Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Chollar Mine Tours

    4.5 (165 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Chollar Mine Tours Photos

    More like Chollar Mine Tours

    Recommended Reviews - Chollar Mine Tours

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Scott L.

    Chollar Mine Tour - A Glimpse into the Golden Age of Virginia City Recommended by locals, I made my way to the Chollar Mine, once the 5th largest mine during the 19th-century Gold Rush era. In its prime, it yielded an overwhelming amount of gold--worth millions of dollars then and easily billions in today's value. Scattered across the grounds are authentic mining tools, giving visitors a sense of the equipment used back in the day. One highlight was the rock smasher, which the staff explained in detail. From the start, John and Gary gave me a warm welcome and patiently answered all my questions. Before we entered the mine, Gary provided a fascinating introduction to its history and operations--explaining how miners worked in 8-hour shifts, the intense conditions they faced underground, and how they coped with the heat from the geothermal groundwater. Equipped with a helmet, I followed the narrow tunnels where the ceiling is low enough to give you a bump if you're not careful. Along the old rail tracks used for transporting minerals, Gary demonstrated the rope-and-pulley system, drilling tools, and even how miners once relied on rats and candles to test air quality inside the mine. He also pointed out the split line in the rock that marked different mining outputs, giving a vivid sense of how geologists identified the veins. To make the experience more tactile, he even handed me some clay samples from the mine, so I could literally feel the earth that once hid so much gold. Unfortunately, visitors cannot go as deep into the mine as I had hoped--I wanted to experience the underground heat myself--but for safety reasons, the tour is limited. The cave can be slippery, and you'll often need to bend down to avoid injury. After the tour, Gary enthusiastically offered to take photos for guests, adding a personal touch to the visit. Beyond the tour itself, I learned that John now owns the mine, while Gary has written a novel that brings Virginia City's Golden Age to life. --- Final Thoughts The Chollar Mine Tour is more than just a history lesson--it's an immersive journey into the life of 19th-century miners. Thanks to the passion and effort of John and Gary, visitors can better appreciate the challenges, ingenuity, and culture of Virginia City's mining heritage. ---

    I am literally touching the sticky and moist "blue clay", which is a silver deposit!
    Sara F.

    Teaching them young. Introducing hard work and giving JP the idea what his papa, our "gold digger," does for a living. Although Andreas' background is engineering and managing a pit mine, we want to show our son how it feels like to be in a 400 foot tunnel and what life was like in the most famous mining camp in the American West. Back then, miners endured grueling work conditions, being crammed in tight space, and manually digging, collecting, and exploding rocks. Chollar Mine in Virginia City is the only preserved and maintained underground mine in the U.S. This mining site was built in 1861(it was staked in the 1850s), during the Gold Rush era, and the only one that withstood time and harsh weather. The tunnel was brilliantly engineered out of sturdy square set timber by William "Billy" Chollar. John our tour guide also showed us the mysterious "blue clay", which turned out to be silver deposits -- yes there are still some silver ore in the area, but they are not worth the mine. I had fun knowing a bit of science when they used candles and mice, giving them warning of danger, and also I experienced the importance of wearing a hard hat since I solidly banged my head two times!!! Virginia City is worth the visit! ‍ -- thank you, John, for the tour! It was educational and scientific!!! Please visit! The fee from the tour helps maintain the site. This is not government funded, so we should support them by visiting the area! P.S. One of my good friends in media and bridesmaids from the Philippines came to visit us in Reno, so we toured her around the city and its nearby places.

    Had a great time!' Gary was the best tour ever and had so much helpful information. Best part of our visit to Virginia city!! Thank you from Tommy!!!

    Inside the mine
    Jerry C.

    Completely awesome! If you want to learn about the Virginia City mines this is the place to go. This is the only real remaining mine that you can actually tour. The owner is very knowledgeable and the tour guide knows his stuff too. You won't be disappointed. Wear comfortable shoes as this is a real mine that you go down into. If I could give 6 stars I would!

    Aj F.

    Ok gonna state some facts first. I'm Claustrophobic I'm 6'1 Did my research (expectations vs reality) I just got back from VC and was so excited to check out this amazing little town. Ok let's get into it. Jay the Owner and Tour guide was such a joy to have met. Like I said I just came back so it had currently just rained and snowed in Virginia City. I knew this yet I wore white shoes ( I'll come back to this) The tour started off with me walking up to a dirt road (muddy one) to a small shake staged for the time period with the tools of the trade. The group was 3 people myself and a couple. Jay spent about 10 / 15 mins explaining the history of how the mine came to be and all the boom that came along with it. It was so much Information that I definitely will need to go back and do the tour again or read up on it alone. Still the amount of knowledge Jay could give was so impressive. The group didn't ask many questions but I'm sure if you had one he would be able to answer with no hesitation. After we had our history class we made our way outside to the side of the shake to grab a hard hat. ** I saw a comment about how they were not cleaned** The hats sat in an old wheelbarrow and are made of plastic so I don't know what was expected from others. Lice don't live on smooth or slippery surfaces so besides that I couldn't really see any problem. They had ZERO dirt in them and did their job. I WAS SO HAPPY to have been provided one. As my tall self busted my head like 5 or more times trying to duck walk through the sapce lol The space is very tight and the shaft definitely had updates to the infrastructure which I was very happy to have seen. Never did I feel unsafe or stuck, now if the group would have been bigger like 8 ppl I might have had an issue. ( I don't know what the max size is for a group) Now we pass the shaft and get to the end to see where the miners would have worked. Jay again broke down how the bell system worked that they used, he showed us tools and other setups the men of the time had. The whole experience was so amazing. Being able to walk a path that many had worked so hard to build and make a life off of. I felt very privileged. All in all this tour is something to be experienced I highly recommend if you love history and want to get a since of just how hard folks worked and wanted better for them selves. *Forgot to mention that since I did wear white shoes. Jay kindly provided me with a rag to clean off my shoes. Which I thought was super nice as it was my fault for not planning accordingly.

