Chollar Mine Tour
Chollar Mine Tour
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Full view
About
Rediscover one of the great mines of the Comstock Lode! The Chollar Mine is a registered historic landmark and the site of the one of the richest silver strikes in America. Journey deep underground and discover how the miners extracted the wealth that made Virginia City famous. The gold and silver brought thousands across America to risk it all and seek their fortune. First staked in 1859, 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. Discover how the mines were built, the geological significance of the rocks and what it meant to the men who dug here. Great for the whole family and pet-friendly, Chollar Mine historic mine tour is a “must-see” on your next trip to Virginia City, NV!
Virginia City, Nevada
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
99 reviews
Excellent
76
Very good
10
Average
3
Poor
4
Terrible
6
Jared J
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Couples
Great tour! The tour guides were very personable and knowledgeable. There are are a lot of antique tools and mining equipment to look at before or after the tour. The mine goes into the hillside 300-400ft. All the support beams and wood is original. The ceiling of the mineshaft is pretty low so you have to duck most of the way and watch your head.
Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Virginia City who is interested, definitely worth the $17.
Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Virginia City who is interested, definitely worth the $17.
Written August 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sgwynmills
Henderson, NV7 contributions
Sep 2020
This is a great tour. Andre, the owner, was so friendly and interesting to talk to before the tour itself. Our tour guide, John, was really knowledgeable, and I learned a lot not only about Chollar Mine, but also the state of Nevada, and Virginia City too. My husband did "the panning for gold" with Jack, and it was well worth the small extra fee. I'd highly recommend this tour as the thing to do when you're in Virginia City. It was the highlight of our visit to the area! MUST DO!!!
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bret W
Santa Cruz, CA48 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
Immerse yourself in the silver bonanza era inside one of the big producers of the epic silver boom.
I've been dying to go on this tour and it did not disappoint. You get a concise but highly informative history lesson before going in while you are surrounded by the machinery that made mining happen. Chollar Mine has a big variety of period mining gear on display above ground.
Having read a dozen books on the Comstock mines, most of it was familiar to me but I never tire of hearing about it. You need to duck down for the walk in, the ceiling is low but there's room to stand when you reach the final chamber. I'm 62, my thighs got a workout but it was achievable.
Highly recommend
I've been dying to go on this tour and it did not disappoint. You get a concise but highly informative history lesson before going in while you are surrounded by the machinery that made mining happen. Chollar Mine has a big variety of period mining gear on display above ground.
Having read a dozen books on the Comstock mines, most of it was familiar to me but I never tire of hearing about it. You need to duck down for the walk in, the ceiling is low but there's room to stand when you reach the final chamber. I'm 62, my thighs got a workout but it was achievable.
Highly recommend
Written August 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MMM2001
San Jose, California651 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
Our tour was a big disappointment. After reading the reviews, we decided that we needed to fit this into our day trip to Virginia City. Unfortunately, the regular tour guide was off and another man provides the tour. He had worked in the mine and we expected he would have some good information to share. Only seven minutes into what is advertised as a 30 minute tour, he said he didn't know what else to tell us and to ask questions if we had them. The information provided was very basic and certainly not worth the $15 admission price per person. Note that it is cash only.
This "guide" used a lot of profanity throughout the tour and his answers to people's questions, even when responding to children. One family ended up walking out. I don't mind a little profanity but the amount of it and choice of words was inappropriate and offensive with elementary school children on the tour. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this tour based on our experience. I'd suggest you confirm the guide before attending.
This "guide" used a lot of profanity throughout the tour and his answers to people's questions, even when responding to children. One family ended up walking out. I don't mind a little profanity but the amount of it and choice of words was inappropriate and offensive with elementary school children on the tour. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this tour based on our experience. I'd suggest you confirm the guide before attending.
Written July 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie
Duluth, MN5 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
The ONLY mine tour available in the richest place on earth! Well worth the 15 dollar per adult price.
Bill, our tour guide, started the tour off with the geologic history of the area and info about the mining practices and people from 100+ years ago. Then we headed 400 feet into the side of Mt. Davidson, following our guide and the rail tracks into a room where we learned about specific mining history in Virginia City. The shaft was very narrow and short in some places, but well ventilated and well lit.
My partner and I are both geologists, but you don’t need to know anything about mining or rocks to really enjoy yourself on this tour. Very memorable and fun.
