Montana is known as the Last Best Place, and it’s certainly a remnant of the bygone Wild West era. But while most of our cities and towns have been renovated and replenished to the point of not being recognizable, Montana still has a few Old West gems. Virginia City is a prime example.

Virginia City sits in the Rocky Mountains in a bowl along Alder Gulch, about 65 miles from Bozeman.
Jasperdo / Flickr
It's currently known as Montana's liveliest ghost town, and it has a pretty fascinating history as well.
It all started in 1863, when gold was discovered in the area.
Jasperdo / Flickr
Word got out quickly. Before long, Virginia City was a boomtown of thousands of prospectors and fortune seekers in the midst of a gold rush.
Virginia City housed the state's first public school, produced its first newspaper, and it's where the first book in Montana was published.
Jasperdo / Flickr
As most Montanans know, it was also the Territorial Capital in 1865.

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Of course, the gold rush days didn't last, and it wasn't long before Virginia City's population dwindled. And that could have been the end of it.
Jasperdo / Flickr
But in the 1940s, Charles and Sue Bovey began buying the buildings in town, giving them much-needed maintenance and restoration.
Today, Virginia City still looks the same as it did in the 1800s, thanks to Charles and Sue Bovey's preservation efforts.
Jasperdo / Flickr
150 buildings certified by the Montana Historical Society line the streets.
The town stays open all year, but it's definitely a lively place in the summertime.
Jasperdo / Flickr
Between the penny arcade, gift shops, theater, and restaurants, there's never a dull moment.
Virginia City looks straight out of the Old West, and that's just the way we like it.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM / Flickr
And with any luck, we'll be enjoying it for generations to come.

Will you be visiting Virginia City this year?

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Virginia City, MT 59729, USA