Virginia City is a small Old West town south of Reno on highway 341, in Storey County, Western Nevada.
Understand
[edit]Virginia City was a boomtown that sprung up around the 1859 discovery of massive silver deposits. At its peak, the city had a population of around 25,000 and was one of the most important cities in the American west. This was followed by a quick decline however, as silver deposits became exhausted starting in the 1880s. Today, Virginia city is a small town of about 1,000 residents that has managed to maintain much of its 19th-century "Old West" feel. It is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visitor information
[edit]- 1 Virginia City Visitors Center, 86 S C St, ☏ +1 775 847-7500, [email protected].
Get in
[edit]By road
[edit]From Reno: Take highway 395 south out of Reno and continue on to 341 south over the Geiger Grade.
By train
[edit]The V&T Railway offers same day round trip rides from Carson City to Virgnia City over the summer and near Christmas.
Get around
[edit]
Most everything is on C Street, which is the main street through town. It is easy to walk from one end to the other in less than an hour. Parking is available along C street and some side streets, but it may fill up if you don't arrive early enough. The pay parking lots charge $10 for the day.
See
[edit]- People dressed in vintage 70's clothes (that would be the 1870s). They hang out at some of the saloons.
- 1 Silver Terrace Cemetery, North E Street (at Carson Street). Old cemetery with interesting headstones. Worth a visit.
Museums
[edit]Virginia City has many different museums (a full list can be found here).
- 2 Comstock Firemen's Museum, 125 C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0717. 10:00am-4:00pm. Museum dedicated to the history of firefighting in the county. Free admission; donations encouraged.
- 3 Fourth Ward School Museum, 537 S. C St, ☏ +1-775-847-0975. Regular season (May 1st-Oct 31st) 10AM-5PM; Off-season: F-M 11AM-3PM, call to confirm if it's snowing. A historic school of the Comstock. This museum focus on the school and the Comstock history including Mark Twain, as well as modern mining techniques.
- 4 Territorial Enterprise Mark Twain Museum, 53 C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0525. Closed for renovation until fall 2026.
- 5 Marshall Mint Museum, 96 C St, ☏ +1 800-321-6374.
- 6 Washoe Club Museum & Saloon, 112 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-4467. 11:00am-5:00pm.
- 7 St. Mary's in the Mountains Catholic Church, 111 S E St (Museum is in the basement), ☏ +1 775 847-9099, [email protected].
- 8 Piper's Opera House, 12 N B St, ☏ +1 775-847-0433, [email protected].
Further afield
[edit]- 9 Dayton State Park, US-50, Dayton, ☏ +1 775 687-5678, [email protected]. Day use $5/vehicle, camping $15/night.
- 10 Historical Society of Dayton Valley, 135 Shady Ln, Dayton, ☏ +1 775-246-6316.
Do
[edit]
- Wander C Street
- Take a mine tour: there are several operators offering guided excursions into the mines beneath the city.
- Watch the Camel races.
Gambling
[edit]|
If you win...
Chances are that, if you win it big in Virginia City or Dayton and you are not a U.S. citizen your winnings will be subject to a 30% withholding tax from the Internal Revenue Service. That $10,000 slot winning can dwindle quite quickly if that is taken off the top. Not to worry though you can reclaim your gambling winnings tax through a 1042-S form. You should get this from the casino so don't lose it: it is your starting ticket to getting your gambling winnings back. |
There are some gambling opportunities at the saloons.
- 1 Mark Twain Saloon, 62 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0599. Open 24 hours.
Further afield
[edit]- 2 Gold Ranch Casino, 755 Old US Hwy 50, Dayton, ☏ +1 775-246-9696.
- Carson Plains Casino, 6996 Hwy 50 E, Dayton, ☏ +1 775-241-1000, [email protected].
Buy
[edit]- 1 Old Red Garter, 80 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-4488. 10:00am-6:00pm. Good western wear.
There are lots of gift shops on C Street. The quality ranges from good to garbage.
Eat
[edit]At the Saloons
- 1 Cafe Del Rio, 394 C St (Southern end of C St.), ☏ +1 775 847-5151. Th-Su 3-8PM. A southwest spin on Mexican fare in the Werrin Grocery Building, circa 1873. Reservations recommended.
- Virginia City Jerky Company, 204 S C St, ☏ +1 755-847-7444. BBQ ribs, hot dogs, and sandwiches. And of course beef jerky, smoked on site.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Bucket of Blood Saloon, 1 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0322.
- 2 Delta Saloon, 18 S C St, ☏ +1 775-439-8847, [email protected]. M Tu 10AM-10PM, W-Su 8AM-10PM. See the "Suicide Table"
- 3 Sundance Saloon, 160 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0636.
- 4 Firehouse Saloon (Firehouse BBQ), 171 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-7744.
- 5 Old Washoe Club, 112 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-4467, [email protected].
- 6 Silver Dollar Saloon, 11 N C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0458.
- 7 Ponderosa Saloon, 106 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0757, [email protected].
- 8 Mark Twain Saloon, 62 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0599. Open 24 hours.
- 9 Red Dog Saloon, 76 N C St, ☏ +1 775-847-7474.
Outdoor consumption of alcohol is tolerated.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Sugarloaf Mountain Motel, 430 C St, ☏ +1 775-847-0551. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Part of the motel was built as a boarding house for miners in the 1800s, and some rooms have original brick or stone walls and cast iron shutters. All rooms have a refrigerator, microwave, and WiFi.
- 2 Silver Queen Hotel, 28 N C St, ☏ +1 775 847-0440, [email protected]. Check-in: 1PM, call if checking in after 5PM, check-out: 11AM. 29-room restored hotel established in 1876. Several rooms have claw foot bathtubs. No AC, TVs, or coffee makers in rooms. There is an "old west" saloon that claims to have the tallest bar back in the world, a wedding chapel, and lots of vintage memorabilia.
- 3 Silverland Inn & Suites (formerly Ramada Virginia City), 100 North E St, ☏ +1 775 847-4484, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. A 67 rooms and suites hotel with meeting spaces, indoor pool, and complimentary wireless internet.
- 4 Tahoe House Hotel, 162 S C St, ☏ +1 775-847-5264, [email protected]. Check-in: 3-6PM, check-out: 11AM.
- Virginia City Bed and Breakfast, 226 N B St, ☏ +1 775-846-0154.
Go next
[edit]- Carson City
- Reno - is just up the highway
- Republic of Molossia - micronation