30 Amazing Hidden Gems in Nevada

Written by Bart Meeuwesen
Updated on
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Officially dubbed as the Silver State, Nevada is an arid state in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Bordered with Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona, and Utah, Nevada is also called the ‘Battle Born State’ for it achieved its official statehood during the American Civil War.

The name ‘Nevada’ is derived from the Spanish word nevada meaning “snow-covered” and was called so by the first European (Spanish) settlers who coined the state after its snow clad mountains in the winter.

The driest state in the nation, Nevada became famous in 1859 after the discovery of the first major lode of silver ore at Comstock Lode in Virginia City – a town most often regarded as the most haunted in the United States.

Did you know approximately 86% of Nevada’s land is owned by the U.S. federal government?

Las Vegas, the most-populated city in Nevada, is known as the ‘entertainment capital of the world’ and is popular among tourists from all around the world for its notorious nightlife and infamously famous casinos and luxurious hotels and resorts. It is also the most visited tourist destination in the world.

Despite its rich history of silver and its celebrated tourism industry, Nevada is home to a lot of secret spots which have managed to stay a secret all this while. Let us explore some of the hidden gems of Nevada and unveil what the state has to offer to the wanderlusting adventurers.

1. Santa Fe Saloon, Goldfield

Santa Fe Saloon, GoldfieldSource: Shinji Kawajiri / Facebook
Santa Fe Saloon, Goldfield

If you want a piece of America’s famed Wild West, nothing beats an authentic local saloon. Santa Fe Saloon in Goldfield, Nevada is not just your usual Wild West saloon; in business since 1905, the saloon is the oldest continuously operating business in the state.

A rustic one-story building with a hand-painted welcome sign, Santa Fe Saloon transports you to a different era. Old wooden spokes around the wall, floor planks, and original Brunswick bar, Julia Bullet’s bathtub, and the figurines of notable town personalities such as Wyatt Earp shout out of a time that passed by a century ago.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Goldfield was the biggest city in Nevada and prospectors from all around the world arrived here to capitalize on the town’s gold rush.

Santa Fe Saloon served as a hotspot for the riches at the time and even though that era is long gone, the saloon’s celebrated past still attracts several visitors (which is probably why they also have an attached motel now).

2. Clown Motel, Tonopah

Clown Motel, TonopahSource: melissamn / shutterstock
Clown Motel, Tonopah

Coulrophobia – the fear of clowns.

About 22 years ago, Bob Perchetti established a themed motel in the town of Tonopah, Nevada on the edge of the Nevada desert. It caters to the usual population of bikers, truckers, road trippers, and off-the-beaten-path travelers who like to break their journey here for a night of peaceful sleep and a hot shower.

All that is cool except that when you wake up in the middle of the night, you may find a CLOWN dangling from the roof above your bed. How would you like that?

Surprisingly, there aren’t too many urban legends or horror stories related to the motel, even though there is an abandoned cemetery just next to the property. But, maybe they don’t need a ghost story for they have their own collection of (creepy) glass-eyed clown dolls to thank behind being known as “the scariest motel in America” by the Roadtrippers.

3. Atomic Survival Town, Nye County

Atomic Survival Town, Nye CountySource: Federal Government of the United States / Wikimedia
Atomic Survival Town, Nye County

In 1955, the U.S. Army set off 14 nuclear bombs at the Nevada Test Site at Yucca Flat under the pretext of “Operation Teacup.” The explosions were recorded to be in between 1.2 to 43 kilotons (Hiroshima was 12 kilotons).

Two years before the tests began, the Army commissioned the construction of the “Survival Town,” a near-perfect residential town filled with buildings, stores, residential homes and even humans – well! Fake humans. Cameras were fitted across the test site to record the impact of the explosions on the building structures as well as the mannequins.

On May 5th, 1955, a 31-kiloton nuclear explosion hit the Survival town as 6,000 spectators watched from 6 miles away.

All that is left now are the remnants of some buildings and whatever is leftover of the mannequins (if at all). Public tours across the site is available.

