Destination Recreation - Metropolis

 What do a group of mid-westerners do in Elko, Nevada? 

In April of 2021, My family from Indiana came to visit me. One of our favorite memories was when we decided to explore this interesting ghost town, Metropolis. We saw a picture of the remnants of the school on the “Nevada Ghost Towns” Map and decided this was going to be our daily adventure. Before beginning our journey, I researched Metropolis on Travel Nevada to learn more about its history.

What remains of The Lincoln School building in Metropolis

Metropolis is located north of Wells, just off of I-80. It’s a little over an hour away from Elko. We rode out in a medium sized sedan without having any issues. The road is dirt, but it’s not terribly washed out or overgrown. I thought it could be tricky to find Metropolis with the possibility of losing our GPS, but the school made it easy to spot from a distance. When we arrived, there was only one other visitor; so we were able to spend a lot of time exploring privately.

Remember Metropolis Plaque with artifacts found from around the area

Remnants of a Hotel Metropolis in Metropolis, NV

Taking a trip to Metropolis was a unique and worthwhile experience for my family and I. It was interesting to learn about the town's history and then build connections when we were able to see some parts of the buildings still standing there today. I found it to be more compelling than some ghost towns because of the architecture and it is still very much abandoned, isolated, and uninhabited today. We spent a total of an hour or two walking around and exploring what remains of Metropolis nearly 100 years after having residents.

Macy Rohr, Elko Naturalist, on a ladder sticking up from the ground in Metropolis

Heading to Metropolis could be a fun family excursion if you’re around the Wells area, need somewhere new to explore, in search of a neat place to take some pictures, or just looking for a day trip that won’t leave Nevada’s famous pinstripes along your vehicle. Consider bringing trash bags with you. This would be a wonderful place to have a trash clean up (just research and be thoughtful about what are artifacts and what is trash); there’s plenty of trash for the picking!  If you decide to check this ghost town out, please plan ahead and prepare and use your best judgment! The buildings are in complete disrepair, the risk of falling through the floor or having a ceiling cave in are high. Proceed with caution. For more information about Metropolis, visit https://travelnevada.com/ghost-town/the-metropolis-that-wasnt/.