Goldfield Hotel

Goldfield Hotel

The Goldfield Hotel opened its doors in 1908, just a couple of years before the town’s mining boom was over. Called in its day “the gem of the desert,” the lobby had luxurious mahogany paneling, the rooms had steam heat and telephones. The hotel survived the disastrous fires and floods that have returned to the desert much of what can be seen in this 1909 photograph of the town. The hotel is shuttered.

click for VR
Click the image above to enter the virtual-reality tour in a new browser window.
Double-click for full screen view.

Click and drag to view Goldfield during its bonanza days, and the present-day Goldfield Hotel.
Find the red hotspot for the Goldfield Hotel. Once you enter the hotel, you can locate hotspots that will ultimately lead you to the “haunted room.” Other hotspots link to remnants of Goldfield’s railroad history.

Between 1903 and 1940, Goldfield’s mines produced more than $86 million—close to $2 billion in 2023 dollars. With 20,000 citizens, by the end of 1907 the town was served by three different railroads.
Much of the town was destroyed by a flash flood in 1913, followed by a devastating fire in 1923. But the Goldfield Hotel, along with the high school and several other buildings survived and remain today. Not quite a ghost town, Goldfield today has a population of around 250.
The Esmeralda County Courthouse, also in Goldfield, may be explored here.

Postcard of the Goldfield Hotel

Postcard of the Golfield Hotel, c. 1915

The Goldfield Hotel was designed by architect George E. Holesworth and built by prominent local businessman George Wingfield, who is connected in folklore with a heinous murder committed in the hotel’s “haunted room.” More about this folklore, and the history of the hotel, may be read here.
It had 154 rooms, each with its own bathroom, telephone, and electric lighting, which was a rare luxury in those days. The hotel also featured a restaurant, a bar, a billiard room, and a ballroom. The Goldfield Hotel was a popular destination for wealthy travelers and celebrities, including former President Theodore Roosevelt, who stayed there in 1910.
The hotel’s fortunes, however, began to decline after the mining boom ended, and by the 1940s, it had fallen into disrepair. In the 1980s, the hotel was purchased by a private owner who planned to restore it to its former glory. However, the project stalled, and the hotel remained abandoned for many years. During this time, it gained a reputation as a haunted location, and it was featured in several paranormal investigation shows. In 2018, the hotel was sold again to new owners who planed to complete the restoration and reopen it as a luxury property. The project is ongoing, and the hotel remains closed to the public (2023),

The gallery below features a variety of images, some historic, some merely quirky, found in Goldfield. The photographs of vehicles planted in the ground were made at Goldfield’s “International Car Forest of the Last Church.”

The archival panorama image that begins the virtual tour is from the Library of Congress. It has been processed to remove image defects, enhance its detail, and to add color to the hotel building.

21 Comments
  • Eva La Rue
    Posted at 12:03h, 23 December Reply

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8776079/edward-connolly

    The Connolly family had more than one Edward, Timothy, James, etc. In each generation. It looks like the Edward who married Mary Voss or Vose, died in California in 1904, She then married his brother, Timothy. This was common practice back then. The Connolly family has quite a Goldfield, Nevada history and I think we’re friends with the Mary Sigmund and Fred Arnold family that lived there during the same time.

  • Vicky Graves
    Posted at 20:29h, 13 May Reply

    This is Vicky, I didn’t realize that I always thought that Edward was the one who was the Judge from the stories from the family I didn’t realize until now that my great grandmother had Married Edward and when he died then married his brother Timothy.Does anyone know how Edward Connolly died and where. We are trying to find out more about him. I have articles on Timothy Connolly. My Grandfather wad James Connolly and my mother was Jackie (Bea) Connolly Demarinis.

    • Danny Connolly
      Posted at 18:27h, 19 April Reply

      Vicky, visit Goldfield Mowhawk Mine.And images. Grandpa Tim Connolly is on the far right 1906. He was the superintentent He was36 yrs. old back then . Danny 🙂

  • Beverly Roberson Moncrieff
    Posted at 08:29h, 18 April Reply

    Hi! My grandmother and grandfather, Amy and Haywood Roberson, brought their two children Alvin Clifton (Cliff, my Dad) and Roberta Roberson (Childers) there from Ouray Colorado in about 1906. My Grandfather served as County Clerk and Treasurer until his death from an accident near the school in 1928, when my Grandmother succeeded him until her retirement in the 1940’s when she moved to join her daughter Roberta Childers in Fallon.
    My mom and married in Tonopah where I was born 2 years later.
    I love the pictures of early Goldfield, as well as books of its history. I recently enjoyed some time at the Nevada Historical Society in Reno where I found copies of articles written by my aunt Roberta Childers for the Nevada Magazine about early days in Goldfield. I remember visiting my Grandmother in Goldfield during vacation days..

  • Charlie Love
    Posted at 15:23h, 08 February Reply

    I’m writing a book set in Goldfield in the year of 1908. It should be out toward the end of 2014

    • Beverly Roberson Moncrieff
      Posted at 08:30h, 18 April Reply

      I’ll really look forward to reading this when it comes out…

  • Tom Lorenz
    Posted at 13:36h, 23 October Reply

    My Grandfather’s sister(Lucy Heslip) was murdered August 17, 1909 in this city.

    • Christian Lauderdale
      Posted at 22:49h, 30 July Reply

      The murder of a woman at that time must have caused quite a bit of community uproar.

