Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Side profile of the bomb prototype.
Petwood Hotel Bouncing Bomb
RAF Harrington
RAF Harrington
The Beaux-arts interior with Pool layout still visible.
Écomusée du fier monde
Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
about 9 hours ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
1 day ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
1 day ago
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Nevada Tonopah Tonopah Mining Park
AO Edited

Tonopah Mining Park

An errant donkey ushered in a new era of mining in Nevada.

Tonopah, Nevada

Added By
Molly McBride Jacobson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Inside a Tonopah Mining Park building.   Dylan Thuras
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Mine cart tracks at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park   Dylan Thuras
  Louchebonvivant / Atlas Obscura User
Inside a Tonopah Mining Park building.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park   Dylan Thuras
A horse drawn ore wagon.   Dylan Thuras
Mine shaft at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Mining tools at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
A mine at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Overlooking Tonopah from the mining park.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Inside a mining building.   Dylan Thuras
Big Operators. These are signatures of men that controlled rich mines of Tonopah and Goldfield. Jon Aurich collection.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
This original photograph shows the famous Montana Mine in its prime. Jon Aurich Collection.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
The Belmont Mine. This famous mine was the scene of a terrible mining accident. In 1911, the working of this mine caught fire and 17 miners died. Tag Circa 1905.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
Tonopah Liquor Company. This rare key tag was from the Tonopah Liquor Company. The building is still standing. Circa 1906. Jon Aurich collection.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The story goes that in 1900, miner Jim Butler was angrily chasing a runaway donkey, picked up a rock to throw at the animal, found it surprisingly heavy, and realized he had stumbled upon a wealth of untapped silver ore.

Putting the "rush" in silver rush, Butler quickly filed claims on the land, leased it by the foot (the deals were sealed with a handshake), and started the silver boom that put Tonopah on the map.

In the following years miners flooded in, and the mining park was sold and divided between a number of investors. The silver rush declined after a couple decades, but the town took pride in its mines and preserved them for posterity. The total sum of precious metal mined at the Tonopah Mining Park is valued at more than a billion dollars in modern currency. 

Today, the mining park is an interactive outdoor museum. Visitors have free reign over most of the park. They can explore all the buildings, the mine shafts, and much of the original equipment that pioneered mining technology. There are also occasional events at the mining park, including historically accurate mining competitions and blacksmithing classes. 

Related Tags

Mines 19th Century Prospectors Silver Museums Travelnevada

Community Contributors

Added By

Molly McBride Jacobson

Edited By

hana, mocountrygal, Louchebonvivant, Florence Mine

  • hana
  • mocountrygal
  • Louchebonvivant
  • Florence Mine

Published

August 8, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.tonopahhistoricminingpark.com/
  • http://www.tonopahnevada.com/attractions.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonopah,_Nevada
Tonopah Mining Park
110 Burro Avenue
Tonopah, Nevada
United States
38.069771, -117.230445
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Mizpah Hotel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Clown Motel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Old Tonopah Cemetery

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tonopah

Tonopah

Nevada

Places 9
Stories 2

Nearby Places

The Mizpah Hotel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Clown Motel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Old Tonopah Cemetery

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tonopah

Tonopah

Nevada

Places 9
Stories 2

Related Stories and Lists

Tonopah Mining Camp

Podcast

Sponsored by Travel Nevada

Related Places

  • Huntington, West Virginia

    Heritage Farm Museum & Village

    Step back in time to explore 19th-century Appalachian life, from blacksmiths to Model Ts.

  • Portumna, Ireland

    Irish Workhouse Centre

    A well-preserved, 19th-century Irish workhouse recounts a grim time in the country’s history.

  • Pocahontas, Virginia

    Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine

    A literal in-depth look at one of the United States' most cherished coal mines and the questionable working conditions of its laborers

  • Entrance to the Peak District Mining Museum

    Matlock Bath, England

    Peak District Lead Mining Museum

    Explore the history of mining in this museum, or in a real mine from the 1920s.

  • Ore cars.  Each held about a ton of rock, and a worker (“mucker”) was expected to fill about 16 in a shift.

    Leeds, Utah

    Silver Reef

    A mining camp built around an unexpected occurrence of silver.

  • West Virginia Mine Wars Museum

    Matewan, West Virginia

    West Virginia Mine Wars Museum

    Dedicated to the largest armed uprising in American history since the Civil War.

  • Mill ruins.

    Millett, Nevada

    Ophir

    A difficult trail leads to interesting ruins in a remote canyon in the Toiyabe Range.

  • Crusher.

    Park Hills, Missouri

    Missouri Mines State Historic Site

    Rusted and decayed, this former mining site is a portal to the past.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.