I was doing the Nevada portion of the Loneliest Road in America road trip and made a stop in Ely. I…read morehad heard about the Nevada Northern Railway Museum great tours and just had to experience it myself. My friend and I decided to go on the Sunset, Stars and Champagne Tour. The people were so nice, whether it was the workers or other tourists. We had a great time relaxing and seeing the landscape. The train ride was of course quite slow, and seats weren't too comfortable though. It was enjoyable to watch the sunset. I couldn't get good photos of the dark skies. There were no stars that night though. Highly recommend the tour!

Come here every year to do the Race The Rails. Didn't beat the train back but I hope I beat it…read morenext year

I really enjoyed my visit here. There is so much to see that you could spend hours looking at all…read morethe things and reading the many descriptions. I started outside--the woman explained I could do it either of two ways--so I chose outdoors first. I was amazed when I saw an 1870s Keystone well drill. My father was a water well driller in Pennsylvania and I grew up around this kind of equipment, but I never knew that there was one that was made a lot from wood. I don't think I would have been as comfortable climbing that derrick as I was with the metal rungs I had to climb. There are Nevada Northern railroad cars, the former depot for Ely, a one room schoolhouse and so much more. The schoolhouse was interesting for me. I can't imagine teaching 10-15 kids in one room that might be 7 or 8 different years in age. Inside, there are geological items, a section of old medicine bottles, Shoshone items, and the recreation of a giant short-faced Nevada bear. I didn't even know such an animal existed. A good stop. A plus was the woman told me the McGill Drugstore was open and she gave me the hours.

Ely, Nevada. Ely is…read morea great place. I wish I spent more time there but the snow scared the poop out of me (traumatized). There are a handful of eateries from old fashioned steakhouses to boutique eateries. A town with a rich history revolving railroads, silver mines, mountains and desert. The locals were friendly and willing to assist unbeknownst motorists if need be. White pine museum has all the local flair from trains, local lifestyle, fashion through the years, ranching equipment to mining culture. The coolest thing was the fancy women hat collection from the local women gangs that gathered together at the local parks to gossip on how to rule the world (sarcasm peoples). Must see if your ever in the area. Access/Roads: A On main drag. Paved and clean. Parking: A Plenty street parking. Distance: B Las Vegas, NV is appx 200 miles south. Salt lake City appx 200 miles northeast. Ely is a small, desolate mining town. Costs: A $10 per. Nearby Attractions: -Great Basin. -Charcoal Park. -NV No. Rail Museum -Historic hotel NV & gambling hall -Lunar Crater (trucks with 4wd only) -ET Hey/Area 51/ and all that non sense. And much more. Conclusion: A Fascinating local museum with amazing, friendly staff. Local/small time museums don't always have the sociable types. IG @cigarcpa www.cleeshyun.com (in progress).

Fun experience. Was not too crowded. Interesting perspective on the old way of life. Glad to…read moresupport this place.

Oh my goodness, what a gem! Went with my mom and two elementary age kids. We spent two hours and…read moreloved every second of it! The staff (or volunteers?) were knowledgeable and so fun to talk with and answered all our questions. The different cultures and history were interesting and interactive. This isn't ideal for toddlers but kids five and up would enjoy this place. Total gem in Ely!! We had a blast.

We visited a museum in Ely- and they directed us to this Drugstore Museum - they called Keith and…read morehe opened it and gave us a tour through this time capsule! Keith is super knowledgeable having grown up in McGill and wrote books and sends out newsletters to people who are interested in our history - Ladies - you'll love to make a gift bow with the bow-making machine, check out nail polishes and so much more. There is that soda machine - it's just how I imagine the good ole days! Picture perfect! - across the street is a pub with an INCREDIBLE bar and more history!!!!! Don't miss it! Right on Main Street!

Holy smoke this place is incredible!!! The memories it brought back about full service drug stores…read morewas good for my brain. The brands that were in here were all from the late 60' to late 70's

Room 311 is a King, corner room. Lots of amenities in the…read moreroom. Comfortable bed and very quiet. The sink is tiny but usable. Avoid the room across from the ice machine, it's loud. I ask to move. The Denny's closed so find a place across the street. I had a fantastic Chicken Parmigiana at Mr. Ginos

My wife and I spent two nights here while on a long weekend road trip from Vegas. Our room on the…read moretop floor (6th) was comfortable and fairly quiet as long as we didn't turn on the noisy, rattling AC unit. Fortunately at 6,000 ft elevation, it didn't get to hot for us. There is a single, groaning, old elevator to take you down to the smokiest casino lobby. We tried to hold out breath and run through it to the outside and fresh air everytime. There is free, convenient parking out the back of the hotel. The hotel is in the original old part of town on the west end. The town is easy to get from one end to the other so we were never more than a short ride away from wherever we needed to go in town. The staff here are friendly and generally helpful. Their lobby restaurant was closed for renovations while we were here in early June. No worries as the hotel across the street had a decent breakfast.

