Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
VIRGINIA CITY
Virginia City, about 23 miles south of Reno, was the site of the legendary Comstock Lode,
a massive silver bonanza that began in 1859 and stands as one of the world's richest
strikes. Some of the silver barons went on to become major players in California history,
among them Leland Stanford of university fame and Bank of California founder William
Ralston. Much of San Francisco was built with the treasure dug up from the soil beneath
the town.
At its peak, Virginia City had over 30,000 residents and, as befits a mining town, was a
wild and raucous place. A young local newspaper writer captured the shenanigans in a
book called Roughing It,published under his pen name Mark Twain. A National Historic
Landmark since 1961, Virginia City draws big crowds in search of Old West icons and lore.
Though it sometimes has the feel of a frontier theme park, it's still a fun place to while
away a few hours.
On the main drag, C street, you'll find the
visitors center
( 800-718-7587, 775-847-7500;
www.visitvirginiacitynv.com
; 86 S C St; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun), vintage buildings
restored into wacky saloons, cheesy souvenir shops and small museums ranging from
hokey to intriguing. To see how the mining elite lived, stop by the
Mackay Mansion
(
775-847-0173; 129 South D St; adult/child $5/free; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun summer, hr vary winter)
and the
Castle
(B St). The visitors center sells discounted tickets to attractions and
nearby mine tours.
Drink like an old-time miner at one of the many Victorian-era watering holes that line C
S C St; 10am-7pm) serves up beer and booze at its antique wooden bar with expansive
views out the huge back window and features live Western bands on Saturday and
South C St; mains $7-12; hr vary) is full of town memorabilia and has tasty breakfasts
(summer only) and lunches.
In summer, train buffs can ride the historic route of the
Virginia & Truckee Railroad
(
775-847-0380;
www.virginiatruckee.com
;
late-May-Oct) to nearby Gold Hill ($10 to $12, 35
minutes, seven daily) or round-trip from Carson City ($32 to $48, three hours, one depar-
ture on Friday, Saturday and Sunday).
The drive to Virginia City from Reno offers great views of the mountain. Take Hwy 395
south for about 10 miles, then Hwy 341 east for 13 miles.
