Liberty Belle Saloon plaque dedication
Historical Plaque to Commemorate the Liberty Belle Saloon
Community dedication will honor a beloved Northern Nevada landmark and its connection to gaming history, featuring live music by the Great Basin Brass Band.
A historical plaque commemorating the Liberty Belle Saloon & Restaurant will be dedicated on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., honoring a beloved Reno landmark that operated from 1958 to 2006 and left a lasting mark on the city’s social, dining, and gambling culture.
The dedication ceremony will take place in front of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center at 4454 South Virginia Street in Reno, Nevada. Community members, preservation advocates, historians, and members of the public are invited to attend. The program will include the unveiling of the historical plaque, recognition of the Liberty Belle’s legacy, and live musical entertainment by the Great Basin Brass Band. Light refreshments will be served as attendees gather to celebrate the history and memories of this iconic Northern Nevada establishment.
In 1958, brothers Marshall and Frank Fey opened the Liberty Belle on the site of the former Li’l Red Barn, then located on the outskirts of Reno. The business was named in tribute to a slot-machine design of their grandfather, Charles Fey, the inventor of the slot machine.
“This plaque gives residents and visitors a lasting way to remember the Liberty Belle Saloon and the people, stories, and artifacts that made it part of Northern Nevada’s cultural landscape,” said Ken Moser, member of the Julia C. Bulette Chapter #1864 of E Clampus Vitus. “It is a tribute not only to a former gathering place, but also to the preservation of local history.”
“Preserving places like the Liberty Belle helps tell a fuller story of Nevada,” said Matthew Ebert, also a member of E Clampus Vitus. “These landmarks remind us how local businesses, family histories, and public memory shape the identity of our communities.”
Over nearly fifty years, the Liberty Belle became a fixture of Reno’s social and gambling culture. It housed one of the most significant private collections of antique slot machines, many crafted by the Fey family. More than a restaurant and saloon, it was a gathering place where locals met for meals, meetings, and melodramatic performances. Its rooftop surreys and buckboards, historic slot machines on display, and Old West motif gave the Liberty Belle both charm and character.
As the surrounding area grew and evolved, the Liberty Belle’s doors closed in 2006, marking the end of an era but not of its legacy. Its memory endures in the city’s cultural history and in the hearts of those who shared a meal, a story, or a song beneath its roof.
The Julia C. Bulette Chapter #1864 of E Clampus Vitus invites the community to join in commemorating this colorful chapter of Reno history and celebrating the people and traditions that made the Liberty Belle a treasured Northern Nevada institution.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: In front of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center
4454 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada
Entertainment: Live music by the Great Basin Brass Band
Refreshments: Light refreshments will be served
Media Contact: Matthew Ebert
Chairman of the Most Important Committee
Julia C. Bulette Chapter #1864 E Clampus Vitus of Nevada
775-240-4961 ngh@juliacbulette.com