8 Old-Timey General Stores In Nevada
Old-timey general stores in Nevada were as essential to the community as silver was to the economy. Starting with the discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859, the first major silver deposit in the United States, Nevada quickly became a beacon for prospectors and dreamers. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small towns like Goodsprings, Berlin, and Jarbidge sprang to life almost overnight. These once-thriving mining communities, some now frozen in time or abandoned altogether, evoke memories of bustling saloons, hard-working miners, and the charm of old-timey general stores.
Goodsprings General Store, Goodsprings
The Goodsprings General Store is located in Goodsprings, adjacent to the renowned Pioneer Saloon, the oldest bar in southern Nevada. However, the store has had several names over the years, including the Goodsprings Café and Ghost Town Café. The Pioneer Saloon, a landmark tourist attraction in town, now owns the General Store, and the property is a designated Nevada historical landmark. Today, the Goodsprings General Store sells old-timey candy, hot sauces, Old Man Liver whiskey, shot glasses, and other souvenirs.
The historic town of Goodsprings is about forty-five miles southwest of the famous Las Vegas Strip. Once a bustling mining town, Goodsprings hasn’t reached full ghost town status yet, but with a population of under 200 full-time residents, it is often characterized as a ghost town. There are ghost hunt tours of the town, where would-be ghost hunters visit the century-old Pioneer Saloon and the Goodsprings General Store, which is rumored to be haunted by a card-cheating gambler’s ghost, whose bullet holes are still visible in the saloon’s walls. A post-apocalyptic Goodsprings set in the year 2281 appears in the popular video game, “Fallout: New Vegas.”
Berlin General Store, Berlin
During its heyday in the early 1900s, the Berlin General Store served the booming mining town’s 300 residents after silver ore was discovered in the city in 1895. Like most mining towns in the region, Berlin was suddenly on the mining map and quickly grew, establishing a 30-stamp mill, a post office, a handful of saloons, and a general store. Today, the general store is just one of the original preserved mining buildings and facilities in the abandoned ghost town of Berlin, now part of the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.
Visitors to Berlin are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the frozen-in-time town, a guided tour of the Diana Mine, and, as a bonus, explore the state park where 225 million-year-old ichthyosaur fossils were discovered in 1928. Forty fossils are displayed at the park’s Fossil House, North America's most abundant concentration of ichthyosaur fossils.
Eureka General Store, Eureka
The self-proclaimed “Friendliest Town on the Loneliest Road in America,” Eureka, is another historic mining town with well-preserved buildings from the 19th-century mining era glory days, including the Eureka General Store. Visitors can explore the 1882 Eureka General Store on the Eureka Historical Walking Tour of the town. Built by James Allen, the general store was originally the Ottawa Hotel, but it later served as a general store to cater to the influx of miners in the 1880s. The store is one stop on the map, which points out 62 historic locations all within a three-block radius of downtown Eureka.
The strike of silver-lead ore in the town of Eureka was second only to the silver bonanza of the Comstock Lode in Virginia City, cementing the Silver State’s reputation as a mining epicenter. The historic town is a popular destination for architecture, history, and mining enthusiasts, who will experience their own “Eureka!” moment as they wander past buildings like the 1880-built Eureka Opera House, the Jackson House Hotel where a ghostly “Lady in Red” is rumored to haunt the halls, and the Sentinel Museum, which housed the Eureka Sentinel newspaper from 1879-1960.
Genoa Trading Company, Genoa
Against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Genoa may be one of the only small towns not directly linked to the boom and bust era of mining in the Silver State. The town is famous for its watering hole, the Genoa Bar and Saloon, built in 1853 and billed as Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor. While Genoa no longer has a traditional general store (the Genoa Country Store closed in early 2025), the Genoa Trading Company, located in the same historic building as the bar and saloon, continues the town's legacy of hospitality. The Genoa Trading Company offers a diverse selection of locally crafted goods and modern essentials, ensuring that Genoa’s tradition of welcoming travelers and serving as a commercial hub endures.
