Mine Under the Ponderosa Saloon

Virginia City, Nevada

Back in the 1850s Virginia City was riddled with tunnels dug by miners seeking gold and silver. The Best & Belcher mine wasn't profitable then, and didn't become profitable for another 120 years. That's when the owners of the Ponderosa Saloon realized that they could easily dig a shaft from their bar to the defunct mine and open it as an attraction.

The mine isn't particularly long, but it is exactly what you'd expect an old Wild West mine to look like: dark, cramped, with wooden beams that hang so low that tour-goers are given the option of wearing hard hats. Guides supply colorful stories of grizzled miners and their hard lives. And for convenience of access, it can't be beat.