Imlay Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

The?Thunder Mountain Monument?is a series ofoutsider art?sculptures and architectural forms which were assembled by Frank Van Zant starting in 1969 upon his arrival in?Imlay, Nevada; it is located on a shoulder of?I-80. A WWII veteran from Oklahoma, Frank Van Zant had served with the?7th Armoured Division,[1]?fighting in several campaigns, and been badly burned in a tank battle outside ofLeipzig, Germany.[2]?A self-identified?Creek Indian,[3]he took the?Native American?name Rolling Mountain Thunder after experiencing an?epiphany, and took on the twin but related tasks of both building shelters from the presumed coming apocalypse, and making a?de facto?spiritual haven for spiritual seekers of the?hippie?era. (There is no Thunder Mountain in the vicinity.)The site contains three stone and cement buildings and over 200 cement sculptures variously depicting Native Americans and their protective spirits, massacres, and purported injustices. Thunder Mountain Monument (or Park) is replete with found objects (such as, but not limited to, car hoods, dolls' heads, typewriters, and gas pumps), many of which are incorporated into the buildings themselves; one framework forms a large handle so the Great Spirit could take the building away after Thunder's death.He was long subjected to harassment by the local townspeople, and his site was partially destroyed by arson in 1983, the same year he was named Nevada's Artist of the Year; a heavy cigarette smoker, Rolling Mountain Thunder committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in 1989. His uniquely wrought environment was neglected and subject to vandalism until it was declared a Nevada State Historic Site in the 1990s; it is now under the care of his grown children under the aegis of a State of Nevada Historic Site Restoration Project, and is partially open to the public for self-guided tours.[4]Frank Van Zant has been the subject of two short documentaries.[5] Wikipedia
The?Thunder Mountain Monument?is a series ofoutsider art?sculptures and architectural forms which were assembled by Frank Van Zant starting in 1969 upon his arrival in?Imlay, Nevada; it is located on a shoulder of?I-80. A WWII veteran from Oklahoma, Frank Van Zant had served with the?7th Armoured Division,[1]?fighting in several campaigns, and been badly burned in a tank battle outside ofLeipzig, Germany.[2]?A self-identified?Creek Indian,[3]he took the?Native American?name Rolling Mountain Thunder after experiencing an?epiphany, and took on the twin but related tasks of both building shelters from the presumed coming apocalypse, and making a?de facto?spiritual haven for spiritual seekers of the?hippie?era. (There is no Thunder Mountain in the vicinity.)The site contains three stone and cement buildings and over 200 cement sculptures variously depicting Native Americans and their protective spirits, massacres, and purported injustices. Thunder Mountain Monument (or Park) is replete with found objects (such as, but not limited to, car hoods, dolls' heads, typewriters, and gas pumps), many of which are incorporated into the buildings themselves; one framework forms a large handle so the Great Spirit could take the building away after Thunder's death.He was long subjected to harassment by the local townspeople, and his site was partially destroyed by arson in 1983, the same year he was named Nevada's Artist of the Year; a heavy cigarette smoker, Rolling Mountain Thunder committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in 1989. His uniquely wrought environment was neglected and subject to vandalism until it was declared a Nevada State Historic Site in the 1990s; it is now under the care of his grown children under the aegis of a State of Nevada Historic Site Restoration Project, and is partially open to the public for self-guided tours.[4]Frank Van Zant has been the subject of two short documentaries.[5] Wikipedia
The?Thunder Mountain Monument?is a series ofoutsider art?sculptures and architectural forms which were assembled by Frank Van Zant starting in 1969 upon his arrival in?Imlay, Nevada; it is located on a shoulder of?I-80. A WWII veteran from Oklahoma, Frank Van Zant had served with the?7th Armoured Division,[1]?fighting in several campaigns, and been badly burned in a tank battle outside ofLeipzig, Germany.[2]?A self-identified?Creek Indian,[3]he took the?Native American?name Rolling Mountain Thunder after experiencing an?epiphany, and took on the twin but related tasks of both building shelters from the presumed coming apocalypse, and making a?de facto?spiritual haven for spiritual seekers of the?hippie?era. (There is no Thunder Mountain in the vicinity.)The site contains three stone and cement buildings and over 200 cement sculptures variously depicting Native Americans and their protective spirits, massacres, and purported injustices. Thunder Mountain Monument (or Park) is replete with found objects (such as, but not limited to, car hoods, dolls' heads, typewriters, and gas pumps), many of which are incorporated into the buildings themselves; one framework forms a large handle so the Great Spirit could take the building away after Thunder's death.He was long subjected to harassment by the local townspeople, and his site was partially destroyed by arson in 1983, the same year he was named Nevada's Artist of the Year; a heavy cigarette smoker, Rolling Mountain Thunder committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in 1989. His uniquely wrought environment was neglected and subject to vandalism until it was declared a Nevada State Historic Site in the 1990s; it is now under the care of his grown children under the aegis of a State of Nevada Historic Site Restoration Project, and is partially open to the public for self-guided tours.[4]Frank Van Zant has been the subject of two short documentaries.[5]
Located about 35 miles west of Winnemucca and visible from I80, the Thunder Mountain Monument was built by Frank Van Zant aka 'Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder' (1921-1989). He moved here in 1968 with his wife and three small children. He started building his unique environment using only discarded items he found within a 50 mile radius of the property. In fact, the only thing he purchased was cement. In 1983 he was named Nevada’s Artist of the Year. Sadly, he committed suicide in 1989. His oldest son now owns the property. The grounds are open to the public. More info Is available here: http://www.thundermountainmonument.com/index.htm
Located about 35 miles west of Winnemucca and visible from I80, the Thunder Mountain Monument was built by Frank Van Zant aka 'Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder' (1921-1989). He moved here in 1968 with his wife and three small children. He started building his unique environment using only discarded items he found within a 50 mile radius of the property. In fact, the only thing he purchased was cement. In 1983 he was named Nevada’s Artist of the Year. Sadly, he committed suicide in 1989. His oldest son now owns the property. The grounds are open to the public. More info Is available here: http://www.thundermountainmonument.com/index.htm
Luxor Hotel and Casino

