How the West was Won showed us how the Prescott family made fortunes. Bonanza showed us how family togetherness brought order to a mining camp and that cowboys were environmentalists. Though cut from historical backcloths, neither did much to present unadulterated history. And nothing, of course, is a substitute for the real thing.
This isn't quite the real thing either. But it is close enough.
Alder Gulch played host to the largest placer gold strike in American history, and the story is quintessential Americana - all attempts to pacify the cry of "gold" from echoing in Helena, Salt Lake City, and all points of the compass failed miserably, spawning the development of a whole string of settlements through Alder Gulch. One of these - Virginia City - remains today much as it always was. The others - including Nevada City -were ripped down and their very streets mined from underneath them. Only one of these towns has returned, and it is "alive" and well.
The Montana Heritage Commission, through the generosity of the Bovey family and many others, has amassed a collection of Americana unparalleled west of the Mississippi. Hundreds of thousands of artifacts, dozens of buildings, equipment, and machines, as well as living history demonstrations, tours, train rides, and panning for gold all bring the past to vivid life. And the best part of it is the entire experience is interconnected and seamless. This is the Colonial Williamsburg of the American West - only better.
The Commission has set up a tightly integrated experience that truly immerses the visitor in the past. Your experience begins either in Virginia City (at the depot at edge of town, at the bottom of the hill) or Nevada City Music Hall, both of which are connected by a short line railroad. Near the Nevada City Depot one will also find the "River of Gold" gold exhibit and panning experience. Each of the three experiences may be purchased separately, but to fully appreciate it, you really need to do it all, and they sell a pass that let's you do just that.
The train ride is a fantastic means of getting your bearings, and the tour guides on the train (Kaylee did an amazing job, intertwining history and geology with witty and ironic humor) will place the entire region into context, while providing a fun way to travel between the two Gulch "cities." The trip winds its way through tailing piles and along beaver ponds, and offers lovely views.
At the Nevada City end of the line, the Nevada City Museum represents an approximation of an Alder Gulch town during the 1860s, and contains a large museum building with the world's largest collection of music machines (bring some coins) and several city blocks' worth of historic buildings (some original to the site but most relocated from elsewhere in Montana) - all of them LOADED with historic artifacts and working displays including a smithy, schoolhouses, saloons, hotels... the works. The town looks lived in during the week, and on the weekend it positively comes alive with a true living history program (one that I was personally pulled into... a performance that was so well loved by the locals that I was "shot" at several times). You may just witness a double hanging. And trust me... it's a heart stopper. Several weekends offer a "lantern tour," and it is during this event that the town REALLY seems to settle into its stated time period and is so real that it almost feels like an episode out of the Twilight Zone. So awesome. (Make sure you come on the weekend for the best experience - nearly every building is opened and accessible, and the living history interpreters are incredible.)
Just beyond the Nevada City station, the River of Gold provides the most touristy part of the experience. Mining dredges and other working equipment are on display, and for a modest fee (or included in the combo) gold panning lessons are provided. I found quite a few amethyst and garnet crystals, and several gold flakes. They say nuggets do turn up occasionally, but it's definitely more about the experience than the gold when it comes to this part of the trip. Well recommended if you have children... or if you're as easily amused and love rocks as I do.
Both the Virginia City and Nevada City ends of the rail line possess lovely gift shops, and the staff is universally friendly, knowledgeable, and excited to welcome guests.
The Nevada City Music Hall and Virginia City Short Line Railroad represent the core of the Virginia City experience. This is where the history truly lies, and there is enough here to look at and observe that you will easily be kept busy for an entire day... especially if you plan to explore Virginia City as well. Unlike the Virginia City of the Comstock Lode in Nevada, the Virgina City of Alder Gulch is unchanged, authentic, and beautiful. It is a living museum of a sort that the Smithsonian wishes it could manage. Spectacular. A must-see American destination. read more