4. Alien Cathouse, Amargosa Valley

Alien Cathouse, Amargosa ValleySource: The Alien Cathouse / Facebook
Alien Cathouse, Amargosa Valley

Nevada, with its booming tourism industry, is the only state in the United States which allows legal prostitution. But, the limitation of the industry to one state doesn’t mean that there is no room for creativity or fantasy. Alien Cathouse, in Amargosa Valley, nevada is the nation’s first themed brothel. The theme? Well, with area 51 and all other extra-terrestrial hotspots around the state, what else could it be?

Owned and managed by the proprietors of the world-famous Bunny ranch, Alien Cathouse is aimed at attending to visitors with a “fetish” for aliens. Guests can enjoy a full-service brothel and bar for as many hours or days as their pocket allows.

Designed to resemble an alien world and space imagery, the themed brothel comprises rooms which are aptly named as “Holodeck” and “Atlantis Fantasy.” However, the primary attraction at the Cathouse is the “Alien Abduction and Probing Room” which is adorned with plenty of conjugal aids resembling like they have been taken off of a genuine spaceship.

5. Nelson Ghost Town, Nelson

Nelson Ghost Town, NelsonSource: Kobby Dagan / shutterstock
Nelson Ghost Town, Nelson

Located within the El Dorado Canyon in El Dorado Mountains, Nelson was originally named El Dorado by the Spanish explorers who discovered the town in 1775. Once regarded as one of the first major gold mines in the area, Nelson now lays abandoned as a Ghost Town.

Situated a few miles away from the Colorado River, Nelson was once known to be extremely rich in gold, silver, lead, and copper. It is also the site of the scandalous Techatticup Mine, a mine most known not for its mineral resources but the endless disputes, owner disagreements, and bloodshed that it attracted.

The mines within the Canyon remained active from 1858 till 1945, and in September 1974, a flash flood wiped the whole township and claimed several lives.

Today, it remains as a wonderful photo-op site for photographers, film directors, and music video directors.

6. Lonnie Hammargren’s House, Las Vegas

 

Lonnie Hammargren's House, Las VegasSource: Ashley Summerville / Facebook
Lonnie Hammargren’s House, Las Vegas

Lonnie Lee Hammargren, a retired neurosurgeon, a politician, and the former 31st Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, is a man known for eclectic collection of artefacts and memorabilia that he has acquired over his 80 years of life.

Established in 1971, Hammargren has been living in his home-museum ever since and has been adding to the collection almost every day. The Hammergren Home of Nevada History comprises but isn’t limited to the original vault from Genoa Court House, a Winnie the Pooh collection, one of the original mock-ups of the Apollo space capsule, a mini Taj Mahal, and an indoor Barbershop Brothel.

In his home-museum basement, the artist has created an Egyptian burial chamber to be his final resting place.

The house is open for visitors every year on October 31st, Nevada Day.

7. Fly Geyser, Gerlach

Fly Geyser, GerlachSource: Berzina / shutterstock
Fly Geyser, Gerlach

Sometime about a century ago, man tried to try his luck with nature; nature didn’t like it much. And, thus came the Fly Geyser – a manmade geyser which was made due to an accident!

In 1917, during an attempt to search for irrigation water, a well was drilled on the edge of Black Rock desert, but the people soon realized that the geothermal boiling water wasn’t a fit for agricultural operations. So, they left the geyser alone.

In 1964, a geothermic energy company returned to the Fly ranch property to test the geyser for its geothermal boiling water; only this time it wasn’t geothermal anymore. So, they left after re-sealing the geyser.

Apparently, they didn’t seal well enough because a new geyser popped up about 100 yards from the original geyser and robbed it from its water pressure. Fly Geyser, also known as the Fly Ranch Geyser, has been growing substantially in size over the last forty years, and unlike other typical cone geysers, this one has multiple spouts which sprays water and steam several feet in the air.

Fly Geyser is made up of various mineral deposits but it’s ethereal greenish-reddish color is mainly attributed to the presence of thermophilic algae.

