Belmont Courthouse State Historic Site

Belmont Courthouse State Historic Site is located in the ghost town of Belmont, Nevada about 75 miles northeast of Tonopah, Nevada. The partially restored courthouse is open to the public, and is a haunting reminder of the state's silver mining past.

History of Belmont

Belmont, Nevada, now a ghost town, was established as a silver mining community when high grade silver ore was discovered there in 1865. The town grew swiftly, reaching approximately 2000 by 1867, when the state legislature moved the county seat of Nye County from Ione to Belmont. Work began on the Belmont courthouse in 1875, and the building was finished in May of 1876. By this time, mining production was in decline, and by 1916 the town was well on its way to becoming a ghost town.

Things to see

Unlike many ghost towns in the west which consist of very little more than a few foundations, several buildings are still standing in Belmont, and the courthouse is open to the public. There are currently no tourist facilities open in the town, and gas is not available; however picnic and camping facilities exist at the U.S. Forest Service Pine Creek Campground, located 20 miles south of Belmont in the Monitor Valley.

The old west holds a special place in the national imagination. Ghost towns, evocative, mysterious and sad continue to fascinate people today. The pioneers who built these boom and bust towns are gone, but something of their legacy remains in the buildings they left behind. The Belmont Courthouse State Historic Park is a picturesque reminder of this storied past.