Virginia + Nevada City
I grew up visiting Virginia City. As one of Montana’s most famous tourist attractions, it is truly a step back into time. Virginia City is described as “a very much alive ghost town that is frozen in time.” It’s magic, pure magic.
Every visit to this place is a different experience. We try to do a little bit of everything but this trip we focused most of our time on exploring a part we’ve never seen - Nevada City. Nevada City is a a short train ride away from Virginia City and worth every extra penny to tour.
My photographer, old-west-loving self was in 7th heaven as we once again toured these old western towns.
Summer, 2018
An overlook of Virginia City.
We started our day with the train ride over to Nevada City. The Alder Gulch Railway is a 20 minute, mile + 1/2 ride between the two ghost towns. The trip is professionally guided with lots of interesting historical facts on the ride there and back. We love it!
Sweet cousins holding hands on the train ride.
After you arrive in Nevada City and purchase your tickets, you enter the town through the Nevada City Museum & Music Hall Entrance. The mueseum features plenty of loud, beautiful, unique forms of musical entertainment from the 1800s + 1900s.
Ethan was worried it was too loud for Izzy’s ears.
Thankfully we came with quarters.
Welcome to Nevada City!
Time to pan for gold!
Showcasing their finds!
Time to catch the afternoon train back to Virginia City.
Pretty view from the train.
One of the creepiest/most interesting stops in Virginia City is the building where 5 men were executed and hung on the morning of January 14th, 1864. These men were road agents in the Plummer Gang, responsible for a multitude of robberies and murders. You can read all about their history HERE. The men hung in this visible section of the beam were (from left to right): Frank Parish, Boone Helm, and Jack Gallagher. The scene is depicted in the following photos…
Close up of the beam where the hanging marks are still visible.
On to visit a favorite from my childhood, Cousin’s Candy Shop!
Virginia City.
Boot Hill. The final resting place of the 5 Vigilantes from the Plummer Gang: Frank Parish, Boone Helm, Hayes Lyons, Jack Gallagher, and George "Clubfoot" Lane.
Boot Hill was Virginia City’s first cemetery. There were many markers here, but only those of the road agents and Daltons (pictured here) remain. The road agents’ graves, which gave the Cemetery its name Boot Hill, were first marked by the city in 1907.
William & Clara Dalton were no relation to the notorious gang nor connected with the road agents. They arrived in Bannack in 1862 with Captain James L. Fisk’s first wagon train and moved to Virginia City in 1863. William & Clara died of natural causes in January 1864, leaving four children. The grave was marked by a granddaughter many years later.
(All above text borrowed from the sign on Boot Hill.)
An inventive little play on the morbid graves behind us!
Wild Montana sagebrush…one of my top 10 favorite scents.
The drive in and out of Virginia City requires a steep trek past the scenic town of Ennis. I always appreciate the view driving back down. (Fun fact: Ennis is known as one of the top spots for fly fishing.)
There is so much to do in Virginia City and SO much to read about the history of this adventurous step back in time. Their official website provides a thorough background on its history, and also provides a fun facts section! Well worth your time.