Republic of Molossia

Border sign

President Kevin Baugh

Republic of Molossia (Esperanto: Respubliko de Molossia), also known as Molossia, is a micronation in Dayton, Western Nevada, with land (referred to as Farfalla colony) near Alturas, California.

The nearest sizable city is Reno, 27 mi (43 km) away.

Understand

This is a one-person self-proclaimed micro-nation not recognized by the United Nations or the United States of America.

The languages spoken in Molossia are US English and Esperanto.

Get in

Entry requirements

You are required to make a reservation in advance. The president sets specific dates for entry into the micronation; slots are available approximately once per month during tourist season (April–October). If you'd like to come on one of the upcoming dates, send an email to mininfo@molossia.org with the number of people in your party. Those wishing to visit can only stay a maximum of three hours, and one hour is plenty of time to see the sites.

At the front gate, there is a mini embassy called the 1 Custom House in the micronation's Red Square. Passports can be stamped, but this is not mandatory for entry.

Taking these items into Molossia is prohibited, as per their entry page on their website:

• Firearms, ammunition, and explosives
• Drugs and tobacco
• Incandescent lightbulbs
• Plastic shopping bags
• Catfish
• "Fresh" Spinach
• Missionaries and salesmen
• Onions
• Walruses

Bringing in prohibited items may result in a brief detention in the whimsical "Molossia Jail & Political Prison".

By car

From Reno: Take I-580 south, then NV-341 to Virginia City, then NV-79 (Six Mile Canyon Road) to Dayton.

By plane

2 Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO ^IATA) is the nearest major airport, around 30 mi (48 km) away. Rental cars are available to get you the rest of the way to the republic.

By train

Molossia has its own railroad system, established in 2000, but unfortunately it is completely separate from the U.S. rail system and in fact is incompatible because it uses a much smaller gauge. The gauge used in Molossia is more typical of model trains rather than passenger trains in other countries, so there is not much hope of connecting the country's trains with its neighbor's.

The nearest passenger station is in Reno, served by the California Zephyr.

Get around

Molossia is the size of a rural American residence and can be walked around easily on foot.

See

• 1 Government House. Residence of the president and his family. (updated Oct 2017)
• 2 Republic Square. (updated Oct 2017)
• 3 Red Square. Main center of business and commerce for the nation. (updated Oct 2017)
  • Office of the President. Official workplace of the President of Molossia. (updated Oct 2022)
  • The Water Tower. (updated Oct 2017)
  • Time Capsule Marker. (updated Oct 2017)
  • Peace Pole. Pole with "May Peace Prevail On Earth" written vertically in eight languages (English, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Russian, Cherokee, and of course Esperanto). (updated Oct 2017)
  • NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Bank of Molossia. The Bank of Molossia sells Valora banknotes and coins, and serves as a repository of cookie dough, which serves to back Molossia's currency. (updated Aug 2022)
• 4 The Tower of the Winds. Metal monument built to the winds. (updated Oct 2017)
• 5 Molossia Cemetery. Final resting place of the micronation's former dog residents. (updated Oct 2017)
• NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Friendship Gateway. Molossia's Friendship Gateway is dedicated to openness, inclusiveness and amity between peoples. (updated Aug 2022)

Do

• 1 Back Forty National Park. Molossia's second national park, established in 2003 and preserving the nation's natural desert landscape. Reachable by hiking the Trans-Molossia Interpretive Trail. (updated Oct 2017)

Buy

1 Valora (VL) coin

Exchange rates for Molossian Valora As of September 2018: US$1 ≈ VL1.25 (fixed rate) €1 ≈ VL1.52 UK£1 ≈ VL1.68 Exchange rates fluctuate. Current rates for these and other currencies are available from http://www.molossia.org/bank.html

The currency is called Valora (abbreviated to VL), which is Esperanto for worthy. The Valora has an unusual commodity-based peg, with a 30 oz (850 g) tube of Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough always worth 5 Valora. The currency's subunits are referred to as Futtrus, of which a 100 of these make a single Valora. Coins come in denominations of 1-, 5 and 10 Valora. Banknotes come in denominations of 1-, 5-, 10 and 20 Valora.

As with Sealand (another micronation), Molossia sells merchandise including signed photographs, postcards, t-shirts, postage stamps and Valora currency.

• Molossia Trading Company, Red Square. (updated Oct 2017)

Eat and drink

• Tiki Hut Bar & Grill, Red Square. Open: "When We're Here", closed: "When We're Not". A small burger joint with a Polynesian theme. Serves burgers at 3 to 5 VL (~$2.40 to $4.00) with chips/fries (subject to availability), the micronation's signature cocktail The Molossolini for 2 VL (~$1.60), and lava cake for 2 VL (~$1.60). (updated Oct 2017)

Sleep

There is no public accommodation on the land of Molossia.

Dayton only has a RV park, but the nearby Virginia City has several hotels.

• 1 Dayton RV Park, 75 Pike Street East, ☏ +1 775 246 9300. From $40 a day and $252 a week (plus tax). (updated Oct 2017)

Alternatively Reno is the closest major city and has plenty of places to stay.

Stay safe

This area is regarded under US law as private land; do not enter without the owner's permission, or you might get shot. The owner also claims to still be at war with East Germany, despite the fact that it no longer exists.

Go next

• Virginia City is the nearest town of note.
• Reno
• The Republic of Slowjamastan, a micronation in Imperial County, California