As a History Major in college, I found this museum to be terrific. It gave you a real…read moresense of the times and what went on in Eureka back in its "golden age" Its not just looking at items in glass cases etc. it was more like stepping out of a Time Machine set to 1870s" Opera House is another terrific restoration

The lady that was running the museum was beyond amazing and knowledgeable she showed us the museum…read moreand also the Opera House such a great experience

There are two Visitor Centers in close proximity to each other, about 6 miles apart. The first one…read moreis the Great Basin Visitor Center which has information about the park as a whole. Then, there's this Lehman Caves Visitor Center which focuses mainly on the Lehman Caves. This is the Visitor Center you need to go to in order to visit the Lehman Caves. If you wish to visit the caves, you need to purchase a ticket (which is also your reservation) and a National Park Entry Pass of some sort. I purchased our tickets for the Parachute Shield Tour online at the recreation.gov website prior to our trip here. I enjoyed viewing the displays about the caves, formations in the caves, and the wildlife. There's also a small area with merchandise to purchase. If you need something to eat, there's the Great Basin Cafe here which serves semi-quick food and soft-serve ice cream. This is a nice little place to rest before or after your tour. There is nowhere to eat, so this is would be a satisfactory option... at least for a treat! You should come to this Visitor Center even if you don't take a cave tour. There are things to see inside and outside. Be sure to take a look at the Rhodes Cabin to the right of this place. Out in back of the Visitor Center, there is a walking path which is over the cave system. You'd never know it was below you! When we went, we got to look through a telescope the ranger had set up. It was focused on a solar flare. Pretty neat!

The Lehman Caves VC is your gateway and waiting area for a tour of the caves. There are some…read moreexhibits about how the stalactites and stalagmites were formed and there are different films that run in a separate room. After checking in and getting the ticket I had purchased online, I was immediately drawn to the Winchester Rifle that was found leaning against a tree in 2014. It had been there for many decades and it's incredible that it survived the conditions encountered at this high elevation with the winds and snow/rain the area receives. The Visitor Center has restrooms and a snack bar that is open during the summer months when the park and the caves have peak attendance. I would imagine there are times when the VC is closed due to snow. While waiting for your tour of the caves, kick back, have a soda, and enjoy the exhibits. Above all, make sure you check out that amazing Winchester.

Underappreciated by its rough-hewn community, the White Pine County Library is an oasis. This is a…read more*real library*, filled with real books enriching one in knowledge. During an era plagued by "postliterate" information of increasingly dubious worth or fatuous quality, we need more institutions like this. This small town library outshines any in Clark County, the intellectually desolate hub of which is Vegas. There are classic books of all genres befitting a small town library, of course. But there also are a wide variety of offerings going back 100 years befitting a mining town and county seat, of caliber usually becoming for a library of higher education. The geological, hydrological, and geographic collection is very good. The historical records are singular and comprehensive of the area. Local papers are on microfilm, bless them. And the Nevada section is nonpareil, with some quite rare reference items. The staff keep up with the times as budget allows. Computers are available for the usual online and offline work; the internet connection is very fast fibre optic. So far as I am aware, this is the only publicly available 3D printing site in White Pine county, with printing at or close to cost of ABS, for which the staff are well trained. There is the nucleus of a makerspace here. Services for children are fun and copious. The kid's area is bright and cheersome, though could use a bit more for Middle Ages kidlit. With the park across the lane, it's a cinch for travellers to stop here for a rest. The Ely library could likewise use a few more events and services for adults. The ILL options are necessarily limited by what is tenable for a small rural library. Some more scholarly journals or deeper online access would not be amiss. But these are minor wishes cast in background of the marvellous work done by these librarians with very little support. Ely town should treasure its library far better than it does. But at the White Pine County Library, a patron is still a patron. (Not just an anonymous "customer", side glancing at you again, Clark County). Once the seriousness of a patron's interest is demonstrated, understandable given the transience of the local town population, the staff are amenable to helping in all areas of research as they can.

I travel extensively and have been in countless libraries. The Ely library I rate as one of the…read morebest due to quietness, unlimited time length permitted on the computers, lack of staff with attitudes. However, they have 1 big problem: the mice they have installed on the computers are the worst! Be prepared to waste time using them no matter how often you knock it against the table to work right. Patience is necessary. (And yes, the staff knows the patrons are fed up with the crappy mice.)

Came here for a sunrise presentation today by NP Ranger Steve as part of the 2015 Astronomy…read moreFestival. The site itself is a bit underwhelming as they excavations were re-filled and the outlines of the excavated lots "interpretively restored", so all you really see is the outlines of a cluster of mounds a short walk from the covered picnic and parking area. The sunrise, however, was absolutely breathtaking! A fabulous viewpoint to see the dawn break into day with the first crest of the sun over a postcard-worth panorama of mountain along the horizon line!

So if you don't score a Great Basin National Park campsite (which are all first-come-first-served…read morebtw), fret not because a mile up the road there is BLM Land and *plenty* of room right next to Baker Village Archaeological Site. We parked there overnight and had the vast expanse completely to ourselves. Perfectly flat, absolutely silent, and completely fee-free. We visited in mid-September and had stunningly beautiful weather (50's overnight, high 70's during the day), YMMV. I imagine it can be windy and coooold in this area and in that case tent camping would be ambitious (we were in an RV). Picnic tables and a rest room are available. Short walk to the Baker Village, an exhibit that was excavated in the early 90's, occupied by Native Americans in the 1200s, thought to be related to the Anasazi people, now referred to as the Fremont Tribe - though why it's named after a white euro American male is bewildering. Worth a quick stop if you're passing through the area, allow a half hour.