You may have overlooked Virginia City because it’s in Northern Nevada. But it’s so totally worth a visit, even if you wouldn’t be caught dead in Reno.

This historic town was once one of the richest cities in America thanks to its vast amount of silver mining wealth. For a brief moment in the 1850s, Virginia City was producing enough silver to distort global monetary policy. The silver funded both the Union effort in the Civil War as well as the creation of San Francisco.

But that’s just the money side. With great wealth comes great cultural strides. This boomtown had all the excitement of the nouveau riche and the Wild West combined. Mark Twain wrote for one of the local Virginia City newspapers. Saloons, brothels and mines flourished.

While the silver eventually ran out, the fun never stopped. Today, Virginia City is an only-in-Nevada tourist attraction, with a variety of cultural experiences, historic (and even ghostly) tours, and, of course, no lack of boozing and gambling. Often, locals get into the fun by dressing in old-timey garb.

Here are a just a few of Virginia City’s must-do attractions.

Historic C Street. Las Vegas has The Strip and Virginia City has Historic C Street. Both are best experienced the same way: by strolling around with no particular aim, drinking at the watering hole that catches your eye and just having a good ol’ time.

Bucket of Blood Saloon. Anybody who’s anybody stops by this authentic saloon, which dates back to 1876. It has live music on weekends. 1 South C St., Virginia City, 775-847-0322. Bucketofbloodsaloon.com.

Bats in the Belfry: Guided Ghost Tours. You can’t make history without having a few ghosts hitching along for the ride. Have spooky fun while getting your dose of the past. $20, 775-815-1050. Virginiacityghosttours.com.

Gold Hill Hotel. Stay at the oldest operating hotel in Nevada. This 160-year-old hotel only has 17 rooms, so you can expect an intimate experience. 1540 Main St., 775-847-0111. Goldhillhotel.net.

V&T Railway. Who doesn’t love a train ride? See eight historic mines on this fully narrated train ride that departs from the original V&T Depot. This four-mile round trip provides 35 minutes of sightseeing fun. 166 F St. 775-847-0380, vtrailway.com.

Historic Fourth Ward School Museum & Archives. Tour a classroom preserved to its original 1870s state. Learn about Mark Twain and his fellow “Sagebrush journalists.” Explore an interactive exhibit about modern mining. The Historic Fourth Ward takes its historic preservation and education seriously. 537 S. C St., Virginia City, (775) 847-0975. Fourthwardschool.org.

The Way It Was Museum. Enjoy a little bit of that zany roadside attraction vibe at this lively museum, which focuses on artifacts from the Comstock Lode mining era. 113 C St., Virginia City, (775) 847-0766. Thewayitwasmuseum.com.

The Washoe Club Haunted Museum. With the distinction of being featured on both SyFy’s Ghost Hunters and the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, this museum has some serious otherworldly cred. Take a ghost tour or even conduct your own “overnight investigation,” just like your favorite televised ghost experts do. 112 S C St., Virginia City, 775-847-4467. Thewashoeclubmuseum.com.

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