comstock lode

Along Virginia city’s main street (C Street or Highway 341) you will find an eclectic mix of tourist traps. But, if you will look past these tawdry store fronts, you will find a city drenched in western history and a place that played a significant role in the settlement of the western United States. If you’re interested in the history of this fascinating little town, start with a reading of Dan DeQuille book, A History of the Big Bonanza. Then when you go, you will have a better understanding of what is historically significant and what is played for the tourist. For example, the Cartwright’s were a made-up TV family, but Mark Twain did live and work in Virginia City. You can easily spend a day of more exploring the city and surrounding area. If you like to hike, climb up to the top of Mt. Davidson for a great view of the Washoe Valley.

Loved the tour guide and his knowledge and wit for the Ponderosa mine. The town itself is cute and had some great shops to peruse. I just wish I had more time there.

In 1859, the Comstock Lode was the first significant discovery of silver in the United States. Located under the eastern slope of Mount Davidson in what at the time was the Utah Territory, the lode was so rich that it sparked a silver rush that led to the founding of several cities including Virginia City, the development of the State of Nevada, and new mining technologies all in the rush to get the silver out. The mines of the lode started playing out by 1874 but Virginia City still remains with many of its historic buildings at the base of Mount Davidson which is seen rising high above the town with a prominent “V” on its slope. A monument commemorating the discovery of the Comstock Lode is located along C Street in the center of the well preserved historic area of Virginia City. In addition to the monument, there are several mine tours one can take although we did not have time for one during our visit but we did enjoy exploring the Wild West town build by the Comstock.

We enjoyed the tour overall, but it could be improved upon. Penny (wife and co-owner) was really nice and quite knowledgeable. Husband ... not so much. He was grumpy and didn't seem to care much whether we were there or not. The tour itself is what you make of it. If you go in expecting to be be entertained ... you won't be. If you go in trying to understand the life of the 1860's miners, it is a fascinating glimpse back in time. For $4/day (highest wages in the industry at that time) these poor guys worked and died in these mines. Lung disease, cave-ins and every other imaginable ailment kept their life expectancy to around 45 years of age. Going into this mine will show you why. I got a little claustrophobic but was able to manage. It was an experience that I'm glad we did - especially for the price ($10 each). C'mon, a beer and a burger cost more than that and are forgotten in minutes. I'll remember this for a long time. Some of the negative reviews I read were probably people who want passive entertainment. If that's you, take the train or the trolley. For us, it was a glimpse of history and I'm glad we did it.

I’m writing my review about this mine tour here because unlike the Ponderosa Mine Tour, which is listed under “activities in Virginia city,” the Chollar Mine Tour isn’t listed separately. I took the Chollar tour instead of the Ponderosa because I had been told by the clerk in the Visitor Center that the Chollar mine had been altered less, leaving more of its original timber construction intact.While awaiting the start of the tour, there are a few pieces of old mining equipment scattered around the yard that are pretty cool to check out.Although he didn’t seem particularly enthused about his job, our tour guide was a knowledgeable old fellow. He led our small group into the horizontal mine shaft, commenting along the way about the history of the mine. The pathway is a dark and cramped corridor so watch your step! Be extra careful if you are tall, because you will hit your head on an overhead beam if you don’t stoop all the way through the tour!It’s not a very long tour, but it does give you good sense of the horrendous working conditions those poor miners had to endure; however, meager by today's standards, the pay they received for their work in the mines was top-dollar back then, making these "poor" fellows quite the rich superstars!

When in Virginia City one must authenticate the Comstock feel by visiting a mine just not the Chollar mine. We have been in the belly of the earth on coal mining tours in Pennsylvania so there were high expectations. The Chollar did not come anywhere near close. We planned on another mine tour, but with the suggestion & information from the visitors center we decided to change our plans since supposedly the Chollar was the only mine in the city where silver ore was actually extracted. The tour was suppose to start at 1pm, but we waited around for a bus group that never showed up. We actually entered the mine around 1:25pm and when the guide started the tour we were interrupted twice to allow 2 small groups of people in. Needless to say it was now a bit crowded. We then walked in only a few hundred feet where the rest of the tour took place at a dead end. There were a few tools of the trade displayed there and the guide did a good job explaining the workings of a mine since he was a miner himself. There wasn't much to the tour except a lot of time spent on questions and answers. We sneaked out after a few rounds of Q & A since we were now running late for our next scheduled attraction in town.You won't be missing much if you decide on another mine tour in Virginia City.

We always enjoy our visits here, it is agreat place to spend a day or a weekend, froim the ghost tours to the mine tours or staying at one of the B&Bs you cant go wrong.

If you are talking about the mine then we have been there three times and the mine is never open. We get to the top of the road to the mine and find the chain across the road. There is a sign out nest to the chain saying the mine is open but then you cant get down to it. Not going to try any more!

With its riches first located in1859, Virginia City's Chollar Mine (later the Chollar-Potosi) was one of the leading producers on the Comstock. Over the next 80 years, miners blasted and carted out some $17 million in gold and silver. The Nevada Mill was erected here in 1887 to process the vast amounts of ore taken out of the Chollar Mine. Today the mine is open for visitors. A guided tour lasts a half hour and is a 400 ft., level walk. Visitors see square-set timbering, silver ore, rock drills, as well as displays of old equipment. It was an introduction to mining in the 19th Century. I don't think I'd visit Virginia Ciry without visiting one of the Comstock mines. I would have liked to understand the process a bit better than I did at the end of the tour. However, one very positive aspect; I was the only one on the tour and the guide did his best to give me a personal guided tour.

Low price, with some history and a little adventure walking through the shaft a small ways. I wish there had been more, but it was very nice.

Virginia City is a very historical place and everyone, especially the kids.