Ghost Towns
Plentiful, educational and fun
to visit, ghost towns in New Mexico are generally old silver
and gold mining towns. The history of the gold and silver rush
in our country is very interesting. Many of the towns listed
below are being purchased by folks who enjoy history and many
are restoring them for us to enjoy. Below you will find Internet
links that will take you to a "ghost town" directory,
as well as links to specific ghost towns. You are in for a real
"treat" of information (no "tricks" here).
- New Mexico Ghost Towns....and other little-known places - A beautiful Web site with an alphabetical
list that has information about 59 different ghost towns and
other little-known places around New Mexico. Wonderful pictures,
statistics, location and a history review. A few of the links
below will go to this site, but specifically to the town listed.
Note: sometimes this site doesn't work. Try again, it's worth
it.
- Alma - Ghost town, seven miles north of Glenwood, NM
via U.S. 180.
- Chloride - Pioneer
Store Museum - Visit the Pioneer Store built in 1880,
and closed after the silver boom with all the furnishings, merchandise,
and records left inside. A fascinating and unique collection
of life in the days of silver mining. Take the self-guided walk
down Wall Street and see some great original buildings and the
"hanging tree." Stay overnight in the first building
in Chloride, or in the RV park. Located near the Gila Wilderness,
just 42 miles northwest of Truth or Consequences via Interstate
25 and N.M. 52. Open 7 days a week, 9am to 4pm. For more information,
please contact edmund@zianet.com
or call. Chloride, NM (505) 743-2736
- Clairmont - Ghost
town, 19 miles northeast of Glenwood off U.S. 180 via
FR 119.
- Cooney Camp & Cooney's
Tomb - ghost town
located 15 miles northeast of Glenwood, in Animas, NM. Take
the road up to the fishing creek. The tomb is on the right. For
more information contact: Glenwood
Area Chamber of Commerce (505) 539-2711
- Elizabethtown -
Ghost town, 5 miles north via N.M. 38. Eagle Nest, NM
- "Ghost Towns" -
the ever popular ghosttowns.com site - another great ghost
town site that includes the whole Western United States. You
navigate your way to all kinds of information about ghost towns,
including some virtual tours. A really neat site! I've made it
where you start in New Mexico!
- Graham - ghost
town located 7 miles northeast of Glenwood, NM For more
information contact: Glenwood
Area Chamber of Commerce (505) 539-2711
- Granite Gap
- Explore the mysteries
of geology, by going 800 feet into a mountain! Dubbed the "Granite
Gap Ghost Mining Camp," this is the site of an old silver
mine. It's a great place to go rock collecting, treasure hunting
for legendary missing gold bars and mine touring! Open to camping,
hiking, cave exploring, gold panning, even learn how to carve
your own arrowheads! Granite Gap is open October 1 to June 1,
9am-5pm, Wednesday through Sunday and by appointment at other
times. Contact us at: granitegapmine@yahoo.com. Located west
of Lordsburg & north of Rodeo, NM (505) 854-3225
- Hidalgo County Ghost Towns - an interesting web site about this
New Mexico county that includes information about some of their
ghost towns and cemeteries.
- Kelly - Ghost
town that was a former mining operation. Rock hounding, picnicking
and hiking are all available in Kelly. 3 miles southeast of Magdalena
on FR 505. Magdalena, NM (505) 854-2401
- Kingston - Known as the gem of the Black Range, Kingston
was the largest city in New Mexico - in 1890! At the height of
its silver mining boom, the population of Kingston topped 7,000
folks, beating Albuquerque by about 1,000. In its heyday, numerous
hotels played host to the likes of President Grover Cleveland,
Mark Twain, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Black Jack Ketchum,
and, of course, Billy the Kid. There were stage lines, 23 saloons,
a bank, 14 grocery and general stores, 3 newspapers, a brewery
and an opera house. Today, only a few buildings remain such as
the Pretty Sam's Casino, which is now the Black Range Lodge Bed
and Breakfast; the old Assay Office, which is a private residence;
The Percha Bank and Post Office. The bank now has a lovely museum
open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted. Visit
the museum on Friday, Saturday and Sunday's, 10am-4pm, during
the Summer months, but visit Kingston anytime of the year and
take a historic walking tour. For more information about the
tour or about the restorative projects at Kingston, visit with
Mark or Marilyn Nero at mark@cranberrypress.com.;
Friends of Kingston, NM, HC66 Box 119A, Hillsboro, NM 88042 (505)
895-5032 www.perchabank.com
- Lake Valley - Ghost
town, 17 miles south of Hillsboro on NM 27 (505) 895-5603
- Loma Parda - Ghost
town, 26 miles north of Las Vegas via NM 65 Las Vegas, NM
- Madrid - a revitalized old coal mining town from the
civil war & building the Santa Fe Railroad eras. Now with
artists, jazz & bluegrass concerts, coal mining & antiques
museums and adventure. Located in north central NM not too far
from Rio Rancho in Madrid,NM Museum contact (505) 473-0743
- Mogollón -
Ghost mining town nestled in the beautiful wilderness of the
Gila National Forest. See the Silver Creek Inn, Mogollon Rock
Shop, Morgan's Old Kelly Store, Mogollon Museum, Purple Onion
Cafe, art, American pottery, rustic and eclectic furniture. Drive
west from Glenwood via U.S. 180 for 5 miles then right on N.M.
159 (Bursum Road) for another 9 miles. Sometimes winter weather
makes it hard to get to. Mogollon,NM (505) 539-2015 Mogollon
Enterprises
- Other Ghost Towns, Mining Camps &
Interesting Sites of Sierra County, NM
- Shakespeare -
Ghost town! Tour the Butterfield Stage Station, Grant House Saloon,
Stratford Hotel. Old Mail Station, Powder Magazine Assay Office,
Blacksmith Shop and other points of interest. See authentic reenactments,
a real blacksmith at work, hear history and stories of the real
West. See the Jim Emanuel Western Gun Collection. Bring your
camera, sunscreen and walking shoes. Admission $4, $3 and free
under 6. Open for tours two weekends a month and by appointment.
2 ½ miles southwest of Lordsburg. Take Exit 22 off Interstate
10. Near Lordsburg, NM (505) 542-9034
- Steins - Ghost town, 20 miles southwest of Lordsburg
off Interstate 10 at Exit 3. Near Lordsburg, NM (505) 542-9791
- Virtual Ghost Town Tour - by Cyber
Maze Travelogues. A picture tour of 14 ghost towns and graveyards
in New Mexico. It's nice!
- Winston - Ghost
town, 38 miles northwest of T or C via I-25 and N.M. 52. Near
Truth or Consequences, NM
.
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