With a motto of “Step Back in Time,” historic Virginia City, Nevada has never truly left the 1870s. Its main drag, C Street, is lined with false-front stores and old-fashioned saloons, vintage shops and museums that invite everyone to experience the lively atmosphere of a 19th-century boomtown. “It’s really hopping on the weekends. There are tons of events. We’ve got camel races, ostrich races, outhouse races, gunfight reenactments. There’s a little bit of a wildness to it still. It’s a taste of the old west,” says Realtor Donna Frey of Haute Properties NV, a longtime real estate professional in the Reno area.
While the city, which is less than a square mile in size, is known to draw throngs of tourists, it’s home to around 800 people, most of whom work in the tourism industry or commute to nearby cities like Reno. Homebuyers will find a close-knit community that, from some angles, appears frozen in time. “It’s really for people who want to get out of the city, who want a more rural lifestyle,” Frey says.
Virginia City is a reasonable drive to Reno where some locals will choose to have employment.
On the outskirts of Virginia City are homes on private property connecting to Nevada wilderness.
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A true Bonanza
Virginia City is a shining example of America’s iconic “Wild West” era. Founded almost overnight amid the 1859 silver rush at the Comstock Lode, it was the first major silver mining town in the country, but the Great Fire of 1875 and the depletion of the silver mines by the end of that decade led to Virginia City losing half its population. That changed in the 1960s when Virginia City was prominently featured in Western television shows such as “Bonanza.”
That transformed the town into both a tourist attraction and a place for Western enthusiasts to call home. Virginia City’s downtown area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, establishing tourism as this town’s main industry.
During the holidays the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Virginia City has Christmas themed rides.
Virginia City once had 25,000 residents who came from around the world to work in the mines.
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Homes on the range
Residents live on hillside streets overlooking Virginia City’s downtown area. Victorian homes from the late 19th century sit beside contemporary cabins, cottages and vernacular homes built throughout the 20th century. Homes in Virginia City vary in price from $375,000 to $1 million, reflecting their varying sizes, styles, ages and states of refurbishment. The median home price in 2024 sits just above $480,000.
Virginia City has large custom homes sprinkled throughout the Highlands with great views.
Virginia City sits on variable topography, with many homes lots that use retaining walls.
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Saloons and sugary treats
Virginia City is full of life, even for a town whose prime years were a century-and-a-half ago. “Shops line the way, and you can even check out old mines,” says Reno-based Realtor and local expert Joe Hanich. “The sidewalks are all wooden planks, and many houses were built in the 1800s.” Residents can enjoy lunch at the vintage Palace Restaurant & Saloon, in business since 1875, or have a “New American”-style meal at the Cider Factory. For a sweet treat, one can also stop by Red’s Old-Fashioned Candies, which offers an impressive selection of confectioneries from rock candy to peanut brittle. For more modern conveniences, nearby Dayton is home to a Smith’s supermarket, accessible within a 13-mile drive.
Virginia City has over one dozen restaurants and saloons in downtown steeped in historic decor.
Virginia City is located South East of Reno, and sits at an elevation of 6,148'.
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The wild outdoors
Outdoor recreation is an essential feature of Virginia City living. Locals can enjoy a stroll down C Street, the main commercial and historic thoroughfare of Virginia City, to visit the 1859-built Mackay Mansion. The Virginia City Arena & Fairgrounds is a local attraction that brings visitors from all over the region to its racetrack. This isn’t the Kentucky Derby though — the main events are ostrich and camel races. It’s also home to the World Championship Outhouse Races, where contestants race creatively designed porta johns through the city’s main drag sporting names like “The Butt Hut” and “Forrest Dump.” The 2024 winner: “Craptain America.” For hiking, mountain sports and skiing, residents are only 35 miles from Lake Tahoe, a nationally renowned vacation destination nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The Virginia City Fairgrounds host the world-renowned International Camel & Ostrich races.