    Huge mineral specimens
    Suzanne H.

    Andre gave us a wonderful tour of the mine. First he has a shop with lots of artifacts and mineral specimens. It was fun to browse through his collection. Then we went into the actual mine and he told us all about the history of the area and mines. He is a true wealth of information!! We are going to recommend this tour to our family and friends because they are also interested in mines and minerals.

    Collection of antiques from various mines
    Elizabeth P.

    Where do I even start? The Chollar Mine is owned by such a passionate gentleman who really embraces his love for the history of the Gold Rush / Silver mining all over the states. If you want to see real antiques from history, he will share you everything he has and the origins/purpose behind it! Afterwards, our tour guide, Gary, gives us a glimpse on the history of Virginia City, how the mines were built with revolutionary methods that originated in this town and the progression of tools used to extract silver and gold at the time. His cheery attitude and great humor got me and my friends talking about the tour the rest of the trip back home! Truly a one of a kind experience compared to the many other mine tours I've been to. I'd highly suggest making time to visit this rich piece of history. Also left with a signed copy of Gary's book about what it was like to live in Virginia City in the 19th century! Been hooked on it during the drive back home to LA!

    Mine shaft
    Marco G.

    Very nice experience, I have lived in reno for 48 years and this was the 1st time here and I will recommend this to friends and family. Thank you for a great tour.

    Entering Chollar Mine!
    Yolanda N.

    I went yesterday with my two children (6 and 10 yo). Really cool tour of a mine. Really good tour guide who provided excellent historical information. Educational and interesting BUT not boring. Make sure you go when you're in Virginia City. It's a must!

    The long pathway in the mine

    Highly recommend taking this tour when coming to Virginia City. It's the furthest walk into a mine I have ever been on. The guide, an 80 year gentleman who was very pleasant, knowledgeable with some great jokes intertwined in the presentation. Learned a lot of what the hills of Nevada provided.

    Kathy S.

    Did the mine tour with my husband and 11 year old daughter. It was very informative. John Tyson was our tour guide and he's fantastic! He's a wealth of knowledge, extremely personable, and just a pleasure to be around. We're planning on returning with the rest of our brood at some point, not something you want to miss while visiting Virginia City!

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bob Q.
    0
    28
    2

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Scott L.
    2
    90
    1171

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aj F.
    863
    183
    203

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J B.
    291
    8
    4

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    The tour was disappointing for the price point. Expected to get a little more than a brief walk in the dark and poor attempts at humor.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Such a fun, unique and highly educating experience. Well worth the price paid for an ever rarer mine tour!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Great tour! A lot of time spent down in the mine. Very knowledgeable guide. A lot of fun!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Chollar Mine Tours

    How much does it cost?

    As of the time my daughter and I took the tour earlier this summer ('19), it was the below.… 

    View All 2 Questions

    Review Highlights - Chollar Mine Tours

    Guide is a miner and was very knowledgeable about the history of mining in general and this mine in particular.

    Mentioned in 20 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Ponderosa Saloon & Mine - Festive season at the bar

    Ponderosa Saloon & Mine

    4.2(84 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $

    My boyfriend and I came here for a drink and stayed for the underground mine tour! This is a…read morecash-only establishment (or at least the mine tour tickets are) so make sure you have your money on you. Otherwise, there is an ATM machine inside. The tour itself was so neat and unique! Our guide was entertaining and well informed. I definitely recommend if you're in the area!

    I think the last time I was in this saloon was about 40 years ago. I remember taking a field trip…read morein elementary school in the mid 80's to tour VC. I remember taking the mine tour and being amazed that it is a part of our local history. I met some friends on a chilly Friday evening for drinks and karaoke. There was quite the crowd already at 8pm and I could tell it was a popular local watering hole. All the patrons were singing along with each karaoke guest and having a great time. The bartender was a very nice guy that was doing a great job keeping up with everyone despite being the only one behind the bar that night. We made sure to tip him well. He was slinging fresh cocktails, fresh draft pours, and some ready to drink cocktails. A couple of us put our names and song choices in for karaoke, the DJ had pretty much everything available to him. The songs ranged from classic rock, classic country, modern rock, modern country, 80's chart toppers, and some obscure songs that a number of locals got pumped up to hear! I got up to belt out my raspy rendition of The Promise, it was fun to get to 'perform' in front of a crowd again. A couple others in my group sang their hearts out as well. We will be back soon!

