Ely-Vate Your Vacation
Ely-Vate Your Vacation
Sitting near the eastern end of “The Loneliest Road in America,” Ely is a remote mountain town of 4,000 where history, art, and outdoor adventure run deep. The town has been a destination since road-tripping became part of American culture.
A junction of three highways — U.S. 50, U.S. 6 and U.S. 93 — makes Ely about a half-day’s drive from various cities in the West..
It is Highway 50, though, the aforementioned lonely road, also known as the Lincoln Highway, that should be on every road-tripper’s bucket list. Preserved in time, but certainly not sleepy, Ely is known as a four-season mountain town with a deep connection to American history, an appreciation for arts and culture, major events, and the best outdoor recreation in the state. Ely’s importance as a rail town during the 1900s is showcased by the Nevada Northern Railway, which offers a twisty ride in an open-air car through the mountains of the Egan Range. This national historic landmark stands as one of the last operating steam locomotives of its kind, originally built to transport copper from nearby mines.
This firm grounding in successful mining played a major role in 20th-century immigrants setting their sights on Ely and the American dream. Elycame to be known as “Where the world met and became one.” People of all nationalities descended upon White Pine County at a time when the United States as a whole was becoming electrified. It was Ely copper that stretched across the country, connecting people like never before. The heritage of being a cultural crossroads is celebrated throughout the community in public art, museums, art galleries, and events.
We honor our past by continuing to write our history. Ely was the first community in Nevada to use murals as an economic development tool, and today you can experience more than 35 pieces of public art that tell the stories of people’s contributions to our community.
Exhibits showcase mining, ranching, and railroad history at five museums: The White Pine Public Museum, The McGill Drugstore, The Ely Renaissance Village, The East Ely Depot, and the Nevada Northern Railway National Historic Landmark. To experience the culture of the Great Basin’s native people, visitors are welcome to attend the event of the year, the Ely Shoshone Tribe’s Annual Pow Wow in July. There are many other cultural events on the calendar, including two that happen in August:, the White Pine Fair and Horse Races, and two days of local makers and artisans at Arts in the Park.
