Metropolis, ghost town in Elko County, Nevada, United States
Metropolis is a ghost town in Elko County, Nevada, with the remains of a planned settlement from the early 1900s scattered across the site. The visible ruins include the hotel foundation and school building, along with old street foundations and scattered debris where structures once stood.
The town was founded in 1909 by the Pacific Reclamation Company as a planned settlement intended to support about 7500 residents with modern infrastructure. The completion of the hotel in 1911 and school in 1913 marked its peak, but water rights disputes and the loss of rail service by 1922 caused rapid decline that left the site largely abandoned.
The site is accessible by nearby roads, though visitors should arrive during daylight hours and move carefully among the fragile ruins. Wear appropriate footwear and bring water, as the location sits in open desert with minimal facilities or shade.
The Metropolis Hotel opened in 1911 with three stories, electric lights, private baths, and an elevator, making it a technological marvel for its remote location. It closed after just two years and burned down in 1936, leaving only remnants of what was once considered the finest building in the region.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