Miner's Park is the only park in Virginia City and is large enough for recreation and events.
Residents of Virginia City are only 35 miles from Lake Tahoe and its unlimited outdoor activity.
Mackay Mansion has been featured on Ghost Adventures and is a main tourist stop in Virginia City
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Learning in a historic town
Virginia City is in the Storey County School District, which holds a B rating from Niche. Students start their education at B-rated Hugh Gallagher Elementary School and B-plus-rated Virginia City Middle School before moving on to B-rated Virginia City High School. The high school ranks among the top 25 high schools for athletes in the state, while featuring a student-teacher ratio nearly half the national average, offering more personalized education for the school’s 150 students.
The front entrance to Hugh Gallagher Elementary School in Virginia City.
The front entrance to Virginia City Middle School in Virginia City.
The front entrance to Virginia City High School in Virginia City.
Virginia City has a newly built astroturf football field highschool students can practice on.
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Happy Trails
Virginia City’s desert locale means residents will likely need a car to get around. The city is located within a 15-mile drive from Carson City and 25 miles south of Reno. Reno–Tahoe International Airport is 23 miles north via Interstate 580 and State Route 341. “Virginia City is 25 minutes from both Carson and Reno, and you’ve got an old-timey feel and so much history. It’s a completely different experience to live here, and there’s so much to do,” Hanich says.
Public safety
Virginia City features a remarkably low CAP Index score of 1, compared to the national average of 4, marking this community as one with a minimal risk of crime. The city falls under the jurisdiction of the Storey County Sheriff's Office. The county’s overall violent crime rates are slightly higher than the state and national averages, while property crimes are typically lower, according to FBI stats.
Shannon is California born and raised and moved to South Lake Tahoe in 1998 to pursue her dream of an outdoor lifestyle. She fell in love with the small-town spirit that Lake Tahoe provided and lived the young 20's girls dream. Graduating from Lake Tahoe Community College in 2001, She moved to San Luis Obispo to complete her college studies, graduating Manga Cum Laude with a BA in Psychology with an emphasis on family and child counseling and a minor in Gerontology from Cal Poly. Realizing that she was a mountain girl at heart, Shannon moved back to Lake Tahoe and planted roots. After working as a live-in care provider and probation officer for juveniles, she found her passion was in helping people locate the home base where they could raise and nurture family, so she obtained her California and Nevada Real Estate licenses in 2007. With a desire to expand her real estate knowledge and skills, she acquired her brokers licenses in both states in 2019. Working with the same brokerage firm for 16 years, in 2023, Shannon ventured out and found the perfect fit with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Drysdale Properties.
Shannon is very community minded. Seeing how small of a community South Lake Tahoe is and understanding the need for affordable housing in this day and age, Shannon, along with a group of like-minded locals, created the non-profit Tahoe Home Connection in 2018. Tahoe Home Connection was formed to unlock, utilize, and improve affordable housing for South Lake Tahoe locals in a scalable, self-sustaining way that allows for connections between homeowners, property managers, employers, and renters.. During its operation TaHoCo placed 27 individuals.
Shannon is also active in the South Tahoe Association for Realtors (STAR). serving as: Public Relations Chair- 2015-2017 Board Member- 2017-2018 President Elect- 2018 President- 2019 Immediate Past President 2020 Board member/Director at large- 2022- present
STAR Awards 2018 and 2019 Realtor of the Year
REALTOR designations Certified Residential Specialist Accredited Buyer Representative Resort and Second Home Specialist
When Shannon is not serving her clients, she can be found enjoying all that Lake Tahoe has to offer. Being an avid outdoors person, Shannon spends her free time hiking all of the peaks surrounding Lake Tahoe, Paddle boarding, snowboarding and most importantly spending time with her dog. Shannon strives to meet the needs of each client she interfaces with, going above and beyond, to exceed their expectations. She builds lifelong relationships with many clients and continues to work with them and their referrals. Shannon is an asset to the CA/NV real estate market.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
