Sparks, Nevada: Last Chance Joe

36 feet tall, a smiling, one-toothed, white-bearded prospector with a floppy hat and a pistol on each hip. Abandoned by his casino owners in 2014, Joe was rescued by the city and moved to a place of honor in front of the Sparks Museum.

Sparks Heritage Museum

Address:: 814 Victorian Ave., Sparks, NV
Directions:: Sparks Heritage Museum. I-80 exit 18. Turn north onto Pyramid Way. Drive one block. Turn left onto Victorian Ave. You'll see Last Chance Joe on the right, in front of the museum.
Admission:: Free
RA Rates:: Worth a Detour

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Last Chance Joe.

Last Chance Joe

Last Chance Joe is still here, smiling as broad as ever. There's a small fence around him to discourage climbing. His story is on a plaque inside a glass display case behind him.

[Rustin LaFurney, 07/24/2021]

Fresh paint makes Joe look young again, even though he's pushing 70.

Last Chance Joe

The statue is no longer in front of the Nugget. The new owners have evicted it. It is now one block east at the Sparks Chamber of Commerce.

[J Peacock, 12/23/2014]

Last Chance Joe.

Nugget Sam is... Last Chance Joe!

His name is not Nugget Sam. It's Last Chance Joe [according to a plaque next to the statue].

[Dennis Myers, 03/21/2007]

Last Chance Joe, a smiling, one-toothed, white-bearded prospector with a floppy hat, was built in Los Angeles and shipped out to Sparks on May 12, 1958. According to his plaque, he required a special flatcar and had to be routed through Oregon because of tunnel clearance. He stands 36 feet tall.