8. International Car Forest of the Last Church, Goldfield

International Car Forest of the Last Church, GoldfieldSource: Written In Silver Visuals / shutterstock
International Car Forest Of The Last Church, Goldfield

Don’t be misled by the name of the art installation for it is nowhere near to resembling any religious site, let alone a church. What the International Car Forest of the Last Church actually represents is a large field of forty painted and graffitied automobiles balanced in unusual formations.

The art installation was a brainchild of Mark Rippie who started the project in 2002, however, artist Chad Sorg of the Reno’s NadaDada Motel fame stumbled upon it on his way through Goldfield in 2004. By 2011, Sorg moved to Goldfield and started working on the project along with Rippie.

The duo collected cars, buses, trucks and vans and installed them to either vertically stand on their nose or to sit atop one another in a quirky, abstract manner. Furthermore, the junked automobiles were painted in bright colors, skulls, and even caricatures of various politicians.

Unfortunately, the artist duo split because of a fight and Rippie is serving his time in jail while Sorg is back in Reno.

The abandoned artsy junk forest still stands and welcomes passerby to have a look.

9. St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall, Las Vegas

St. Valentine's Day Massacre Wall, Las VegasSource: The Mob Museum / Facebook
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall, Las Vegas

The Mob Museum in Vegas is a three-story building dedicated to capturing and preserving the American mob history. Among the collection is a wall most famously known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall.

Al Capone, the leader of the South Side Italians, and Bugs Moran, leader of the North Side Gang had been up against each other for several years fighting for land, hooch, and dog tracks, so much so that the locals feared getting into the mobsters’ crossfire. One of such failed attacks by Bugs Moran on a South Side Italians gang member named Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn caused several men of the North Side Gang to lose their lives.

McGurn, after consulting with Capone, plotted to have Moran and his men assemble at a warehouse on the pretext of buying fine whiskey at minimum wage. On February 14th, 1929 a group of seven North Side Gang members assembled at the warehouse for the deal. Soon after, a few squad cars pulled over and asked them to face against the wall with their hands held high – like a routine raid. Little did they know that the fake policemen were McGurn and his men.

Fortunately, Moran was running late and had spotted the squad car before he could enter the warehouse but that didn’t stop the bloodshed that came to be known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

The wall, which was once demolished, has been acquired by the Mob Museum and is on display depicting one of the most treacherous massacres in the American history.

10. Old Tonopah Cemetery, Tonopah

Old Tonopah Cemetery, TonopahSource: Christophe KLEBERT / shutterstock
Old Tonopah Cemetery, Tonopah

So, we know about the creepy Clown Motel that sits next to the cemetery but the cemetery itself is as scary as it can get. Although abandoned since 1911 (all the more reasons to be intimidating), the Old Tonopah Cemetery is located in the town of Tonopah, which although not an official ghost town, has a population of a little over 1,000.

The burial of John Randel Weeks resulted in the establishing of the cemetery; Weeks is also considered to be the first person to be buried onsite. About three hundred corpses are known to have been buried here from 1901 till 1911 after which the number of deceased outgrew the tiny land and moved to a different location.

Among the deceased are a few notable town personalities who fell prey to the inexplicable Tonopah Plague of 1902. Also resting are a group of 14 miners who died in the Tonopah-Belmont Mine fire accident in 1911.

Many believe the cemetery to be haunted (is there any other kind?), however, locals deem that the nearby Mizpah Hotel and Silver Rim Elementary School may be more haunted that the old burial site.

11. Akhob, Las Vegas

Akhob, Las VegasSource: Transparent Shades / Facebook
Akhob, Las Vegas

Glamour, affluence, and grandeur all describe a typical Las Vegas lifestyle and to stay in-sync, several business and stores attempt to fulfil the necessities of the hundreds of high rollers that visit the city every day.

In 2013, Louis Vuitton, the world-renowned fashion and luxury retail house, commissioned a permanent art installation from James Turrell, the distinguished American artist best known for his work with light and space, to occupy a hidden space on the store’s fourth floor.

