Virginia
City Nevada was once a booming silver
mining town of the Comstock Lode. Today the streets are filled
with tourist eager to explore this historical town. Take a
walk down the main street past the saloons and gambling halls
and you can picture yourself back in the days of the wild
west. Virginia has much to offer including mine tours, a train
ride, museums, and many historical buildings. Virginia City
is also known for being the nearest town to the Cartwright
Ranch on the Western television Bonanza. Located just South
of Reno the town is is easily accessible by car. Be sure to
ride the The Virginia and Truckee Railroad to Gold Hill for
views of the old mines and the valley below. Virginia City
main source of revenue these days is the tourist dollar. Back
in the boom town age Virginia City had a population of over
30,000 residents. The Virginia and Truckee Railroad made several
trips a day from Carson City bringing supplies and taking
down the silver ore to be processed. After several major fires
and with the silver are getting harder to find Virginia City
went into decline. In 1950 the railroad was shut down and
the once booming mine town was all but a ghost town with only
a few hundred residents.