Luxor Hotel and Casino

3.5 out of 5
3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV
The price is ₹1,283 per night from 25 Jan to 26 Jan
₹1,283
₹6,129 total
25 Jan - 26 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this spa resort in Las Vegas. Enjoy an outdoor pool, a full-service spa and 10 restaurants. Our guests praise the breakfast and the restaurant in their ...
7.6/10 Good! (35,802 reviews)
It was a nice stay

Reviewed on 17 Jan 2026

Luxor Hotel and Casino
Excalibur Hotel & Casino

Excalibur Hotel & Casino

3.5 out of 5
3850 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas NV
Fully refundable
The price is ₹1,040 per night from 18 Feb to 19 Feb
₹1,040
₹5,858 total
18 Feb - 19 Feb
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly resort in Las Vegas. Enjoy an outdoor pool, 16 restaurants and a casino. Our guests praise the restaurant and the helpful staff ...
8/10 Very Good! (40,122 reviews)
Clean convenient and good price

Reviewed on 18 Jan 2026

Excalibur Hotel & Casino
SAHARA Las Vegas

SAHARA Las Vegas

4 out of 5
2535 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas NV
The price is ₹1,008 per night from 28 Jan to 29 Jan
₹1,008
₹6,851 total
28 Jan - 29 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this spa hotel in Las Vegas. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool in their reviews. Popular ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (22,554 reviews)
Great hotel

Reviewed on 19 Jan 2026

SAHARA Las Vegas
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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Grandview at Las Vegas

Grandview at Las Vegas

3 out of 5
9940 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas NV
Stay at this 3-star family-friendly aparthotel in Las Vegas. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, 5 outdoor pools and 5 hot tubs. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (7,993 reviews)
The rooms and staff are amazing

Reviewed on 20 Jan 2026

Grandview at Las Vegas
Tahiti Village Resort & Spa

Tahiti Village Resort & Spa

3.5 out of 5
7200 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas NV
Stay at this spa aparthotel in Las Vegas. Enjoy free parking, a full-service spa and room service. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff in their ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (8,566 reviews)
They did good work in the remodeling but they need to check shower and heater to make sure they work properly

Reviewed on 22 Jan 2026

Tahiti Village Resort & Spa
Palms Place

Palms Place

4.5 out of 5
4381 W Flamingo Rd Las Vegas NV
Stay at this luxury aparthotel in Las Vegas. Enjoy an outdoor pool, a full-service spa and a 24-hour fitness centre. Our guests praise the restaurant and the ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (12,327 reviews)
The location was perfect for all our activities and parking was easy and free loved everything about the place

Reviewed on 20 Jan 2026

Palms Place
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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Thunder Mountain Indian Monument

You can find out about the history of Imlay with a trip to Thunder Mountain Indian Monument. Discover the area's desert landscape and sunsets.

Thunder Mountain Indian Monument