Rhyolite is the most visited and photographed ghost town in all of Nevada, partially due to its easy access. You can drive right up to the townsite without a four-wheel drive vehicle, which is typically required to find old ghost towns in Nevada.
In 1905 gold was discovered at the northern end of the Amargosa Desert in Nye County, Nevada, and a mining camp sprang up near the Montgomery Shoshone Mine, which at the time was the largest gold producer in the area. As thousands of miners, developers, and merchants poured into the area, the mining camp was named Rhyolite after the igneous rock that is found in the area.
In 1906 Charles Schwab purchased the Montgomery Shoshone Mine and invested heavily in upgrading Rhyolite with utilities and a railroad. By 1907, Rhyolite had electric lights, running water, telephones, a hospital, school, opera house, and a stock exchange to serve an estimated population of somewhere between 3,500 and 5,000 residents. (The number of residents depends on the source of information that you rely on.)
By 1908, the best ore deposits had been depleted and the Mine's stock crashed. The mine continued operating at a loss for a time in hopes of fining another rich ore body, but by 1911 the mine closed and Rhyolite's population dropped to below 1,000 residents. By 1920, Rhyolite was a ghost town. In the years that followed, the site became known as a tourist attraction and a setting for several motion pictures.
Today, when you enter the Rhyolite townsite the first structure you encounter is the Bottle House, which was built using, as the name implies, glass beer bottles. The building was becoming structurally unstable, so the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently performed some maintenance work on the structure and replaced the roof. There is also an old abandoned truck in front of the Bottle House that photographers like to include in there pictures
Just a short distance east of the Bottle House is the infamous three-story Bank building. This is everyone's favorite building and pictures of the structure are used extensively in Nevada tourist literature. Located between the Bank and the Bottle House are the remains of the two-story school building and other miscellaneous structures.
The Rhyolite Train Depot is located on the eastern edge of the townsite and is reminiscent of the bygone railroad era. About ten years ago BLM stabilized the building and replaced the roof to help preserve the structure.
Located on the south side of town are a number of partial buildings, walls, the jail, and the red-roofed brothel. The old mine shafts are also located in this area.
And finally, located to the northwest are some old shacks of unknown origin.
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