Bouncing To Beatty, Nevada

The town with a few different names, Beatty (pronounced Bae-uh-tea), is the gateway to Death Valley and off-worldly visitors. The town has always driven visitors and tourists alike to see what mysteries entail at the small rest stop/town located in the direction of Death Valley.

A day trip is always a self-treat for anyone, and this place was calling my name. With 3 days off and Spring Break soothing our shoulders for the semester, a nice getaway was needed to breathe a new breath of fresh air in Beatty.

Visitors From Outer Space

We hit the 93 North, leaving Las Vegas toward Hiko, Nevada.

The first stop on this road trip was the Area 51 Research Station, located outside of Amargosa River, which had some very green visitors. They did not seem like they were from this world, but they were welcoming anyway!

The Area 51 Research Station is heavily themed to the alleged alien encounters in the area, and the store even has a flying saucer landing on the front! From tequila shaped like an alien’s head to an alien fortune teller, this store offers a wide range of conveniences for the trip going North or South.

Every green visitor inside also had a name. A. Leon was the one greeting us that day and pointed us in the right direction for any energy drinks and chips. After some photos, it was time to get back on the road with only 25 minutes left to reach our main destination, Beatty.

This Research Center even comes equipped with a diner in the bag where they give “out of this world subs!”

Enter the Gateway To Death Valley

After our ET pit stop, the hour-and-a-half journey was headed to Beatty, Nevada.

This small town, dubbed the “Gateway To Death Valley,” has a surprisingly declining population of 492. It has been known mainly for being a pit stop for truck drivers, trailer motorists, and rest-stoppers.

The perfect spot to stretch your legs a bit in Beatty is the Death Valley Nut & Candy Company. Doubling as a gas station, this candy store is the largest in Nevada and boasts a variety of candy and nuts.

From glazed honeycomb to gummy sharks and soft and hard candies, people with a sweet tooth will adore every dose of sugar.

For the more conventional type, except to see savory nuts, from Brazil nuts, pistachios, coated nuts, and more! Snacks definitely had to be taken as the delicious gummy sharks and chocolate-coated honeycombs came home from the trip!

Explore The Forgotten City Rhyolite

On our trip to Beatty, we stopped by the once-booming town of Rhyolite. This place was once a lively town that housed over 2,200 locals, but now it remains a preserved memory of the past.

In 1908, a huge market crash happened in the US setting back many land owners and businesses alike into poverty. While the locals have left, the story of the town and the buildings remain.

The rubble of these once inhabited buildings and the dirt that remains from the memories created in this town puts anyone in awe to imagine such a place was booming once. To walk around this history is breathtaking to allow yourself to be lost back over 100 years ago!

Every building still standing has a story behind, including the 3 story school that at one point had over 200 students and only 1 teacher, or the Union Workers hall that only has its basement as a remnant of what it used to be.

Although this history is a bit sad, it is incredible to see these pieces still standing and to think what could’ve been if Rhyolite had never failed.

A quick walk around these ruins gives us a taste of the sweet life everyone created for themselves.

A Strange Museum For A Strange People

About a half mile from Rhyolite, we come upon the Goldwell Open Air Museum. This open-air museum’s mission is “to preserve, present, and encourage artistic exploration in and of the Amargosa Desert.”

This museum showcases the world-famous The Last Supper sculpture made by Albert Szukalski.

This sculpture was conceived in 1984, and depicts the Last Supper, all with white blankets on each figure in the painting. It is an incredible piece and impressive to look at, but the eeriness of being in the middle of the desert with these sculptures adds to the uneasiness Szukalski would’ve wanted to make you feel.

Other famous sculptures include Lady Desert: The Venus of Nevada created in 1992 by Dr. Hugo Heyrman, as well as newer exhibits such as one placed in 2024 by Irina and Stanislav Schminke titled “Diptown”, creating a set of buildings melted into the ground itself.

This museum is a great pit stop for anyone on their way to Tonopah.

There is also a “Keep Going” sign made by the Nevada Arts Council in 2023. This astounding piece has an upside-down “P” and “G” at the very ends of the words. It is meant to be seen at sunset, when the shadows will reflect perfectly and allow you to see the phrase correctly, a warning of sorts in the vast open desert.

Goldwell even has a sculpture created by UNLV Alumni Cierra Pedro titled “1,000 in 1” which takes inspiration from tapestries from Asia and made by recycled sheet metal.

This is a very personal and masterfully crafted piece which needs to be seen and appreciated! Overall, a strange visit to an otherwise interesting set of sculptures and beautiful pieces of art.

Heading Back To Sin City

Although Beatty may be in the middle of nowhere, and the future is uncertain because of the declining population, it is truly a gem to visit. There are many more road trip adventures in Beatty to discover and many donkeys to look out for as well!

However, for a town with a small population, it packs a lot of personality, and I am looking forward to visiting and discovering and exploring more of this area once again!