Ely

History of Ely, Nevada

Ely Nevada kicked things off with copper strike in the 1900s, which steamed up into a veritable boom with the creation of the Nevada Northern Railway (NNR). While you can’t just show up to the area’s remaining, still-operational copper mine you can still explore the NNR’s sprawling, still-working railyard. Tour 70 original buildings and structures—including a shop housing thousands of tools—while you check out 14 diesel and steam locomotives and dozens more pieces of rolling stock, some of which you can ride or even operate yourself.

For a deeper dive into the region’s history, visit White Pine Public Museum, which highlights America’s first coast-to-coast highway (the Lincoln Highway, now US-50), the Pony Express Route, American Indian art, and more with numerous artifact-packed displays. Or step into the past yourself at the McGill Drugstore Museum, located 15 minutes north, where a time capsule-esque small-town business looks exactly the same as it did when it closed four decades ago.

If you have a suitable vehicle (and you’re acquainted with Nevada’s Dirt Road Code), Ely is also close to some of Nevada’s most relic-replete ghost towns—Belmont Mill, Cherry Creek, and Hamilton—where the remains of mining operations mesmerize and conjure up both images and questions about Nevada’s unique mining-era history.

Before you hit the yard, though, be sure to swing through the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum, the rightful starting point to experiencing this property. This historic railway office invites you to pore over equipment, documents, and other artifacts that sit just as they were left more than 80 years ago, along with historic photos and other NNR ephemera. 

As Ely continued to grow, so too did its cultural richness, as people immigrated here from all over the world. The “melting pot” nature of Ely’s heyday is proudly on display at Renaissance Village, a “neighborhood” of small historic cabins, each done up differently to showcase what homelife looked like for Ely residents from various ethnic backgrounds, including English, Italian, Chinese, Greek, Slavic, and more.

Ely Restaurants

Ely’s a great place to be hungry. Some of our favorite Ely restaurants? Racks Bar & Grill for beers and bar bites, including one of our favorite chorizo burgers in the whole state. The Jailhouse Casino’s Cellblock Steakhouse for fine meals served in your own private “cell.” Economy Drug & Old Fashioned Soda Fountain for malts, sandwiches, and tons of 1950s ambiance. Evah’s Steakhouse (located inside the Copper Queen) for hearty, upscale dinner fare. And The Cup for coffee and fresh breakfast classics.

If you make it to McGill, stop into the McGill Club to clink cold ones in classic Sagebrush Saloon ambiance. And if you venture south toward Wayne E. Kirch Wildlife Management Area—where fishing, camping, and warm spring soaks abound—stop into the Whipple Family Country Store for a “Whipple Whopper” with a side of hot, crispy piccadillys dipped in homemade fry sauce. 

Events in Ely Nevada

The town of Ely Nevada goes all out with some pretty interesting and exciting annual events, starting with January’s Fire & Ice Winter Festival, where ice sculpting competitions, ice fishing, and daytime parties conclude with fireworks launched from a moving steam train and the burning of wooden art sculptures.

Living up to its role as a modern-day mountain bike mecca, Ely hosts the Fears Tears & Beers Mountain Enduro Race, the oldest race of its kind in the entire nation, founded in 2004 and flocked to by pro and amateur riders from all over the country. As well as Race the Rails, where cyclists attempt to get up the canyon west of town before an NNR steam locomotive pulling train cars packed with cheering fans.

Families are fond of the NNR’s many annual themed train rides—including Santa’s Reindeer Flyer, the Haunted Ghost Train, the Wild West Limited (complete with bandits), and a number of stargazing trains (some with complimentary champagne). The recently-created Ely Film, Art & Music Festival showcases modern and classic films around town, including at the historic, Art Deco-adorned, 1930s-era Central Theater.

Adrenaline enthusiasts can take their pick of the White Pine County Fair & Horse Races, and the Silver State Classic Challenge—the latter of which is an open-road race where any driver can burn rubber down a 90-mile stretch of State Route 318 as fast as their vehicle will carry them.

New to the scene in 2022 is the Schellraiser Music Festival, a 4-day fest bringing tons of revelers to McGill to camp, glamp, and rock out to 31 nationally touring bands in a beautiful setting—all helping to fund restoration of McGill’s historic sites and the ongoing development of the Nevada Northern Railway.