One of America's Richest, Bawdiest & Longest-Lived Mining Boomtowns
Gold strike date: 1859
FUN FACT: In its heyday, Leadville was in the running to be Colorado's State Capital.
Leadville's mining history began in 1859 with the discovery of gold south of town. Roughly 8,000 prospectors arrived in "Oro City," their name for the makeshift town of tents and cabins. During the next five years, more than $4 million worth of gold was discovered using sluice and pan - more than at any other Colorado site. By 1880, Leadville had more than 30,000 residents, innumerable stores, hotels, boarding houses and, of course, more than 100 saloons, dance halls, gambling joints and brothels.
Leadville's colorful history includes a long list of famous, and infamous, characters such as Horace Tabor and mistress-turned-wife Baby Doe, Doc Holliday, the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill. Teddy Roosevelt also paid visits to Leadville. The Tabor Opera House, still open for tours and performances, presented an astounding variety of talent.
Travelers can experience an authentic mining town when they visit Leadville. Seventy square blocks has been designated as a National Historic Landmark of Victorian Architecture. Leadville offers a charming selection of specialty shops, restaurants, and galleries, with accommodations ranging from an elegant Victorian hotel, inns and B&Bs to lodges, cabins, campsites and vacation rentals.