Most people consider Bodie the best Ghost Town in the west.

William S. Body found gold here in 1859. The mining camp grew slowly from 1860 to the mid-1870s, while its neighbor Aurora, Nevada, was booming.

The discovery of several rich gold veins in 1876 started a rush to Bodie. At one point, there were 65 saloons at Bodie, a red light district and a chinatown.

Two years later, most of the mines were worked out. At the onset of World War II, the school and the post office were closed, and the last residents left town.

Bodie bordered on the lawless. On September 5, 1880, the daily Bodie Standard reported three shootings and two holdups of stages.

Today, more than 150 well-preserved buildings remain. Bodie is a California State Park and is maintained in a state of "arrested decay".

Town Jail

Methodist Church