nevada history and heritage, which culminates in a Nevada 150 Western Heritage Festival in October. The Sparks Museum & Cultural Center is at 820 Victorian Ave. in Sparks. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The museum is volunteer-operated and funded primarily by donations and memberships. Details: Barbara Young, 775-355-1144 or info@sparksmuseum.