Events

In partnership with the Brewery Arts Center and Visit Carson City, the Nevada State Library will host the following events for the 3rd Annual Mark Twain Days celebration:

• Thursday, 10/16/25 @ 4:00 pm. The Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records holds one of the most significant Twain collections in the western United States, as noted by several Twain scholars. The new Mark Twain Reading Room was created to showcase this collection alongside works by other Sagebrush School authors, including Dan DeQuille and Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins. The library will also feature access to Twain digital collections on the library's website, as well as microfilm of the Territorial Enterprise -- the leading Virginia City newspaper where Twain served as a correspondent for three years. Carson City dignitaries will be invited to attend.
• Friday, 10/17/25, 2-4 pm. The Nevada State Library will host two authors for literary workshops: Dani Putney will present an exploration of poetry and its creative process, while Brad McMullen, Nevada's state folklorist, will discuss the state's rich traditions and cultural heritage. Each session will last approximately 45 minutes.
• Friday, 10/17/25, all day. The Nevada State Archives will offer a self-guided open house featuring items and exhibits from Twain's era. While the Archives does not hold Twain's papers, its collection highlights the early territorial governance of Nevada that helped shape Twain's experience.
• Friday, 10/17/25, all day. The State Library will offer fun, interactive Twain-themed activities, including a Twain-related library scavenger hunt, coloring sheets, and the chance to take home a printed souvenir page of the Territorial Enterprise from the library's microfilm collection.
• For more events, see the Brewery Arts Center's Mark Twain Days activity schedule.

The Mark Twain Reading Room at the Nevada State Library, Archives, and Public Records (NSLAPR) is a vibrant tribute to Nevada's literary heritage and one of the most iconic temporary residents--Mark Twain. It honors the state's influential role in shaping American literature and Twain's own development as a writer during his time in the Silver State.

This dedicated space invites scholars, students, and visitors to explore Twain's work alongside the rich history of 19th-century Nevada. It also highlights the broader contributions of Twain's literary peers and the Sagebrush School, a group of writers known for their wit, storytelling, and deep ties to the American West.

NSLAPR is proud to house one of the most significant Twain collections in the western United States--recognized by leading Twain scholars. The collection includes: 

• Hundreds of books, photographs, and digital resources
• Access to Nevada's historic newspapers, including 700 titles on microfilm and approximately 100 available digitally

More than just a symbolic space, the Mark Twain Reading Room connects Nevada's past with its present. It celebrates literary achievement , preserves cultural history, and aims to inspire future generations to explore, question, and discover their own voice--just as Mark Twain once did.

The Mark Twain Reading Room is funded in part by a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

The 3rd Annual Mark Twain Days Celebration

Presented by the Brewery Arts Center and Visit Carson City, this event honors one of America's most influential writers and his enduring connection to Nevada. Join us as we celebrate Mark Twain's remarkable legacy, his words, and contributions to the cultural history of the American West and to American literature as a whole.