Skip to Main Content

Sparks, Nevada: Last Chance Joe

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

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.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Last Chance Joe.

Last Chance Joe

35 feet tall, a smiling, one-toothed, white-bearded prospector wearing a floppy hat. Abandoned by his casino owners in 2014, Joe was rescued by the townspeople and moved to a place of honor in front of the Sparks Museum.

Roadsideamerica.com Report... [11/19/2023]

Visitor Tips and News About Last Chance Joe

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

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.


Nearby Offbeat Places

Spider Bug: VW Beetle Mega-InsectSpider Bug: VW Beetle Mega-Insect, Sparks, NV - < 1 mi.
Scheels - Sportsman AttractionScheels - Sportsman Attraction, Sparks, NV - 2 mi.
High Flying U-haulHigh Flying U-haul, Reno, NV - 2 mi.
In the region:
Railroad Tie Sign, Bottle Trees, Virginia City, NV - 17 mi.

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Save Cool Vacation Destinations! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Nevada Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings