Silver City Ghost Town, Kern County

About Silver City Ghost Town

Silver City Ghost Town is a museum dedicated to the Kern Valley's mining heritage, occupying a composite site built from over twenty historic structures relocated from frontier settlements including Keyesville, Whiskey Flat, old Isabella, Claraville, Hot Springs, Miracle, and Southfork. Visitors explore original buildings arranged for self-guided tours, including the original Isabella jail where gunslinger Newt Walker was confined in 1905, the Apalatea/Burlando House containing a period saloon and country store, miners' cabins, a post office, and a general store. The rustic church draws particular visitor interest. Thousands of artifacts are displayed throughout the property. The museum employs an "arrested decay" philosophy, preserving structures as they might have appeared after gold rushes ended and miners departed, rather than restoring them to pristine condition. Owner and local historian J. Paul Corlew provides guidance to nearby settlement sites. The property is listed in the National Directory of Haunted Places. Silver City Ghost Town is located in Bodfish in Kern County.