The Mapes Hotel: The Rise and Fall of Reno's Art Deco Landmark

The Mapes Hotel was, for a generation, the tallest address in Nevada and the place to be seen in Reno. When it opened on December 17, 1947, at 10 North Virginia Street beside the Truckee River, the 12-story Art Deco tower was billed as a symbol of Reno's postwar confidence: a hotel, a casino, and a showroom under one roof, with a nightclub crowning the top floor.

It also became one of the most debated demolitions in Nevada history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 1998, the Mapes closed in 1982, sat empty for nearly two decades, and was imploded on January 30, 2000. This is the story of its rise, its stars, and its fall, and of what collectors can still find from that era.

A Postwar Landmark Rises

The story begins before the war. According to a Nevada Appeal retrospective, Charles Mapes Sr. bought the riverside property in 1937 but died before construction began. His son, Charles Mapes Jr., with his mother Gladys and sister Gloria, carried the project through. Reno Historical records that Mapes Jr. directed construction beginning in January 1946, working from designs by Oakland architect F. H. Slocombe, and that the hotel opened on December 17, 1947.

The Mapes was built to be noticed. The Nevada Appeal reports that Mapes Jr. deliberately made it 12 stories so that it would be the tallest building in Nevada, and Wikipedia notes it held that distinction until the Fremont Hotel opened in Las Vegas in 1956. In the years after, it was widely promoted as the first skyscraper built in the western United States since the start of the Second World War. Sources phrase that claim differently (some say “first postwar skyscraper west of the Mississippi”), so it is best read as period billing rather than a settled record.

Its setting mattered as much as its height. The tower stood at the Virginia Street Bridge, at the center of downtown, where travelers arriving on the old highways first met the city. For more on the streets that carried those travelers to Reno's door, see our story of how Fourth Street became Nevada's main street.

The Sky Room and Its Stars

The crown jewel was the Sky Room on the top floor. Reno Historical describes floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Truckee River, Virginia Street, and the Sierra Nevada beyond, with dining, dancing, floor shows, and gambling. It was also a civic room: the Nevada Appeal recalls that local high schools held their proms there.

Through the 1950s and 1960s the Mapes was the premier hotel in Reno, and its showroom drew national names. Sources variously list Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Jimmy Durante, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., Mickey Rooney, Mae West, and Lili St. Cyr among the performers and guests. When The Misfits was filmed in Reno in 1961, its cast, including Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, stayed at the Mapes; Reno Historical notes that Monroe had a sixth-floor suite. The building later appeared again on film, including in Desert Hearts, according to the Society of Architectural Historians.

This was the era when Reno's downtown glittered across the river as well. Just across the water stood another landmark of the period, the Riverside Hotel, whose own story you can read in The Riverside Hotel, Reno: From Divorce-Era Glamour to Artist Lofts.

Design and Innovation

Architecturally, the Mapes was a 12-story brick-and-concrete tower in the Art Deco style, a modern, vertical landmark for its postwar moment. The Society of Architectural Historians notes that it was designed in the late 1930s, and counts it among only three large Art Deco buildings still standing in Reno when it was demolished.

Its larger claim to innovation was functional. A 2001 Las Vegas Sun report described the Mapes as the first building in the nation constructed to house a casino, a hotel, and live entertainment under one roof, and the Society of Architectural Historians calls it the first high-rise hotel and casino in the country and a prototype for later resorts in Reno, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. Superlatives like these are hard to prove, since earlier casino resorts existed in low-rise form; the safest reading is that the Mapes was an early, influential example of putting the whole resort experience into a single tower.

Decline and Vacancy

The Mapes closed on December 17, 1982, exactly 35 years after it opened. Accounts point to several causes: the 1981 recession, competition from newer and larger casinos, and the financial collapse of Charles Mapes Jr.'s other ventures, including the Money Tree casino. The Society of Architectural Historians adds that the hotel had come to be considered too small to be profitable by modern casino standards.

Several revival plans followed, and none succeeded. The tower stood vacant for the better part of two decades while the question of what to do with it grew louder. In 1996 the Reno Redevelopment Agency took possession of the property, and the building's fate moved from the private market into City Hall.

The Fight to Save the Mapes

The Mapes was on the National Register of Historic Places (reference number 84002081), and in 1998 the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed it on its annual list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Preservationists argued for adaptive reuse of the tower, a case that drew national attention.

