We bought our discounted tickets at the Visitor Center first & discovered our time was running out on the places we chose to see, so we unfortunately had to hurry through this tour. The building used to be the business offices of George Hearst before he left Virginia City & it later became a mansion. The thick vault can be seen at the end of the front room on the 1st floor. There are 3 floors & all the elegantly appointed rooms are packed full of rich furnishings typical of the time. It was interesting seeing the different bedrooms: 1 for John Mackay (1 of the 4 "Silver Kings"), 1 for his wife who often was not there & others for the children. We have never seen such a decorated toilet as here with flowers all around the bowl. The dining room downstairs is full of various silver sets & also has a unique chandelier. There are pretty grounds outside & plenty of off-street parking in front, a plus in this town.
Definitely my favorite stop in Virginia City. An amazing piece of history that you can walk through for $5. Built by George Hearst and later owned by John Mackay, everything is preserved in it's original form, which is remarkable. The first indoor bathroom in the western US, the silver chandeliers, and the grounds outside were all perfect. It will take you back through time.
Our docent was fabulous - he was engaging, knowledgeable and charismatic - we totally enjoyed our tour, and wish there was more of it! Well worth the price of admission to see the interior of the mansion and help support the upkeep and maintenance of this beautiful building and museum. Highly recommended!!
It was my forth or fifth time in Virginia City but my first time with just my wife. And as a history buff, I told her that this time I would like to see some museums and old buildings around there. I never heard of Mackay Mansion until then and it was just by coincidence that we passed by it and the tour guide was working on the garden and asked us if we wanted to see the mansion.We ended up in a guided tour completely funny and full of history. The mansion and its antiques are impressive although I think that some "old" furniture are replicas but I didn't want to ask. One funny and interesting thing is the "register" that he uses to store the money: it is one of the old cast iron cash registers from the beginning of the 20th century!The house is in very good maintenance, except for the backyard that needs some clean up work. There is an old carriage in the back, stored in a wood garage that need more protection. Both the carriage and the garage.One minor thing: the lightly bad smell at the main entrance.I would recommend this tour.
The tour guide interjects jokes while discussing the history of the Mackay Mansion which we found interesting. We enjoyed the tour and some of the unique items in the Mansion. The tour definitely gives you a perspective of wealth, mining and history of Virginia City.We were able to visit free since it was "Flashback Friday" : all museums are free the first Friday of the month during the summer.
This house has a lot of history! Good little tour and the money helps with the up keep, as it is privately owned.
I am very glad we stopped by this place. At first I was a little hesitant that the tour guide would talk on and on but what he shared was informative and well worth the time. We got a real sense of what silver mining could produce and found out about Mackay. The place is obviously a labor of love and well maintained. The stairs could be a little challenging for some, but you don't have to go upstairs. (I recommend you make the climb) the staff member was friendly and happy to show us around. I'd recommend this place to friends.
Virginia City, Nevada is the site of the Comstock silver discovery in 1859. The boomtown has retained much of the frontier flavor and is worth visiting for many reasons. Situated at 6000 plus foot elevation it is reached by a steep scenic road. There are many old buildings--most still in use as well as "touristy" places in town, not worth a visit. However, the Mackay Mansion is well worth a visit. John Mackay was one of the wealthiest mine owners, a fabulous character and important figure in the development of US industry. His story is engagingly told on a visit to the home he built, a mid 1800s, 3 story dwelling and complex of outbuildings locate one block east of the "main drag".
After touring this Mansion I felt I knew a lot more of the History of Virginia City...the stories were great to hear it put you back in time for sure. The Mansion its self was a little dissapointing I felt it should of been much more grand.I have toured many Mansions with rich History that were very lavish this paled in comparsion. All in all I am glad to have taken the tour for the History
The mansion is worth seeing, and at the grand admission price of $5, it's a steal. However, the guide leaves much to be desired. Before you even get started you will be assaulted with political opinions and bad Obama jokes. If you're eager to see the entire house, you'll have to wait. You'll be stuck in the back room starring at a few photos for too long while the guide tell stories that interest him, but probably not many on the tour. Again, you'll be subjected to opinionated banter and sarcasm. The best part is when you're left alone to wander upstairs and downstairs. Savor this time and take lots of photos. If you are visiting because of ghostly curiosity or haunted myth and legends, DON'T mention this to the guide. He has strong opinions about this and will proceed to slander Amy Allan from the Dead Files and the owners of the Washoe Club. Somehow his dislike is directly tied to political corruption, greed and his desire to bring prohibition back (since that worked so great last time). I'm not easily offended, but I must say I lost my cool after having all I could take of political slams, racist implications and unsupportive slander about people and other businesses. I ended up having to simply walk away from the tour. I salvaged the experience by focusing on the opportunity to see the home. I'd sincerely advise the owners of the Mackay Mansion to reconsider the tour guide. If you're goal is to keep people away and discourage historical haunted history and insult guests, he'll surely do that! I tour places for a living and this was the worst guided tour experience I've ever had!