Bodie Things to Do

This spooky place had a ghost storyteller when we were there. The park ranger had a bonfire started by the park entrance in the evening, where he was keeping us entertained and warmed.
Many of California's State Parks do not have an admission fee. We did pay a small fee to visit Bodie.

Back in its heyday, Bodie boasted 65 saloons. It was a town boasting lots of money, but little to do, other than partake in a vice or 2.

For a diversion, the local men would challenge each other to a game at the local pool hall.

Although most of the buildings are not open to the public, you can peek through the windows and see everything exactly as it was when it was abandoned in 1942.

This photo is of the general store in town.

It really is kind of spooky here. Most of the buildings are still standing, and appear as they were in 1942 when the Gold Mill shut down, effectively closing the town forever. Tumbleweeds roll lazily up the streets, and the strong smell of musty old wood sends a shiver up my spine.

The gold mill in Bodie operated from 1859 to 1942, extracting gold and silver from the rock to be sent to San Francisco to be melted down. During this time it operated, the town suffered 2 major fires which destroyed most of the town. The irony - there was plenty of water on both occasions, but the grates within the emergency water supply were so clogged with debris that only a trickle of water could get through.

Tours are available, and last about an hour.

The Standard Mill is located east of Bodie. The mill was a big succes in the year 1878, since then Bodie roze from about twenty thousand of miners, entrepreneurs and gamblers. This mill was destroyed by fire in the year 1898 and but wa rebuilt the following year.

In its prime, Bodie boasted 65 saloons. But, it was also home to 2 churches, including the one shown here.

During the last major fire to hit Bodie, the wooden structure of the Bank was destroyed. All that remained was the vault, constructed out of bricks and iron.