Museum Exhibits
Inside and around the Silver Reef Museum, there are many interesting artifacts and exhibits to discover. This article outlines the exhibits you can look forward to during your visit and shows where they are located throughout the different rooms of the museum, including the displays downstairs and outside. You’ll also find a virtual walking tour video of the museum included in this article.
Introduction
Our museum docents will introduce you to the Silver Reef Museum and give you a look around inside.
Virtual Walkthrough
Watch this video to see a detailed walkthrough of the entire museum, as well as the diorama room.
Entrance & Stagecoach Display
When you enter the museum, a docent will be at the front desk to welcome you. They can provide information about the tour options and assist you with the entrance fee.
The sculpture of the Wells Fargo stagecoach on the right is a replica of the stagecoaches that used to serve Silver Reef and were operated by Wells, Fargo & Company. Half of the building where the museum is now located was once a Wells, Fargo & Company Express office. Stagecoaches would stop right outside the door.
The sculpture was created by local Western sculptor Jerry Anderson. In the 1990s, Anderson had his art studio inside the museum building. As the museum expanded, he moved his studio across the street to his home, which is just a short walk from the museum.
Mining Exhibit
The next room houses the museum’s Silver in Sandstone Exhibit that focuses on mining. A docent will point out what’s on display and demonstrate the exhibits that move, such as the model of a stamp mill. There are also several samples of silver ore that came out of the hills nearby.
To the right is a replica of a bar similar to those that were probably built in 11 of the saloons around Silver Reef. Look on the bar for smaller exhibits and brochures.
What’s in the Exhibit
Hover or click on any of the pulsating dots to reveal what’s on display.
Artifact Room
Passing through the door on the right past the stagecoach will lead you into the Artifact Room. Here you’ll find artifacts mainly from the town itself, not related to mining. The exhibits seen in this room will give you a glimpse of what life was like during Silver Reef’s boom years.
Artifacts include various items found around the townsite, such as bottles, plates, pieces of clothing, and tin cans. You’ll also find the old built-in safe that was part of the Wells Fargo Express Office, along with smaller safes that were used on stagecoaches. Additionally, there are examples of guns and weapons that were common during the Old West era.
Geology Room
Next, we’ll go through a smaller room that features the geology exhibit. Here, you can see a geologic map of the Silver Reef area, some examples of dinosaur fossils discovered nearby, and a map showing all the mining claims from the 1880s in the area.
Clothing Display
Just beyond the geology room, you’ll find a small room with display cases showcasing some of the clothes people wore during the time of Silver Reef. Close by, there’s a listening station where you can hear stories from some of the town’s former residents.
Gift Shop & Bookstore
Finally, there’s the museum’s gift shop and bookstore. It’s located at the back of the museum, behind the mining exhibit.
In the display cases, a variety of gifts will be found, including silver coins, jewelry, art, games and other miscellaneous items.
Here, you’ll find books covering geology, mining and the history of both Silver Reef and the surrounding Washington County area. There’s also a selection of children’s books covering topics on ghost towns, the Old West, and dinosaurs.
Underground Mine Exhibit
Below, in the museum’s basement, is an underground mine exhibit offering an immersive glimpse into what it was like to work digging for silver. Check with the docent to learn when this special exhibit is available for touring. All tours of this exhibit require a docent.
Diorama
Located behind and on the side of the museum in a separate small building is a diorama of what the old town of Silver Reef used to look like. Called the Cassidy Powder House, it is a reconstruction of a building used for storing explosives. Today though, it’s used for housing the diorama, plus models of the area’s silver mills. You’ll also find a large map of the mining claims around Silver Reef.
Outside Exhibits
Next to the museum and the Cassidy Powder House is a collection of outdoor exhibits. These consist of mining equipment such as ore cars, wagons, compressors, various gears and wheels, basically all kinds of components that made up a mining or milling operation.
Directly across the street from the mining equipment is a wishing well. This serves as a kiosk that explains the surrounding area. There’s also a series of viewing pipes that point out specific places, such as Tecumseh Hill.
Walking Tour
Another outdoor exhibit you shouldn’t miss is the walking tour through the old town of Silver Reef. See the Walking Tour article to learn more.