The other side of the argument was structural. Wikipedia quotes accounts that engineering reports concluded the Mapes was poorly constructed and could not realistically be restored, and the city moved toward demolition. Reno Historical records that the Reno City Council voted in September 1999 to take the building down. Councilwoman Toni Harsh, who had campaigned to save it, later proposed a tougher ordinance, telling the Las Vegas Sun: “Before you eliminate a potential resource, you must make sure you have something better to replace it.”

Implosion and Aftermath

On January 30, 2000, Super Bowl Sunday, the Mapes was imploded. A KRNV News 4 retrospective on the 25th anniversary describes the event as drawing hundreds, if not thousands, of onlookers, and it altered the downtown skyline overnight. The Las Vegas Sun reported that the Mapes was the first building on the National Trust's 11 Most Endangered list to be demolished, while the Society of Architectural Historians describes it as the only one, so the “first” label, like many in this story, depends on who is telling it.

The site afterward became public space. A temporary ice rink operated beginning in winter 2001 and through 2004, followed by a temporary park and then a permanent outdoor skating rink, and the location is today known as Reno City Plaza. Grand redevelopment plans have come and gone, which is exactly the outcome Councilwoman Harsh's proposed ordinance was meant to guard against.

What Remains

The tower is gone, but the objects that moved through it are not. Mid-century Reno turns up in postcards, matchbooks, menus, ashtrays, swizzle sticks, ice buckets, casino chips, and showroom ephemera, along with the Art Deco and Streamline furnishings that defined the look of the period: chrome-trimmed bar carts, mirrored vanities, stepped-profile lamps, and burl-veneer case pieces. Hotel and casino memorabilia is a field where provenance matters, because reproductions and souvenirs of later date are common. Look for period printing, honest wear, and a documented source before paying a premium for a famous name.

Collectors who want to see this material in person can often find it at local shows, and we have written about what to expect at the Reno Antique Faire. For a deeper look at the building itself, the sources listed below are the best place to begin.

At a Glance: The Mapes Hotel

• Opened December 17, 1947, at 10 North Virginia Street in downtown Reno, beside the Truckee River.
• A 12-story Art Deco tower designed by Oakland architect F. H. Slocombe and built by the Mapes family under Charles Mapes Jr.
• Reputed to be the tallest building in Nevada until the Fremont Hotel opened in Las Vegas in 1956.
• An early high-rise combining hotel, casino, and showroom, crowned by the rooftop Sky Room nightclub.
• Closed December 17, 1982; named to the National Trust's 11 Most Endangered list in 1998.
• Imploded January 30, 2000; the site is now Reno City Plaza, with seasonal ice skating.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Mapes Hotel open and close?

The Mapes Hotel opened on December 17, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1982, after 35 years of operation. The closure followed financial difficulties for Charles Mapes Jr. and competition from newer casinos.

Was the Mapes the tallest building in Nevada?

It was reputed to be, and sources say it held that distinction until the Fremont Hotel opened in Las Vegas in 1956. Charles Mapes Jr. is reported to have chosen 12 stories specifically to be the tallest.

When was the Mapes Hotel demolished?

The Mapes was imploded on January 30, 2000, Super Bowl Sunday, after the Reno City Council voted in September 1999 to demolish it. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and had been named to the National Trust's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 1998.

What is on the site of the Mapes Hotel today?

The site is a public plaza, today known as Reno City Plaza, which has hosted a seasonal ice-skating rink since the early 2000s along with other public events.

Conclusion

The Mapes Hotel rose on postwar optimism and fell after a long, public argument about what a city owes its landmarks. Its Sky Room, its stars, and its bold bet on a single resort tower shaped how Reno saw itself, and its loss still shapes how Reno talks about preservation.

To bring a piece of that history home, explore our curated collection at The Eclection, chosen not for their shine, but for the craftsmanship and history they carry.

Resources & Further Reading

For deeper study of the Mapes Hotel and Reno's history, these non-commercial sources are reliable starting points:

• Online Nevada Encyclopedia — articles on Nevada history, including the Mapes Hotel and Casino.
• Reno Historical — a map-based archive of Reno's history, including the Mapes Hotel site.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation — the organization behind the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.