  • ron
    Posted at 02:30h, 21 June Reply

    u can see the inside of the hotel on a episode of state troopers t v show starring rod cameron from the late 1950’s

  • robert
    Posted at 22:41h, 28 January Reply

    i saw the goldfield hotel, for the first time, on an episode of ghost hunters the other night. it looked like a really cool piece of our western american history. it would be so very cool if it would be restored but not over restored. made to look like it did then not modern. i would definately stay there if it was possible. too many times you see old buildings falling down or being demolished. there’s an old one room school house in the small village i live in that is still structurally sound. it was built in the very early 1800’s and was the first school in the county. it’s a lot larger than most one room schools and still had the huge blackboard hanging on the wall when i was little. i wish it would’ve been restored and made a historical building. i hate to see the old buildings of our countries past dissapear.

  • Carlene
    Posted at 15:19h, 23 May Reply

    I sometimes cruise around on Google Maps Street View when I’m bored. Today I was looking at buildings in Goldfield, Nevada. I went to the old high school and had to take a closer look because it appears there are 2 women standing inside the front door looking out. I showed my mother and she pointed out there are more than 2, and they look like children.
    There are no other people, no cars and the gate is closed…so it appears there is not a tour happening. (sign says “Tours on Saturdays).
    IYou can see it yourself on the site (Google Maps). Just type in “Euclid ave. Goldfield Nevada” in google maps…then drop your orange guy on the street in front of the building. They are in the shadows of the front hall.

    I thought someone out there may find this interesting….if you don’t already know about it.
    Have a nice day,

    • Travis
      Posted at 22:06h, 28 September Reply

      Hi Carlene,
      I looked at the photo on google maps and looked in the door way there appears to be 3 women high school age or older from what I can tell, I was puzzled by this as well but on further searching the area I found what looks like a state inspectors vehicle and another black SUV just to the left of the building. Even though it looks like all the gates are closed if you look at the fencing on the right hand side when you are looking at the back of the vehicles you can see the fencing is rolled back somewhat on the second to last section. But it is still a great find because if you don’t zoom in on the door you would never see them at all. Pretty cool in my book still, be it people or apparitions either way.

      Now as for the Goldfield Hotel I would like to see this building restored back to new. Even if I never spent a night their(due to my fears) I would like to at least see what it was like to go into a place that was restored back to new but kept its original feel that to me would be awesome.

      Sincerely,
      Travis

  • Brian Johnson
    Posted at 18:03h, 21 February Reply

    My first trip through Nevada in About March of 1982 brought us through the small town of Goldfield and a hot day required a cold Beer and some visiting with some fo the local people. I was totally in awe at the hotel and walked around it many times asking myself “why has no one began to restore this beauiful structure” . About two years later we again drove through the town and at that time I think I read an ad in a paper possibly in Tonopah looking for investors to start on a restoration, and that made me think “right on”. Having taken some pictures and kept them in a photo album It was brought to mind on more than one occasion. At another time don’t remember but we were there again and a restoration had started but it looked like it had come to a halt. Last spring I had some friends check it out again for me and they brought me more photos and a book -The Goldfield Hotel-gem of the desert by Patty Cafferata-have read it twice and sincerely hope some day to return to Goldfield andbe able to walk in that gorgeous front entry and get a room and stay for a few days and snoop around the whole local area. Truly Beautiful and I hope the dream that many have had will come true.
    Sincerely
    Brian

  • laura
    Posted at 15:41h, 11 November Reply

    my great uncle lived there in until 1911, and i love seeing what the town looked like!!!!

    • Vicky Graves
      Posted at 17:42h, 18 January Reply

      Laura, I was happy to see some of the photos they have on here also. My Great Grandfather Edward Connolly was a Judge in Goldfield, I have a few photos of the area and one of Modock Mine, not sure what the family had to do with it but I heard a lot of stories about Goldfield and starting to search for more information.

      • Eddie
        Posted at 16:53h, 24 March Reply

        Vicky, Edward Connolly’s brother Tim Connolly was a Justice of the Peace. And have been researching the family history as well. It is believed Tim Connolly & his wife Mary Jane Vose built the Goldfield Hotel.

        • Danny Connolly
          Posted at 22:45h, 22 July Reply

          Tim Connolly was my grandfather.He was the Justice of the Peace.And passed away in his sleep in his room at the court house in 1948 at the age of 78. My grandmother passed away earlier at the age of 76.Both of them and my uncle George are buried at the cemetary.

          • Eddie
            Posted at 10:57h, 05 September

            DAnny, here’s my email address: Please e,ail me as I would like to correspond with you regarding the family history.
            Thanks, My great grandfather was James Timothy Connolly b. 19 APR 1897. Died 2 JAN 1939 Redding,Shasta,CA
            Eddie

          • Vicky Graves
            Posted at 20:41h, 13 May

            Hi Danny
            Not sure if you remember me I am your cousin, Jackie Demarinis was my mother. We use to go on picnic and other famililygatherings i rember Patsy and Jerry, Dale and i were always together and Terry was always teasing all of us younger cousins and called me Vicky Lee pickle butt. I am intetested in seeing what you have . I really loved your Mom and Dad. I know Uncle Cal was my moms favorite Uncle and her godfather. I do have some picture of both your mom and dad if your interested..

      • danny
        Posted at 18:16h, 10 May Reply

        Hi Vickie .Remember uncle Burr ? 🙂

  • Alan
    Posted at 18:37h, 17 October Reply

    Very cool!!! What an excellent piece of American history. I wish there were more pics of Goldfield as it is today and I sure would like to restore this old hotel to it’s original glory. I know there wouldn’t be any money in it but so what? Some things you just do for the love of it. If I ever hit the lotto…… Anyway, thanks for the tour…: )

Post A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.