“Akhob” translates to “pure water” and is a word derived from Egypt’s Amarna period. The “Ganzfield” art installation (as Turrell likes to call them) comprises several circular openings that lead you into two large chambers with many slowly changing, rotating lights. With no apparent wall edges and corners, you may find it difficult at times to find the door that you entered through – such is the brilliance of Turrell’s light fields.

Admission is free, but it is wise to call ahead for an appointment.

12. The Republic of Molossia, Dayton

The Republic Of Molossia, DaytonSource: Kevin Baugh or someone acting as an agent of Kevin Baugh / Wikimedia
The Republic Of Molossia, Dayton

The Republic of Molossia is a claimed micro nation within the state of Nevada which was formed on December 3rd, 1999. Kevin Baugh wasn’t just an ordinary child with an extraordinary dream. He, in fact, had the ability to turn his dream of creating a micro-nation into reality.

Originally known as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein through the 1990s, the nation was coined as the Republic of Molossia in 1999 with Baugh as the President. Baughston is the capital (earlier known as Espera but named after the President on his 51st birthday) and the country is spread over an acre of property which further contains the home of the President where Baugh lives with his family and pets.

Interestingly, the micro-nation falls out of American jurisdiction, doesn’t pay taxes, has its own currency (printed on poker chips), doesn’t accept new citizens, and gives you a stamp if you care to bring your passport along.

Pre-arranged tours are conducted by the President himself who is more than proud to flaunt his snappy Molossian uniform and share the history of his “nation.”

13. Devil’s Hole, Amargosa Valley

Devil's Hole, Amargosa ValleySource: Dominic Gentilcore / shutterstock
Devil’s Hole, Amargosa Valley

Amargosa Valley is known to be one of the hottest and the driest locations in the Western Hemisphere. It is also home to a vast system of water-filled caves that flow directly below the valley and houses many species of ancient fish. Devil’s Hole, a highly secured fissure, is one of the gateways of the water-filled cave system.

A detached unit of Death Valley national Monument, Devil’s Hole was listed as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1984 as it provides refuge to Pupfish, an ancient species that are dated to be over 25,000 years old and found exclusively in the waters here.

Though the actual depth and coverage of these geothermal waters have never been officially recorded, many researchers have sacrificed their lives trying!

There is a second unusual feature that Devil’s Hole is attributed with – it has the ability to measure seismic activity throughout the world, even when the activity occurs half way across the planet.

14. Lost City Museum, Overton

Lost City Museum, OvertonSource: Tadam / Wikimedia
Lost City Museum, Overton

The Lost City Museum is one of the seven state museums of Nevada and it focusses primarily on preserving the history of the region that would otherwise have been lost with the creation of Lake Meade.

Owned and maintained by the state, the Lost City Museum was originally known as the Boulder Dam Park Museum when it was established in 1935. The collection at the museum dates back to 8000 CE, particularly to the Pueblo Grande de Nevada, a site which was majorly flooded by Lake Meade.

Today, the Lost City Museum houses the artefacts that were collected from the remains of the Pueblo Grande de Nevada site as well as whatever could be recovered after the flood. A replica Anasazi pueblo cluster which was found on one of the excavation sites is the museum’s most prized possession.

15. Burlesque Hall of Fame, Las Vegas

Burlesque Hall Of Fame, Las VegasSource: The Burlesque Hall of Fame / Facebook
Burlesque Hall Of Fame, Las Vegas

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is not a museum you would like your under-18 kids to visit for it is one of the only museums in the world dedicated to risqué dancing!

Founded and curated by Dixie Evans, Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada was formerly known as Exotic World and maintains a collection of costumes, props, artefacts, and related items that depict the history of this seductive art of dancing. The museum not only intends to make space for the evolution of the American burlesque but also to provide refuge to aging performers.

Once located in California, Evans moved the site of the museum to its Las Vegas location in 2006. Exotic World was the private collection of Jennie Lee, a retired exotic dancer and was later acquired and curated by Evans, who herself was a retired burlesque performer.

Today, the Burlesque Hall of Fame comprises thousands of old stage costumes, photographs, props, and personal belongings of artists related to the industry.

