Virginia City

Relive the excitement of the Gold Rush era in Montana. Our outdoor living history museum in Nevada City, Montana, houses one of the largest collections of old west artifacts outside the Smithsonian. The site consists of one hundred, 1863 to early 1900 buildings, and close to 70 Living History Interpreters. Living History weekends are held Memorial weekend through Labor Day weekend all summer long. See what the old west was really like in Nevada City, Montana!

Events are historically researched, and accurately portrayed. Events include interpretation of what it was like to really live in a frontier town in Montana. Take time out of your fast paced life to visit with the "People of the Past," period-correct-costumed interpreters will help to guide your experience, and teach you about Montana's early days.

Many people come expecting to see Hollywood style gunfights, this is not what we are about. We portray the events as they happened, in Alder Gulch, there are reenactments of hangings, shootings, and other exciting happenings but they are all historically interpreted and designed to reflect the way things really happened. When you step into Nevada City, we want you to feel as if you are stepping into another era, the sights, sounds, and smells, of the past.

The Living History program consists of thematically interpreted events that follow the time line of Montana's history. There are exciting daily happenings, skilled interpreters, live demonstrators, blacksmith, wheelwright, saloon keeper, miner's widow, laundress, prospectors, school teachers, spinning and weaving and more. There are Victorian children's programs, interpretive talks that make the past come alive for the museum guest.

We also interpret the railroad history in Montana, with a 1910 Baldwin Steam Locomotive, the train may occasionally be robbed by the Hole in the Wall Gang, just as the early day Montana robberies occurred outside of Malta and Wagner. Interpretation also extends to nearby Virginia City, look for The Montana Post printing press in operation, and American Telegraphy. The programs offered by the Montana Heritage Commission are not equaled anywhere else in the West. Plan to attend Summer 2007's Living History Program in Nevada City, Montana.

For additional event information, or if you are interested in volunteering to be a Living History Interpreter, contact Dan Thyer, Living History / Volunteer Coordinator at (406) 843-5247 ext. 206.