The Long Way
Pershing County
An outdoor art installation features a concrete statue of a human figure standing near ruins in a desert landscape.
Plate I. Concrete sculpture, Thunder Mountain Monument. From hyperallergic.com
A rustic wooden fence borders a dry field with mountains in the background under a bright sky.
Plate II. Grounds and fence at Thunder Mountain Monument. From hyperallergic.com
An elaborate folk art structure and statues against a blue sky with clouds.
Plate III. Concrete structures, Thunder Mountain Monument. Photograph by leiris202, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A statue stands outdoors in an arid landscape with trees and a wooden fence.
Plate IV. Concrete sculpture, Thunder Mountain Monument. From hyperallergic.com
An eclectic exterior structure built with stones, cement, and whimsical sculptures.
Plate V. Sculptures and main house, Thunder Mountain Monument. From hyperallergic.com
A unique stone building decorated with white sculptural figures under a clear blue sky.
Plate VI. Folk art structure, Thunder Mountain Monument. From travelnevada.com
A stone and concrete folk art structure outdoors under a bright sunny sky.
Plate VII. Sculpted structure, Thunder Mountain Monument. From hyperallergic.com
Exterior view of a ruined building constructed with stones and railroad ties under a clear blue sky.
Plate VIII. Hostel remains, Thunder Mountain Monument. From hyperallergic.com

Thunder Mountain Monument

Imlay, Pershing County, Nevada. Unconventional sculpture garden.

Details

Map. Imlay, Pershing County, Nevada. Larger map
Where
800-804 E Star Peak Rd, Imlay, NV 89418. Directions
When
Open 24/7 from sunrise to sunset; stop during daylight hours; no lighting installed on the grounds.
Getting there
From Lovelock, travel east on I-80 and take exit 145 at Imlay and follow signs toward Thunder Mountain.
Fees
Free; suggested donation $2.00 per group.
Access
Main residence closed to entry; visitors respectfully peruse the grounds and all the art; daylight visits only, no lighting on the grounds.
Walk-in or reserve
Open to the public for self-guided tours, by donation and at one's own risk; no reservation needed.
Phone
(775) 623-5071
Established
begun 1968.
Coordinates
40.66004, -118.1335032.

Open-air folk-art gallery of fierce and unique concrete sculptures that reads as a creative garden with a sprinkle of theme park and backyard fort.

Notable Events

  1. 1983Rolling Mountain Thunder was recognized as Nevada's Artist of the Year. nevadahumanities.org
  2. 1983The three-story hostel house burned to the ground with arson suspected; later the roof of the underground house caved in. spacesarchives.org
  3. 1989After his wife left with the children, Van Zant lived the rest of his days at Thunder Mountain alone until he took his own life. travelnevada.com
  4. 1992Thunder Mountain was entered into the State of Nevada's Registry of Historic Sites. spacesarchives.org
  5. 2002Trying to preserve his father's legacy, Dan Van Zant began hauling away tons of trash his father had collected as building material. spacesarchives.org

People

  • Fred Lewis, caretaker of Thunder Mountain Monument.
  • Dan Van Zant, son of the builder who took legal custody and began preserving the grounds.
  • Frank Van Zant (Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder), self-taught artist who built Thunder Mountain Monument (1921-1989).

Sources

  1. travelnevada.com/arts-culture/thunder-mountain-monument
  2. hyperallergic.com/an-uncanny-mountain-monument-is-the-focus-of-an-outsider-artist-for-half-a-century
  3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Mountain_Monument
  4. nevadahumanities.org/blog/2024/5/6/rolling-mountain-thunder-aspired-to-a-radiant-heart
  5. spacesarchives.org/explore/search-the-online-collection/thunder-mountain-monument
  6. reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/northern-nevada-monument-pays-tribute-to-native-american-culture