Nevada City

Nevada City is in southwest Montana. It is considered a ghost town.

Understand

There are only a few active businesses in Nevada City. There are a total of 108 buildings in Nevada City, 14 of which are original structures. Many of the historic structures were relocated to the area by Charles and Sue Ford Bovey of Bovey Restorations and placed on the historic street plan of early Nevada City.

Nearby Virginia City, another fantastic historic town, has many more active business.

Nevada City was part of the Montana Gold Rush and a prominent area of the Wild West days. It became one of two major trade centers for the gold mining Alder Gulch Region, with its sister city of Virginia City

Nevada City has been the filming location for many western movies including Missouri Breaks, Return to Lonesome Dove, Little Big Man and Thousand Pieces of Gold.

Get in

Airports are available at Bozeman and Butte.

Nevada City is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Virginia City, Montana on Hwy 287. Parking is in front of the Nevada City main street, and RV parking is available near the Train Round House and Nevada City Depot.

The open air town site can be accessed during the summer season daily by paying admission at the Montana Heritage Commission's Museum entrance.

Get around

A small train connects Nevada City to Virginia City, another. Both towns are only several blocks long and should be walked.

See

• 1 Nevada City Old Town Museum and Music Hall, ☏ +1 406 843-5247. Memorial Day to Labor Day (Jun-Aug); M-F 10AM-6PM, Sa Su 9AM-6PM. Outdoor museum with massive collection of Old West artifacts. There are 100 buildings from 1863 to early 1900s. Entrance are has extensive collection of music machines. $12 adults, $10 Seniors/ages 4-11, discounts on weekdays. (updated Apr 2023)

Do

The living history events at the Museum are a must see. They are held every weekend in the summer with a specific, changing theme for each weekend. Enjoy historic craft demonstrations, first person interpreters, foodways demonstrations and accurate portrayals of the areas history. You can get hands-on experiences of the Wild West. There is also an All Hallows Eve event held in October.

The area is also the staging area for Alder Gulch Shortline Railroad with a track that extends the 1 ½ miles between the Nevada City and Virginia City town sites.

• 1 River of Gold, 1559 MT Hwy 287 (look for the big mining dredge), ☏ +1 406 843-5247. daily Jun-Aug, 10AM-5PM. Exhibits of mining equipment and a gold panning experience. Admission includes vial for your gold and garnet treasures. $10. (updated Apr 2023)

Buy

The Nevada City Museum has tourist items.

Eat

Visit the Star Bakery for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the summer season.

Drink

Be sure to grab a sarsaparilla or other soda inside the historic saloon!

Other drinks can be purchased at the Star Bakery, the Nevada City Coffee Shop, and museum gift shop.

Sleep

Lodging is with Alder Gulch Accommodations, Nevada City Hotel and Cabins, and Just an Experience Bed and Breakfast. Many guests chose to spend their nights in area lodging in Virginia City, nearby Ennis, or Alder.

• 1 Rambling Moose Campground, 1302 E Warren St, ☏ +1 406 843-5493, info@ramblingmoosecampground.com. Open May-Sep, RV and tent camping. Restrooms with showers, laundry facility, free WiFi. 

Go next

• Bozeman, 70 miles east. Larger city. Has Museum of the Rockies with the largest collection of North American Dinosaur fossils in the US.
• Yellowstone National Park, 90 miles south

Routes through Nevada City

Ends at S ←

W  E

→ Virginia City → Ends at N S