16. Lehman Caves, Baker

Lehman Caves, BakerSource: IrinaK / shutterstock
Lehman Caves, Baker

Within the boundaries of Great Basin National Park lies the Lehman Caves, an exceptional cave system filled with over 300 unique rock and shield formations, animals and insects, and endless stalagmites, stalactites, and helictites. The caves are also home to a rare kind of pseudoscorpion which are restricted to the National Park ecosystem.

Inside the caves, magnificent geological formations reaching down from above and sprouting from below offer spectacular views. The Lehman Caves were listed as a National Monument in 1922 and were included in the Great Basin National Park in 1986.

Reportedly, the caves were discovered in the 1880s before which they may have served as burial ground for Indian tribes.

Guided tours around the caves are available throughout the year, except for major holidays.

17. The Simpsons House, Henderson

The Simpsons House, HendersonSource: The Simpsons House / Facebook
The Simpsons House, Henderson

Who doesn’t know the Simpsons? Even though the family is fictional and cartoonish, they have still occupied a major part of our lives while growing up, but, for Fox and Pepsi, it was more than just a childhood craze. So much so, that the companies commissioned ‘The Simpsons House’ to be constructed in Henderson, Nevada as a part of a joint promotional give away.

A full-size replica, the Simpsons House was constructed to resemble the actual house shown in the cartoon. The structure comprises the large garage, the bay windows, the front door with an unusual arch, and even the chimney (which, of course, is for show since no one needs a fireplace living in the middle of a desert).

However, the House wasn’t as well-received as the project owners thought it to be – the actual show winner traded the house for $75,000 in cash.

Since 2001, the house has been privately owned and has been repainted in beige hues (as opposed to bright hues of the house from the show). You probably can’t get inside the house but you can always observe it from the street outside.

18. U.S. Route 50, Austin

U.S. Route 50, AustinSource: Tristan Brynildsen / shutterstock
U.S. Route 50, Austin

Officially dubbed as the “loneliest road in America,” U.S. Route 50 covers a stretch of road that originates from Sacramento, California to Ocean City, Maryland crossing over Austin, Nevada.

Named so because of its lack of any form of tourist attractions, the Route was casually known as the loneliest road in the nation before the state’s tourism board caught on the title and capitalized it by making its drawback seem like the primary reason to drive this stretch of remote route. The tourism board went so far as to put signage across the route and printing “survival guides” for those who dared to traverse through the bare road.

To make the drive interesting, you could pick up a “I survived the loneliest road in America” passport book at one of the nearby stores and collect as many stamps along the way. And know that even though it maybe the loneliest, but it is also definitely one of the most picturesque routes in the country.

19. Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield

Goldfield Hotel, GoldfieldSource: melissamn / shutterstock
Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield

Situated within the ground of Goldfield, a town well-known and named after the gold rush that attracted hundreds of businessmen from around the world, the Goldfield Hotel was constructed in 1908 at the site of two previous hotels by the same name which had burnt down.

The new Goldfield hotel was built in a Classical Revival style and costed between $300,000 to $400,000. The property comprised 150 guest rooms, all of which were arranged in a U-shape so they could all have outside windows.

There have been several ghost stories surrounding the property, however, the most famous is about George Wingfield, an actual mining mogul, who, allegedly chained a young girl, claiming to bear his child, to the radiator in Room 109 at the hotel. The girl stayed chained until child birth after which either Wingfield murdered the girl himself or she died during childbirth. To add more cruelty, Wingfield apparently shoved the infant down a mineshaft located underneath the hotel property.

Rumor has it that Room 109 has always been freezing cold since then and that baby cries can still be heard coming from the mineshaft.

True or not, the Goldfield Hotel has been known to welcome several (unauthorized) ghost hunters and urban explorers.

20. Comstock Cemeteries, Virginia City

Comstock Cemeteries, Virginia CitySource: Dorn1530 / shutterstock
Comstock Cemeteries, Virginia City

At the beginning of the post, we mentioned that Nevada was officially nicknamed as the Silver State because of the lode of silver that was discovered at the Comstock Lode in Virginia City in 1859.

