Virginia City

Virginia City is a preserved gold rush settlement in Madison County, Montana, located in a valley between mountain ranges. The streets are lined with roughly 150 original buildings from the 1860s that show how miners and settlers lived during the prosperous years of the boom.

The settlement emerged quickly after gold was discovered in nearby Alder Gulch in 1863. Within a few years it became the capital of Montana Territory and held that status for about a decade before economic decline followed.

The Opera House hosts performances by the Virginia City Players, keeping alive a theater tradition that has continued here for over a century. Visitors can watch local actors perform and experience the cultural rhythms that have long defined community gatherings in this place.

Visitors can walk through the preserved streets and watch demonstrations of traditional mining techniques. The town also offers places to stay in restored buildings from that era if you want to spend a night in the historic setting.

A self-appointed vigilance committee carried out summary executions here between 1863 and 1864 to impose order on the chaotic mining camp. This episode reflects the brutality of frontier life and still shapes the stories people tell about the place today.

Location: Madison County

Inception: 1863

Elevation above the sea: 1,756 m

Website: https://prod-virginiacitymt.mt.gov

GPS coordinates: 45.29420,-111.94100

Latest update: December 17, 2025 07:49