Bowers Mansion is a popular attraction in Washoe County just 20 miles outside of Reno. It offers tours from Memorial Day through Nevada Day (Oct 31) on the hour every hour from 11:00am to 4:30pm.

There is a heart-breaking story behind this beautiful mansion that is truly a must-see during a visit to the area.

In its heyday, Bowers Mansion was one of the most extravagant houses in the Nevada Territory, a product of mining wealth and personal taste.  The story of Eilley and Sandy Bowers is a historic boom and bust tale.  The mansion itself remains a powerful symbol of Nevada’s history – an era where fortunes skyrocketed overnight and disappeared just as quickly.  Fortunately, for visitors, Bowers Mansion has been preserved for all of us to enjoy!

Eilley Bowers was the visionary force behind this mansion.  Independent and fiercely resourceful, her life is a captivating tale.

Alison “Eilley” Oram was a young woman when she married Stephen Hunter and emigrated from Scotland to Salt Lake City as part of a Mormon migration.  By the time the Hunters reached the Utah territory, the strain on their marriage was evident and they soon divorced.

In Salt Lake City, Eilley married another Mormon, Alexander Cowen, and together, they traveled to Washoe Valley on a church mission.  That too ended in divorce.  Eilley remained in the area and opened her own boardinghouse for miners in Gold Canyon, near Virginia City.  She soon began buying and selling mining claims – an endeavor few other women attempted at the time.  That proved to be one of the most significant decisions of her life.

As luck would have it, a hardworking miner named Lemuel Sanford “Sandy” Bowers held a land claim right next to Eilley’s at the Little Gold Hills mine.  The two met, became business partners, married in 1859 and set up the Bowers Mining Company.

For many, it was just a dream, but the Bowers actually did strike it rich.  Their mine began producing $18,000 a week in gold and silver.  That’s almost half a million dollars by today’s currency value!  From her humble beginnings in Scotland, Eilley became the “Queen of the Comstock.”

Eager to spend their sudden fortune, the Bowers decided to build a luxurious mansion on the land Eilley had acquired from Alexander Cowen in their divorce settlement.  Boomtowns like Ophir, Franktown and Washoe City were springing up nearby, making it a strategic location.

The mansion was built in the Georgian and Italianate architectural styles.  These styles reminded Eilley of the elegant homes in her native Scotland.  She hired local stonecutters to help in the construction of her dream estate.  She chose every manner of opulent accessories for the house.

As the walls and floors were rising to the bustle of hammers and saws, Sandy and Eilley went to Europe for ten lavish months to shop for their new house.  They returned with the most elegant of European furnishings, and, also, a baby girl named Margaret Persia.

Throughout all of Eilley Bower’s life, triumph mixed with personal tragedy.  For a time, it seemed as if the Bowers had everything – wealth, a magnificent home and a daughter.  Yet, the family’s life soon took a turn toward troubled times.

The mine ran dry by 1867.  In 1868, Sandy died of silicosis (a miners’ lung disease), just a few short years after their great dream home had been completed.  In 1874, Eilley’s beloved daughter Persia died suddenly at the age of 12.  Eilley was left alone with a broken heart, the burden of a mine gone bust, and the formidable task of maintaining the mansion and property.

Faced with mounting financial challenges, Eilley decided to open the mansion as a social attraction in an effort to make ends meet.  It was promoted as a premier resort and entertainment destination.  She hosted grand picnics and parties all summer long.  This been a tradition of using the property for public fun and relaxation that exists to this day.

Finally, in 1876 after many efforts to save the mansion, Eilley lost everything.  The mansion was put into foreclosure.  Mrs. Eilley Bowers spent the rest of her days drifting between Virginia City, Reno and the Bay area telling fortunes with a crystal ball.  She died penniless in Oakland, California in 1903.

For group tours or more information, contact the mansion:  775-849-0201 or

Visit:  https://washoecounty.gov/parks/specialty_facilities/bowers_mansion.php

ADMISSION FEES (cash only):

Adults (18-61): $10

Seniors (62+): $7

Children (6-17): $7

Children (5 & under: Free)

Address: 4005 Old US Hwy 395 N Washoe Valley NV 89704