Bill, our tour guide, started the tour off with the geologic history of the area and info about the mining practices and people from 100+ years ago. Then we headed 400 feet into the side of Mt. Davidson, following our guide and the rail tracks into a room where we learned about specific mining history in Virginia City. The shaft was very narrow and short in some places, but well ventilated and well lit.
My partner and I are both geologists, but you don’t need to know anything about mining or rocks to really enjoy yourself on this tour. Very memorable and fun.
Written March 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DMW
43 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
Your was interesting and informative - rates a 3.5*.
They take only cash for payment, which is unusual. No restrooms.
The tour doesn’t mention this - but it does require all visitors to be aware of their surroundings and proceed with caution in the mind. It’s easy to bang your head inside the mine. You need to be able to walk in a crouched/bent over position. It would be a simple safety precaution to give all visitors a helmet, included/mandatory with the tour.
One person on our tour fell coming out of the mine. Don’t know whether he tripped on a hose that was nearer the entrance.
They take only cash for payment, which is unusual. No restrooms.
The tour doesn’t mention this - but it does require all visitors to be aware of their surroundings and proceed with caution in the mind. It’s easy to bang your head inside the mine. You need to be able to walk in a crouched/bent over position. It would be a simple safety precaution to give all visitors a helmet, included/mandatory with the tour.
One person on our tour fell coming out of the mine. Don’t know whether he tripped on a hose that was nearer the entrance.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joecoolatbyu
Spanish Fork, UT8 contributions
Oct 2020
I thought that the tour was great and the tour guide was very personable.
The only thing I didn't like was we were told that this mine had gold panning for people to participate in. What we were not told was that it was only a demonstration, not a participation in, of gold panning. I was looking forward to doing the panning myself.
Despite this I would go back again.
The only thing I didn't like was we were told that this mine had gold panning for people to participate in. What we were not told was that it was only a demonstration, not a participation in, of gold panning. I was looking forward to doing the panning myself.
Despite this I would go back again.
Written October 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ice_Station_Zebra
San Francisco, CA24 contributions
Jul 2022
Bill is an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide for the mine. Bill is a real miner too, working placer gold. Bill was very enthusiastic about the history of Virgina City and its mines. You go 450 ft. deep into an adit. This is a real mine, not like the fake mine in downtown Virginia City. The mine was built back when men were shorter and often pushing ore carts, so the headroom is about 5 feet in the adit. At the end is a 250 ft deep winze, a mined out orebody, and bunch of equipment, including a hoist. Mining back in the day was hard work. Silver and gold were sent to the U.S. Mint down the hill in Carson City. Carson City coins are valuable numismatic collectibles.
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heidi R
Arizona12 contributions
Jun 2021
My family visited the Chollar Mine on the recommendation of the Conductor on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. We had 5 children with us, ages 7-12. This tour kept all of us attentive to every word that our tour guide had to say. He was very knowledgeable on the mining practices of years past. This tour includes walking 450 feet into the mine (uneven path but no ups or downs, pretty much straight in) and a brief moment of total darkness. We heartily recommend the Chollar Mine Tour!
Written June 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much! We are so glad that you visited us!
Written January 24, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
N L
2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
We showed up late and were unable to get tickets for the Ostrich races and decided to go to the Chollar mine to go on a tour. we were told
the next tour would be about hour later. We decided to wait and in the meanwhile watch a little of the races from above. The belligerent guy at the gate was unnecessarily rude and told us we couldn't wait there so we moved 50 yards over only to have this jerk harass us more. We moved another couple feet and I gave him a death stare and he slithered back and hassled someone else. We will never go to the Chollar mine and will advise our clients to not visit the mine.
the next tour would be about hour later. We decided to wait and in the meanwhile watch a little of the races from above. The belligerent guy at the gate was unnecessarily rude and told us we couldn't wait there so we moved 50 yards over only to have this jerk harass us more. We moved another couple feet and I gave him a death stare and he slithered back and hassled someone else. We will never go to the Chollar mine and will advise our clients to not visit the mine.
Written September 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danielle
Colorado135 contributions
What is the difference between this one , comstock and ponderosa? which would would be the best to go to ?
Nooralmalak
Hammamet, Tunisia244 contributions
I have not visited any of those you mentioned. However, I never visited a mine and this one was good. The owner gave guests a good history about mines in general and this one in particular. If you have time and money, I recommend you visit this place. The train ride back to town is fun.
Chollar Mine Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Chollar Mine Tour Information
Excellent Reviews | 76 |
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Very Good Reviews | 10 |
Chollar Mine Tour Photos | 69 |