Bowers Mansion is the stone home that Comstock Lode millionaires Lemuel “Sandy” Bowers and Eilley Orrum Bowers built in 1863 at the foot of the Carson Range in Washoe Valley, between Reno and Carson City. Washoe County runs it as a house museum within a regional park, and visitors come for a close look at how Nevada’s first silver fortunes were spent.
Guided tours lead through rooms furnished in Victorian period style, many with pieces tied to the Bowers era. Guides tell the couple’s rise and fall: Sandy died in 1868, and Eilley later lost the house and earned a living as a fortune-teller. The surrounding grounds hold shaded lawns and picnic areas that families have used since the Victorian era, along with a spring-fed swimming pool. In 2019 the park won the Nevada Recreation and Park Society’s Silver State Legacy Park Award (source: Washoe County).
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Tours and pool access are seasonal, with the pool open in summer. In early October, call ahead to confirm the museum’s hours. The museum’s number is (775) 849-0201, the ranger office is (775) 849-1825, and the pool is (775) 849-0644 (source: Washoe County). Summer weekends draw the biggest crowds, so plan a weekday morning for quieter tours. You will need a car to get there, by way of Old US 395. Pair the visit with Davis Creek Regional Park or Washoe Lake State Park nearby.
