1859 Comstock office built by George Hearst, later home of silver king John Mackay — the only Virginia City structure to survive two major fires
291 S D St, Virginia City, NV 89440
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Guided museum tours $8/adult (13+), $5 ages 5-12, under 5 free; night paranormal investigations $50/person.
Access
Limited Access
Three-story Victorian structure with stairs; uneven historic flooring throughout
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1859 · Comstock Lode Mining History · National Historic Landmark (1961) · George Hearst and John Mackay Ownership · Survived 1875 Virginia City Fire · Virginia City Historic District
The building at 291 South D Street was constructed in 1859, the same year the Comstock Lode was identified in the Virginia Range. George Hearst — father of publisher William Randolph Hearst — built the structure as administrative offices for his mining interests during the first phase of the boom. The three-story hipped-roof design with a wraparound veranda, segmental arches, and jigsaw trim represented a level of permanence unusual in a camp still measuring its future in months.
In 1871, believing the Comstock was playing out, Hearst sold the property to John Mackay, an Irish-born immigrant who had arrived in Virginia City with little capital in the early 1860s. The timing proved ironic. Mackay and his partners in the Consolidated Virginia and California mines hit the Big Bonanza in 1873 — the largest single silver strike in American mining history — and Mackay became the wealthiest man the Comstock produced. After the 1875 fire consumed most of Virginia City, Mackay moved his family into the mansion, which had survived the destruction along with almost no other original structure in the district.
The building is the only confirmed Virginia City structure to have survived two major fire events. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Period features intact on the interior include the first indoor toilet in Virginia City, decorated with gold leaf detailing, and a diamond-dust mirror in the main parlor. Archaeological work on the property has yielded 19th-century pharmaceutical artifacts.
In 1995, actor Johnny Depp filmed portions of Jim Jarmusch's film Dead Man in Virginia City and reportedly stayed at the mansion. The property has operated as a museum and private event venue for decades and now also offers after-dark paranormal investigation programs.
Sources
According to Mackay Mansion tour staff and regional paranormal sources, the front hall and vault area are connected to the deaths of two men shot by an armed guard while attempting to rob the office safe in the late 19th century. Shadowy figures described as two males have been reported in and around the vault area. The vault was reportedly staffed around the clock during the Comstock boom years, and the shooting is described in tour narrative as an occupational incident rather than legend.
The third floor generates the most concentrated reports. Tour staff identify two child presences by the names Emma and Lily, most often described as auditory — giggles and laughter heard in empty rooms — with occasional visual reports of child-sized figures. A female apparition also reported on the third floor is attributed by paranormal investigators to Mrs. Mackay, identified as the former lady of the house. Actor Johnny Depp reportedly told staff in 1995 that he saw the figure of a small girl during filming.
The apparition of John Mackay himself has been described in multiple visitor accounts as a male figure moving through the hallways and rooms. A female staff apparition in period uniform rounds out the roster. The mansion appeared on both Ghost Adventures and The Dead Files, and tour operators describe it as among the five most-investigated paranormal sites in Nevada. Bedspread disturbances, EVP recordings, and spirit-box responses are cited in investigation summaries published on the venue's social media.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
A 30-minute guided tour through the three-story mansion covering George Hearst's original 1859 construction, John Mackay's occupation after 1871, the mansion's survival of the 1875 Virginia City fire, and period artifacts including the first indoor toilet in Virginia City.
After-dark investigation of the mansion with access to all floors, including the third floor where apparitions associated with Mrs. Mackay and child figures have been reported, and the front hall area connected to the vault-robbery shooting lore.
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