Aside from its gloriously shining past, Virginia City is also regarded to be the home of several fascinating cemeteries (sounds strange, doesn’t it?). Within the boundaries of the city lays many cemeteries, side by side, which have been established as a National Historic Landmark for they serve as the final resting place of hundreds of divers laborers who worked at the city during the silver rush.

The cemeteries have been divided into various groups ethically, professionally, and religiously, just like how the different societies were categorized at the time.

Once known to be a bunch of well-maintained Victorian gardens amidst the arid land of Nevada, the Comstock Cemeteries now lay partially rusted due to natural and man made damages.

21. Pyramid Lake, Reno

Pyramid Lake, RenoSource: Neil Lockhart / shutterstock
Pyramid Lake, Reno

Named after the unusual Pyramid-shaped rock formations that juts above the waterline, the Pyramid Lake is one of the most recognized sceneries in the world (yes, the one on your iPad background). Some of the iconic rock formations at the lake are known to house a rare species of Pelican. But, these factors don’t make the lake as popular as what lies beneath the surface of Pyramid Lake.

One legend has it that during the time when American Indian Paiute tribe inhabited the area, the lake was used as a means to throw malformed or unwanted new-borns in the water, hence ensuring that only the strongest lived among the tribe.

Another popular story has it that once upon a time a Paiute tribesman fell in love with a mermaid/serpent and when he brought the love of his life back to his tribe for approval, they rejected the “creature.” Enraged, the serpent cursed the entire lake. Soon after, another serpent disguised as a baby and attacked the woman who tried to feed it. The beast agreed to spare the woman’s life only if the tribe allowed it to live in the waters of Pyramid Lake eternally.

Serpents or baby ghosts, Pyramid Lake is known to claim at least a few lives (of fishermen) every year.

22. St. Thomas, Clark County

St. Thomas, Clark CountySource: K Hannon / shutterstock
St. Thomas, Clark County

St. Thomas is a little town in Clark County, Nevada which was originally established by Mormon settlers in 1865, However, the whole town submerged underwater after the Colorado River flooded the area.

At its peak, St. Thomas housed a population of approximately 500 Mormon settlers who established the community thinking they were in Utah. However, a survey placed the settlement in Nevada, a new town, and hence, the settlers were required to pay taxes, new as well as from previous years. Unable to keep up with the sudden demands, the Mormons left the town and St. Thomas was abandoned in 1871.

New settlers came in to settle after a while but by that time Hoover Dam construction began and it resulted in the Colorado River to swell up and create uninhabitable conditions for the town residents. By 1938, not only was the town abandoned, it was also drowned under the waters of Lake Meade.

Today, after the water level has drastically reduced, the remnants of St. Thomas have resurfaced yet again and perhaps, in a few years, the town can be ready for new residents again (provided it doesn’t drown).

23. Albert Szukalski’s Last Supper, Beatty

Albert Szukalski's Last Supper, BeattySource: VDV / shutterstock
Albert Szukalski’s Last Supper, Beatty

Located by the ghost town of Rhyolite, Albert Szukalski’s Last Supper is a set of twelve hooded plaster figures that stand atop the hilltop below Daylight Pass and resemble Death himself.

Named after the artist who sculpted the art installation in 1984, The Last Supper is an unusual representation that looks like a somewhat amalgamation of the desert’s heated climate and an episode of Satanic rituals. The sculptors, as Szukalski claims, takes inspiration from da Vinci’s painting of Christ’s Last Supper.

The plaster figures appear to be nothing more than just a bunch of hollow, white cloaks which are missing the human figures that they should have been draped around. Located on the grounds of Goldwell Open Air Museum, the collection received a positive response at the time of its creation, however, after a forceful windstorm in 2007 destroyed several exhibits at the “museum”, the Last Supper sits quietly on the hillside and awaits your arrival in a hauntingly beautiful way.

24. Techatticup Mine, Nelson

Techatticup Mine, NelsonSource: Chris Nunez / shutterstock
Techatticup Mine, Nelson

Nevada’s rich mining history is no secret but behind the once-affluent trade hides a treacherous past that is filled with envy, violence, feuds, and death. Techatticup Mine, in Nelson, Nevada is known to be at the center of all such criminal activities.