Genoa is historically significant as the first permanent settlement in Nevada with the establishment of a trading post known as Mormon Station; it was later renamed Genoa after the birthplace of Christopher Columbus in Italy. Genoa benefited from its strategic location in the Carson Valley, serving as a supply hub for miners and prospectors traveling to Carson City, Silver City, and Aurora.
Rhyolite Mercantile, Rhyolite
Rhyolite is one of the most renowned ghost towns in the United States. Its hauntingly beautiful desert landscape near Death Valley, California, makes it a top destination for history buffs, photographers, and tourists. More than its ghost town appeal, the stunning Goldwell Open Air Museum and its ghostly white figures, which portray Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” attract visitors to the area. Just beyond the museum, the Rhyolite Mercantile, built in 1906, used to mark the entrance to town; however, the building burned to the ground during a lightning strike in 2014. The remains of other standing structures include the railroad depot, the Cook Bank building, and the famous house made from 50,000 used bottles.
Jarbidge Trading Post, Jarbidge
A little late to the party, Jarbidge was one of the last gold rush towns in the American West when gold was discovered in the area ten miles south of the Idaho-Nevada border. It’s famous for its historic Jarbidge Jail. Still, next door to the jail is the Jarbidge Trading Post, where outdoor enthusiasts drawn to the 100,000+ acre ruggedly remote Jarbidge Wilderness Area can stock up on supplies. This small-town convenience store oozes old-timey general store charm, but comes stocked with snacks, frozen foods, beer, wine, and nostalgic candy favorites.
Besides the jail, the town’s other claim to fame is that it was the site of the last stagecoach robbery in 1916, when a driver of a mail wagon was ambushed riding into town, robbed, and killed by a thief named Ben Kuhl.
General Store, Nelson
At the heart of Nelson, Nevada, is its charming old-timey general store, a must-visit destination for vintage treasures, postcards, and cold drinks. Just 25 miles from the Friendliest Small Town in Nevada, Nelson, formerly known as Eldorado, was established in the Eldorado Canyon after Spanish settlers struck gold and silver in 1859, marking one of Nevada's earliest and most significant mineral discoveries.
The general store is the perfect starting point for exploring this privately owned town, which feels like a set from an old movie with its rusted cars, weathered wooden shacks, classic gas pumps, and retro road signs. Nelson has even been a filming location for movies like “3,000 Miles to Graceland.” Beyond the general store, history buffs can tour the legendary Techatticup Mine, one of Nevada’s oldest and richest mines, featuring original mining equipment and stories of the rugged miners who once worked there.
Gridley Store, Austin
The tiny remote mountain town of Austin was founded during the silver rush of the 1860s, and is home to a historic one-story granite building known as the “Gridley Store.” Constructed in 1863, the store initially operated as a general merchandise store, selling the everyday staples of life. It later became intrinsically linked with its owner and namesake, Reuel Colt Gridley, a prominent figure during the American Civil War. In 1863, Gridley was rumored to have lost a bet that required him to carry a fifty-pound flour sack across town. He then auctioned off the sack and sent the money to wounded soldiers during the war. The sack was sold and resold several times in Nevada, California, and New York.
Today, Austin is a friendly community filled with beautiful 19th-century historic buildings and the Gridley Store, now part of the Austin Historical Society Museum. Outdoor enthusiasts can use the landmark town as a base camp for exploring the three nearby wilderness areas: Arc Dome, Alto Toquima, and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Summary
Nevada’s historic small towns are the ultimate invitation to step back in time and explore a world of rugged charm, untold stories, and old-timey general stores. From the spooky beauty of Rhyolite’s abandoned ruins to the quirky vibe of Goodsprings with its ghostly Pioneer Saloon, these spots are a dream for photographers, ghost hunters, and history buffs. With old-timey general stores packed with nostalgia, hushed conversations, and echoes of a forgotten past, Nevada’s towns are full of reasons to pack your bags and go.
