Tonopah Historic Mining Park
Tonopah, Nevada - Mine Tour ...
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| Silver Top Mine & Hoist House |
| Mining Park Signs |
| Crossing the Stope Bridge |
| View of Mine Stope |
Tonopah re-energized the Nevada mining industry when rich silver ore was discovered by Jim Butler
in May of 1900. The result was a bonanza find with ore valued at up to $600 a ton. Butler eventually
staked eight claims at Tonopah and named the first three the Desert Queen, the Burro, and the
Mizpah. All of these eventually became incredibly rich mines, and you can get an up close look at each
of these by visiting the Historic Tonopah Mining Park.
If your family enjoys the "old west" then you know that mining was a driving force, which caused many
to flock to and develop The West, in search of gold and silver. No family vacation to the "old west" is
complete without a mine tour, and Tonopah offers a spectacular mining park. The three mines
mentioned above can be found here, along with other, once rich, mines.
in May of 1900. The result was a bonanza find with ore valued at up to $600 a ton. Butler eventually
staked eight claims at Tonopah and named the first three the Desert Queen, the Burro, and the
Mizpah. All of these eventually became incredibly rich mines, and you can get an up close look at each
of these by visiting the Historic Tonopah Mining Park.
If your family enjoys the "old west" then you know that mining was a driving force, which caused many
to flock to and develop The West, in search of gold and silver. No family vacation to the "old west" is
complete without a mine tour, and Tonopah offers a spectacular mining park. The three mines
mentioned above can be found here, along with other, once rich, mines.
| Inside the Visitor Center |
| Outside of Visitor Center |
The Tonopah Mining Park has a very nice visitor center with clean restrooms, lots of mining books and
literature on the area, along with diagrams of the nearby mines and claims. Your tour starts in the
theatre with a 10 minute video that gives you a brief history of the area. It does a nice job of filling you in
on who were the main mining characters, how the mines were discovered, and some interesting
information on how the Tonopah area developed during the boom years. It also provides information
on what the major mines produced over the years - a truly staggering amount in today's dollars.
After viewing the video, you leave the visitor center on a self-guided tour, with a map and brochure that
shows and explains each of the major attractions in the park. This allows you to pick and choose what
you want to see and move along at your own pace. The Tonopah Mining Park has about six different
mines, headframes and hoist houses, mill ruins, tons of mining equipment, buildings, tailings and
much more to see. Steel bridges are built over some of the stopes so you can peer down hundreds of
feet into the mountain and see where rich silver ore was once extracted.
A picture of the Silver Top Mine is shown above. This mine was in operation from 1902 to 1948 and
gives visitors the opportunity to take a view down the lighted 1200 foot shaft. Next to it is the Silver Top
Grizzly, which was built in 1905 and was used by crews to hand-sort the good and the bad ore.
literature on the area, along with diagrams of the nearby mines and claims. Your tour starts in the
theatre with a 10 minute video that gives you a brief history of the area. It does a nice job of filling you in
on who were the main mining characters, how the mines were discovered, and some interesting
information on how the Tonopah area developed during the boom years. It also provides information
on what the major mines produced over the years - a truly staggering amount in today's dollars.
After viewing the video, you leave the visitor center on a self-guided tour, with a map and brochure that
shows and explains each of the major attractions in the park. This allows you to pick and choose what
you want to see and move along at your own pace. The Tonopah Mining Park has about six different
mines, headframes and hoist houses, mill ruins, tons of mining equipment, buildings, tailings and
much more to see. Steel bridges are built over some of the stopes so you can peer down hundreds of
feet into the mountain and see where rich silver ore was once extracted.
A picture of the Silver Top Mine is shown above. This mine was in operation from 1902 to 1948 and
gives visitors the opportunity to take a view down the lighted 1200 foot shaft. Next to it is the Silver Top
Grizzly, which was built in 1905 and was used by crews to hand-sort the good and the bad ore.
| Desert Queen Mine & Hoist House |
| Burro Tunnel |
Tonopah Mining Park is located about halfway between Las Vegas and Carson City or Reno. If you are
interested in mining and the "old west" then you are sure to enjoy your visit. When we visited in the
summer of 2011 it was very reasonably priced and the weather was quite comfortable. Everything was
well preserved and the huge concentration of mines, mining equipment, buildings and other artifacts
rivals anything we've seen in the past. The tour was very informative, there were many opportunities for
great photo shoots and the staff was very friendly and helpful. So, if you plan to be in the area or are
traveling between Las Vegas and Reno be sure and stop by. It will be a great chance to stretch your
legs, learn about history and relive a bit of the past. You will be glad that you did. Have fun and stay safe!
interested in mining and the "old west" then you are sure to enjoy your visit. When we visited in the
summer of 2011 it was very reasonably priced and the weather was quite comfortable. Everything was
well preserved and the huge concentration of mines, mining equipment, buildings and other artifacts
rivals anything we've seen in the past. The tour was very informative, there were many opportunities for
great photo shoots and the staff was very friendly and helpful. So, if you plan to be in the area or are
traveling between Las Vegas and Reno be sure and stop by. It will be a great chance to stretch your
legs, learn about history and relive a bit of the past. You will be glad that you did. Have fun and stay safe!
| Stamp Mill for crushing ore |
| Power Magazine for storing explosives |
| Ore wagon |
| Ore car |
| Glory Hole |
| Silver Top Grizzly |
| Mining Park Signs |
| Mizpah Mine & Hoist House |
| Mizpah Mine & Mine Buildings |
| View of Mine Stope |
| Burro Tunnel Viewing Cage |
| Burro Viewing Cage over 500 ft stope |
| Horse drawn whim for hoisting ore |
As you can see in some of the photos above, there are some very well done park signs that do a great
job of explaining mining attractions throughout the park. The Desert Queen mine is the third complete
set of hoisting works on the property. This mine and the hoist house sit up on the hillside above the
visitor center. There are trails all through the park that take you past mines, millsites and other mining
attractions.
Crossing over the Stope Bridge provides visitors with a rare perspective, as it allows you to cross
directly over a 500 foot mining stope and peer down into it. There are a number of these that are visible
throughout the park. This is where rich silver ore was extracted in great quantities leaving behind these
cavernous openings. The Burro Mine Tunnel is a recreated underground tunnel at one of Jim Butler's
original discovery sites. At the end of this tunnel is a steel viewing cage that allows you to peer into a
500 foot mine stope where the original mine was located. Below are some other photos that we took
during our visit in the summer of 2011.
job of explaining mining attractions throughout the park. The Desert Queen mine is the third complete
set of hoisting works on the property. This mine and the hoist house sit up on the hillside above the
visitor center. There are trails all through the park that take you past mines, millsites and other mining
attractions.
Crossing over the Stope Bridge provides visitors with a rare perspective, as it allows you to cross
directly over a 500 foot mining stope and peer down into it. There are a number of these that are visible
throughout the park. This is where rich silver ore was extracted in great quantities leaving behind these
cavernous openings. The Burro Mine Tunnel is a recreated underground tunnel at one of Jim Butler's
original discovery sites. At the end of this tunnel is a steel viewing cage that allows you to peer into a
500 foot mine stope where the original mine was located. Below are some other photos that we took
during our visit in the summer of 2011.
| Tonopah & Goldfield Railroad Trestle |
| Mining equipment |
Nevada Vacation Attractions:
Carson City Tourist Attractions
Visit Virginia City, Nevada
Eldorado Canyon Mine Tour
Carson City Tourist Attractions
Visit Virginia City, Nevada
Eldorado Canyon Mine Tour