    Photos
    Ponderosa Saloon & Mine - Vintage post office boxes

    Vintage post office boxes

    Ponderosa Saloon & Mine - Interior of the saloon

    Interior of the saloon

    Ponderosa Saloon & Mine

    See all

    Virginia & Truckee Railroad - Open sided car with roof

    Virginia & Truckee Railroad

    3.9(119 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Always, always fun to take the 35 minute train ride from Virginia City to Gold Hill and back. Sit…read moreinside or outside as you wish. The day we went it was very hot so most chose inside. Windows are open with no glass, cool breeze all the way. The charming conductor gives such fun and interesting information about all that you are seeing. He talks all the way there and back and makes it so much more interesting and you come away with all this knowledge about the Comstock. Don't suggest walking to the station from the Main Street as there is a parking lot provided and those hills are not for the weak! This fun train experience is just another reason a visit to Virginia City is always so much fun!

    What a fantastic way to spend Valentine's Day in my favorite city in the sky!…read more This is our third time on the Murder Mystery Train Trip! Every year it's a different who duh it theme! It's fun to ask the characters questions before the murder happens. Then you have time to fill out your paperwork with the correct answers to win a prize! While on the train you can enjoy a well arrange Valentine's Day snack pack for two with sandwich's, fruit, chocolate dipped strawberries and cookies along with wine, water and beer! At the end, as you're exiting the train, they give out beautiful red roses to the ladies to enjoy. This is a favorite thing for us to do! Sometimes I wish it was much longer! They have about three trips a day Noon, 2, 4pm. All the characters are Knowledge, the train staff are awesome when checking in! The grounds are perfect for parking and bathroom facilities. There are many other train trips to take throughout the year, so definitely hop aboard and experience the beauty of the region and explore the gold rush time of Virginia City NV.

    Photos
    Virginia & Truckee Railroad
    Virginia & Truckee Railroad - I met Michelle on the train trip from my home town

    I met Michelle on the train trip from my home town

    Virginia & Truckee Railroad

    See all

    Ghost Town - Ghost Tour of Virginia City!

    Ghost Town

    4.8(6 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    This trip I took to Virginia City was wonderful, the only thing I didn't like was the drive up the…read moremountain. Really whiny and my husband was driving too fast. I told my husband I'm not coming back here because of that road to Virginia City, he would have to go by himself.

    Ghost Tour Of Historic Virginia City!…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ghost-town-virginia-city?select=v3ji0q4CHjh10hiTCgrKew&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w SITREP In the time of Gold & Silver mining, there is many a tale of tragedy as this prospecting community was growing, and within this Ghost Town there are many voices of the past who still clamor to have their stories told - yea, a warning - to the living.... THE SETUP Since some of us can't get enough stories about Pioneering tragedies, and traipsing across trails like the Donner Pass, why not go further up into Nevada Silver Country and just get the crap scared out of us, right? So a couple weeks back a bunch of us gathered in Virginia City - aka "Ghost Town" - and went to the Washoe Saloon, where some brave souls pledged to help us get to the bottom of these sordid tales of woe from yesteryear. STREETS, HOTELS, COURTS, OPERA HOUSES & SALOONS We trooped all Ghost Town and I dare say we had some close encounters of the spirit-kind. Our tour guides had some fancy-schmancy electromagetic detectors to indicate when spirits were nearby and I'd be lying if I didn't admit some wacky stuff happened while we went from one building to another. In one hotel - the aptly named "Ghost Hotel" - we learned the story of Rose, and such a sad plaintiff tale of her forlorn love. The one room pays a tribute to her memory. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ghost-town-virginia-city?select=Kh0qVAdHSpTJo-AEo5SJNQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w CONFESSION Okay. I admit I was a bit mean when we were all gathered, closely clustered together in a dark alley - and those meters were going off - and suddenly I was inspired to lift up a nearby dumpster lid and *slammed it down* with much THUNDEROUS NOISE! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ghost-town-virginia-city?select=aS5hY36Gv4tasRGOURkx9g&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w And maybe I enjoyed just a bit too much all the people screaming. Heheheheh... THE LOWDOWN Whether you believe or not, the tour is tons o' fun!

    Photos
    Ghost Town - Ghost Tour of Virginia City!  The very spot where I slammed down a dumpster top and scared some peeps!  :D

    Ghost Tour of Virginia City! The very spot where I slammed down a dumpster top and scared some peeps! :D

    Ghost Town - Ghost Tour of Virginia City!

    Ghost Tour of Virginia City!

    Ghost Town - Ghost Tour of Virginia City!

    See all

    Ghost Tour of Virginia City!

    Chollar Mine Tours - historicaltours - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...