In 1993, Candy Duncan, former executive director of the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Mary Walker, former Carson City finance and redevelopment director, decided Carson City needed its own version of Boston’s famous Freedom Trail.
Walker had visited Boston’s trail and thought the idea of a walking tour to historic sites, all linked by some kind of visible line or trail, could work in Nevada’s Capital City.
After hearing the concept, Duncan was immediately on board and began working out the details with her staff. The result was the Kit Carson Trail, a walking/driving tour of nearly 50 of Carson City’s most historic locations.
A bright blue line was painted on the sidewalks in front of each property so someone following the 2.5-mile-long trail could easily move from one site to the next.
Carson City officials also developed a colorful, oversized brochure/map describing the trail and including illustrations and a brief history of each property. Interestingly, a copy of this original walking tour guide recently appeared on eBay with an asking price of $26.51!
Duncan and Walker also reached out to others, including a local writer/performer named Mary Bennett, to offer daytime “ghost walks.” These walks would be tours of the trail led by a guide (or guides) in period costume. These tours proved extremely popular, especially around Nevada Day, which always occurs near Halloween.
Over the past three decades-plus, Bennett has taken on a more prominent role in the production of the ghost walks. These days, she, often joined by family members and actors from Reno’s Brüka Theatre, lead regular evening “spirit-led” walking tours of the trail.
For anyone interested in one of her guided tours, go to the Carson City Ghost Walk website, http://carsoncityghostwalk.com/. Tickets, which cost $15 in advance ($20 at the door) are available at http://www.purplepass.com/carsoncityghostwalk.
After the trail had been around for several decades, city officials decided to forego the painted blue line, which was expensive to maintain, and replaced it with replica stone carriage markers noting the locations.
They also developed an interactive audio guide, which can be accessed on a smart phone at https://visitcarsoncity.com/kit-carson-trail-self-guided-tour/, or using a QR code found on the website.
The city also created a useful downloadable trail map (https://visitcarsoncity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KitCarsonTrailMap_2022_Final.pdf). The map is definitely worth checking out as it offers an overview graphic of the various historic places and short descriptions and addresses.
As for what a visitor might find along the trail, the historic landmarks include the Nevada State Museum (formerly the Carson City Mint), built in the 1860s, the former homes of several past Nevada governors, a large number of elegant Victorian mansions built by prominent local merchants in the 19th century and the Orion Clemens House, once owned by writer Mark Twain’s brother (who was an occasional guest).
The complete list of historic sites on the trail, with their back stories, can be viewed at https://visitcarsoncity.com/attractions/details-on-kit-carson-trail/. Additionally, an informative video of the tour can be found at https://visitcarsoncity.com/attractions/kit-carson-trail/.
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