BUTTE, HELENA, AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA - Montana and Wyoming - page 346

Walk the old boardwalks in Nevada City.
In 1961, Virginia City was designated a National Historic Landmark and protected as
an important historic site. Since then, many of the buildings have been restored to func-
tion as shops, restaurants, and a hotel. The display of artifacts in both Virginia and Nevada
City constitutes the largest collection of Old West memorabilia outside the Smithsonian.
The population of 190 people works hard to re-create the atmosphere of Virginia City at its
peak, and throughout the summer there is nightly cabaret entertainment at Brewery Fol-
lies at Gilbert Brewery and nightly 19th-century melodrama courtesy of the Virginia City
Players at the Opera House. There are train rides on a 1910 locomotive between the cit-
ies, and an abundance of living-history exhibits scattered around the sites. There are also
plenty of services—accommodations and restaurants—for visitors who plan to stay.
For more than six decades, the Illustrious Virginia City Players (338 W. Wallace St.,
Virginia City, 406/843-5312 or 800/829-2969, www.virginiacityplayers.com , 2pm Wed.-
Thurs. and Sat.-Sun., 7pm Tues.-Wed. and Fri.-Sat., $16 adults, $15 college students, seni-
ors, and military, $10 children 17 and under) have been entertaining the crowds at the Vir-
ginia City Opera House with turn-of-the-20th-century-style melodrama and variety acts.