The discovery of precious metals such as gold and silver were established as early as the 1700s but digging didn’t commence until hungry prospectors swarmed the area in mid-1800s. Word spread fast and traders from all around the world began drilling tunnels and digging holes into the surrounding region.

The tunnels soon began serving as a refuge to Civil War deserters who used the caves to hide from the enemies as well the desert’s harsh climate. With it came endless disputes over ownership of land and feuds, one led to another and the area soon became a hotbed from all criminal activity including numerous murders in the name of land ownership.

Eventually, the area was stripped off of its wealth and Techatticup Mine was left abandoned. Years later, Werly family purchased the land and began restoring the derelict houses as well as the tunnels.

Today, the family offers guided tours of the area and are glad to share the history of the former mine as well the mineral veins of gold and silver that still remain unmined.

25. Complex City, Hiko

Complex City, HikoSource: Eric Macedonia / Facebook
Complex City, Hiko

Started in 1972 by Michael Heizer, a contemporary artist best known for his large-scale sculptures, Complex City, at 80-feet-high, a quarter mile wide, and a quarter and a half mile long, is one of the largest art installations in the world. Its estimated size makes the installation nearly as big as the National Mall, Washington D.C.

Constructed completely out of concrete, dirt, and rocks, the City sculpture has been made with as much precision as is artistically possible. Costing tens of millions of dollars, the creation of the City has been an ongoing project for over 45 years. Though the City can’t be sold, Heizer plans for it to last at least a few thousand years after it is successfully completed.

Reportedly, the energy department, during one of its aerial surveys, mistook the sculpture for a military project (thanks to its massive size).

Visitation is limited since the area is still under construction, but special permission can be requested from the artist.

26. Hand of Faith Gold Nugget, Las Vegas

Hand of Faith Gold Nugget, Las VegasSource: Helena G.H / shutterstock
Hand Of Faith Gold Nugget, Las Vegas

Although known as the second largest intact gold nugget in the world, Hand of Faith Gold Nugget is a bit difficult to find, thanks to the intriguingly confusing hallways of the Golden Nugget Casino.

Casinos, anywhere in the world, are designed to lure visitors into staying for as long as possible. Tempting cocktails, mirror-clad walls, alluring game stands, and a lack clocks all stand shoulder to shoulder as a strategy to keep you in and playing for as long as you have left even the last dime in your wallet (or bank account for that matter).

Mode through the blinding lights, continuously dinging bells, and a series of siren sounds before you find the record-breaking piece of metal lying quietly in an unremarkable hallway.

Now before you assume, the Gold Nugget wasn’t found in Vegas or anywhere in the country; it was found by Kevin Hillier in Wedderburn, Australia and was sold to the casino for over a million dollars.

27. The Bristlecone Pines of the Great Basin, Baker

The Bristlecone Pines Of The Great Basin, BakerSource: doliux / shutterstock
The Bristlecone Pines Of The Great Basin, Baker

The Bristlecone Pines of the Great Basin are known for two things – their age and their remarkable ability to survive the harshest of weather conditions. But, the organisms that are known to survive freezing cold temperatures and powerful winds couldn’t stand the human torture.

Amidst the Great Basin National Park lies two Bristlecone pine trees, one dead and another alive, known to be the longest living non-clonal organisms in the world. Prometheus, the dead tree, was studied by a group of researchers when a piece of the drilling tool broke off inside the tree. So, the researcher decided to cut the tree down. Studies showed that Prometheus was approximately 4,862 years old.

Methuselah, the living tree, is approximately 4,850 years old and stands protected within the national park.

The bristlecone pines are medium-sized and often appear extremely withered. They can withstand harsh weather but are extremely vulnerable to fire.

28. Coffin It Up, Pahrump

Coffin It Up, PahrumpSource: Coffinitup
Coffin It Up, Pahrump

Coffin It Up, located in Pahrump, Nevada is an unusual cemetery of coffins and tombstones that come from one of the most peculiar coffin-making studios in the world.

