Grab A Drink At The Historic Spot In Nevada Where Mark Twain Was A Frequent Customer
By Natasha Kayes|Published March 15, 2023
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Natasha Kayes
Author
I was born and raised in sunny Southern California and will never tire of the West Coast, although I spent several years living in Southeast Asia, about as far from California as you can get. Wherever I am in the world, I love straying from the beaten path, experiencing local life, and discovering hidden gems - camera in hand. The beach is my happy place and when I am not there (or writing), you will usually find me baking, watching movies, and cuddling my pugs. I have traveled around the country and around the world, and it never, ever gets old. Being able to combine my passion for travel and my love of writing is nothing short of a dream.
In 1859, the first major silver ore discovery in the United States was made in the area of Virginia City. It caused the most excitement since the 1849 California Gold Rush, with people moving and new towns popping up suddenly. A hotel was built on the site of the first major claim in Gold Hill and it still stands, and inside it, a historic Nevada saloon that has been called “Mark Twain’s Favorite Bar.”
This is promoted as Nevada’s oldest hotel and has, over the past 150+ years, served as a hotel, bar, boarding house, brothel, and private residence. It has also gone through periods of not being used at all.
The tiny Gold Hill Saloon on the top floor of Gold Hill Hotel looks as if time has stood still. Sitting here, it would be easy to forget how much things have changed outside of these stone walls.
You can take a seat at the original bar and imagine having a beer and a chat with the writer who would be forever known as Mark Twain.
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Samuel Clemens, before he began using a pen name that would become immortal, moved to Nevada in 1861, and spent his first year prospecting for gold and silver.
He then began writing for a Virginia City newspaper in 1862, signing his articles with the name "Mark Twain." He wrote articles about the mining efforts in this area and was a frequent guest at Gold Hill Saloon.
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Gold Hill Hotel was built in 1859 on the site that would come to be known as the Comstock Lode. At the time, shelters like tents and dugouts, as well as small boarding houses appeared as people rushed to the area in pursuit of gold and silver.
Some were referred to as hotels, but Gold Hill was the first true hotel building to be built here.
The wooden portions of the current hotel were added in 1987 as part of a renovation project, but the original brick and stone hotel building - which included rooms, the tavern, and a barber - still stands and is a designated Nevada Historical Landmark.
Though the hotel has been updated and has some fairly modern furnishings, it still oozes history and retains original elements that keep it grounded in the past.
The individually-decorated rooms have been renovated for comfort but pay homage to the origins of this historic place with antique and vintage details.
Perhaps the most modern thing at the Gold Hill Hotel is the cuisine served at the restaurant. You can enjoy an unexpectedly fine dining experience in this rustic Old West environment.
Gold Hill, located just south of Virginia City, was once a vibrant gold-rush-era home to some 8,000 residents but is now nearly a ghost town with a population of less than 200.
Mark Twain enjoyed this historic saloon in Nevada, and you can too! Have you ever heard of the Gold Hill Hotel or Saloon? Would you want to visit this historic place? You can learn more about the hotel and bar’s history on the Gold Hill Hotel website, and find out about current happenings on the Gold Hill Hotel Facebook page.
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