Overview
Nevada City is in southwest Montana. It is considered a ghost town.
1 sights · 1 things to do · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Nevada City
Nevada City Old Town Museum and Music Hall
Outdoor museum with massive collection of Old West artifacts. There are 100 buildings from 1863 to early 1900s. Entrance are has extensive collection of music machines.
River of Gold
Exhibits of mining equipment and a gold panning experience. Admission includes vial for your gold and garnet treasures.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 14°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Bozeman)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BZN Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Bozeman — 51 mi away. Directions
- BTM Bert Mooney Airport, Butte — 52 mi away. Directions
- BOI Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field, Boise — 242 mi away (major hub). Directions
Airports are available at Bozeman and Butte.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Nevada City Old Town Museum and Music Hall
- Afternoon River of Gold
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Visit the Star Bakery for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the summer season.
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
There are only a few active businesses in Nevada City. There are a total of 108 buildings in Nevada City, 14 of which are original structures. Many of the historic structures were relocated to the area by Charles and Sue Ford Bovey of Bovey Restorations and placed on the historic street plan of early Nevada City.
Nearby Virginia City, another fantastic historic town, has many more active business.
Nevada City was part of the Montana Gold Rush and a prominent area of the Wild West days. It became one of two major trade centers for the gold mining Alder Gulch Region, with its sister city of Virginia City
Nevada City has been the filming location for many western movies including Missouri Breaks, Return to Lonesome Dove, Little Big Man and Thousand Pieces of Gold.
Get in
Airports are available at Bozeman and Butte.
Nevada City is 1.5 mi from Virginia City, Montana on Hwy 287. Parking is in front of the Nevada City main street, and RV parking is available near the Train Round House and Nevada City Depot.
The open air town site can be accessed during the summer season daily by paying admission at the Montana Heritage Commission's Museum entrance.
Get around
A small train connects Nevada City to Virginia City, another. Both towns are only several blocks long and should be walked.
See
Do
The living history events at the Museum are a must see. They are held every weekend in the summer with a specific, changing theme for each weekend. Enjoy historic craft demonstrations, first person interpreters, foodways demonstrations and accurate portrayals of the areas history. You can get hands-on experiences of the Wild West. There is also an All Hallows Eve event held in October.
The area is also the staging area for Alder Gulch Shortline Railroad with a track that extends the 1 ½ miles between the Nevada City and Virginia City town sites.
Buy
The Nevada City Museum has tourist items.
Eat
Visit the Star Bakery for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the summer season.
Drink
Be sure to grab a sarsaparilla or other soda inside the historic saloon!
Other drinks can be purchased at the Star Bakery, the Nevada City Coffee Shop, and museum gift shop.
Sleep
Lodging is with Alder Gulch Accommodations, Nevada City Hotel and Cabins, and Just an Experience Bed and Breakfast. Many guests chose to spend their nights in area lodging in Virginia City, nearby Ennis, or Alder.
Go next
- Bozeman, 70 miles east. Larger city. Has Museum of the Rockies with the largest collection of North American Dinosaur fossils in the US.
- Yellowstone National Park, 90 miles south
Nearby
Virginia City
City / town · 7 listings · 2 mi away
Big Sky
City / town · 10 listings · 29 mi away
Dillon
City / town · 25 listings · 33 mi away
Three Forks
City / town · 12 listings · 45 mi away
Belgrade
City / town · 6 listings · 50 mi away
Bozeman
City / town · 48 listings · 52 mi away
Butte
City / town · 54 listings · 55 mi away
West Yellowstone
City / town · 27 listings · 61 mi away
My experience
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