ponderosa saloon

Great little bar on the towns main street. Nice artifacts from the old mining days to see along with a neat old bank vault and the best part is the mine tour. Mine starts inside the bar and only costs a couple of bucks. Well worth the half hour or so.

The saloon includes a six dollar underground mine tour and being as the entrance was at the back of the bar, I wasn't expecting much but my expectations were exceeded. It was not only bigger than I expected but the tour guide made this is a five star attraction for me. The guide not only looked the part but he was very informative and entertaining. Definitely recommended.

I see many complaints, but how often are you going to be able to visit a mineshaft with a tour in the back of a bar? A little piece of history, interesting as how this town became to be, and why complain about the cost of a tour that cost you the same as the beer that you bought when you came into this place? For a few bucks, you should see this place. Something to remember and the history is great.

Went to this saloon to see the mine tour. The saloon has many exhibits of the old west, from guns to gems labeled from where they came. The tour is $6.00 per person, a reasonable fee for a mine that only took out a little over $400.00 in its day, making more on the tourism industry now! The tour was average, nothing great... The whole town of Virginia City seems to be in disrepair, maybe past its hayday. Now I understand why locals weren't excited when we stated we were going there.

cool guns in glass cases in back. wonder if we should have done the other mine tour. this was interesting though and it's amazing how they keep the history alive in this town.

Very informative tour of a mineshaft. Mark did a great job of telling us about mining and it's history and did it in an entertaining manner. The exhibits in the bar were varied and worth seeing.

We headed up on a rainy day hoping it would not effect our experience. It did not what a wonderful place. The tour was about a half an hour and the guide was full of information. He knew about the town and the mines it was built on. This is a must do if you visit Virginia City.

Great service, cold beer, awesome, nostalgic atmosphere, and historic artifacts and mine shaft! They have reasonable prices on snacks and drinks, a pool table and live music for entertainment, an old bank vault with historic photos an info., and overall a great historic feel as if you are back in the Old West! Well worth the stop, especially if you love Old West history and you are a fan of Bonanza!

The mine is located at the back of the Ponderosa Saloon in Virginia City. The tours run approx every half hour and last about 20 minutes. The tour guide was humorous and, when he realise that my husband and I are English, offered to convert all of the measurements into kilos for us! The cool if the mine was a lovely break from the oppressive heat of the day.We stopped for a drink in saloon afterwards. Overall, a pleasant experience.

The mine tour is led from the back of the Ponderosa Saloon....the tour guide was very informative telling us of the history of the mine and the area as he led us through some mine tunnels. An educational and enjoyable experience!

It was like visiting the Pondorosa. The names and places brought back memories of watching Ben and his son's Sunday night on Bonanza. Nostalgia personified!

The Ponderosa Saloon was the highlight of our trip to Virginia City! We spent an entire day wandering Virginia City, and stopped at the Ponderosa Saloon to cool off and have a glass off "Pondo Drool Pale Ale", a speciality beer created by the owner in honor of his gorgeous Saint Bernard dog. The Saloon itself is an interesting old historic building, with original bank safe, wooden bar with brass rails, and wooden floor. The atmosphere was low-keyed, welcoming, relaxing, and comfortable; the staff were friendly and responsive. Big fans cooled the room, and we felt that we had stepped back in time - we could imagine relaxing there after a hard day's work in the mines. To our delight, the Saloon's mascot, Pondo the St. Bernard, arrived and promptly greeted every customer! She is a beautiful, affectionate puppy (6 months old in Summer 2009). We played with her a bit, then took the mine tour. The tour guide (who looked like Santa Claus!) was well educated, informative, and funny. The tour takes visitors back into an old mine, where you can see how the miners spent most of their days, in dark, dusty tunnels. It wasn't a long tour, but was just the right amount of time to experience the mines. All in all, a great experience, and the best part of our day in Virginia City. We highly recommend Virginia City for a true "Wild West" town experience, and the Ponderosa Saloon for a pleasant, historic atmosphere, nice staff, Pondo, and the Pondo Drool Pale Ale!

Date Visited: May 3, 2006We went on the mine tour which is located at the Ponderosa Saloon. Don't waste your money or your time!!! The tour guide was hard to hear and to understand and he spoke in a monotone voice. Of all the tours I have ever been on this was the worst! It was so bad we had a good laugh after. Cost was $4.50 each!! :) Lasted approx. 15 minutes.