While caskets and urns have long since replaced the good ol’ coffins, Coffinwood, the cemetery surrounding Coffin It Up, is determined to preserve the old art of Obsidian coffin making as best as one could. The collection includes both actual as well as multi-purpose coffins and related accessories such as coffin-shaped tables, coffin-shaped CD cases, and any other piece of furniture that you can think of.

Additionally, the studio also specializes in creating coffin-themed accessories such as purses, jewelry, suitcases, and even cat beds.

The cemetery, an icing on the “strange” cake, houses several headstones, skeletons, real pet burial ground, and probably the world’s only coffin-shaped greenhouse.

The creator, Bryan Schoening, takes his art to an extra level by burying a coffin each year that commemorates the “passing of the previous year.”

29. Humboldt Museum, Winnemucca

Humboldt Museum, WinnemuccaSource: Humboldt Museum / Facebook
Humboldt Museum, Winnemucca

Dedicated primarily to the region’s history, Humboldt Museum is an intriguing collection of artifacts that represent Winnemucca’s timeline, including period clothing, vintage cars, antique furniture and the skeleton of an enormous Columbian Mammoth which was found in the neighborhood.

Apart from the main two-story museum building, Humboldt Museum also stretches to the 1907 St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, the 1899 Richardson- Sanders House, and the 1880’s Greinstein Building.

Reportedly, the museum once housed several remains of the Paiute and Shoshone tribal members and were displayed on request. However, they have been relocated to an undisclosed area since 2014.

Additionally, the Museum has acquired many pre-1920s buildings based on their occupancy and use and not just architectural designs. The specific exhibits not only showcase the structure in context but also the people living or working in them and any other related history.

The Humboldt Museum is open to visitors from Wednesday to Friday every week.

30. Dig This, Las Vegas

Dig This, Las VegasSource: Dig This / Facebook
Dig This, Las Vegas

A theme park specifically meant for adults, Dig This is not your usual casino or resort property located in the world entertainment capital. One of the newest attractions in the city, the site is a construction-based theme park which allows adults to operate heavy-duty machineries and participate in skill tests.

Conceived by Ed Mumm, a New Zealand based artist, Dig This was founded in 2007 after the artists realized how entertaining it could be for grown-ups to play with heavy duty construction tools.

Priced at a few hundred dollars (which is nothing for the high rollers that visit the forbidden kingdom of Vegas), Dig This covers an area of five acres and offers machineries such as Caterpillar D5 track-type bulldozers and Caterpillar 315CL hydraulic excavators.

The site also has a gift shop and offers a half-hour orientation session after which guests can dig for several hours around the vicinity. They can also take part in interesting skill tests such as skillfully plucking basketballs atop safety cones.



30 Amazing Hidden Gems in Nevada:

  • Santa Fe Saloon, Goldfield
  • Clown Motel, Tonopah
  • Atomic Survival Town, Nye County
  • Alien Cathouse, Amargosa Valley
  • Nelson Ghost Town, Nelson
  • Lonnie Hammargren's House, Las Vegas
  • Fly Geyser, Gerlach
  • International Car Forest of the Last Church, Goldfield
  • St. Valentine's Day Massacre Wall, Las Vegas
  • Old Tonopah Cemetery, Tonopah
  • Akhob, Las Vegas
  • The Republic of Molossia, Dayton
  • Devil's Hole, Amargosa Valley
  • Lost City Museum, Overton
  • Burlesque Hall of Fame, Las Vegas
  • Lehman Caves, Baker
  • The Simpsons House, Henderson
  • U.S. Route 50, Austin
  • Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield
  • Comstock Cemeteries, Virginia City
  • Pyramid Lake, Reno
  • St. Thomas, Clark County
  • Albert Szukalski's Last Supper, Beatty
  • Techatticup Mine, Nelson
  • Complex City, Hiko
  • Hand of Faith Gold Nugget, Las Vegas
  • The Bristlecone Pines of the Great Basin, Baker
  • Coffin It Up, Pahrump
  • Humboldt Museum, Winnemucca
  • Dig This, Las Vegas