Enjoy a personalized tour of this site led by the school's director, and then be treated to lunch for two at Cafe del Rio located in a neighboring historic merchantile building. As a special addition, the school will give you the gift of two antique wooden and cast-iron school desks (sample picture) that can be disassembled for easy transportation when you leave.
The historic Fourth Ward School, constructed in 1876 in the Second Empire architectural style as a centennial celebration monument to education, is an award winning preservation site, museum and community cultural center. Virginia City could be considered the birthplace of Mark Twain, as it was here in 1863 that writer Samuel Clemens, then a reporter on the local Territorial Enterprise newspaper, first used his famous pen name. It is an excellent example of an Old West mining boom town, and a visit here includes a mining tour, train rides, historic walking tour, saloons and much more!