An entire downtown on the National Register of Historic Places, with a 75-minute guided underground mine tour through Idaho's Silver Valley.
$10-$20 (mine tour); downtown walking free
Book direct via the vendor website
Wallace, Idaho, is the rare Western mining town whose downtown survived intact, and the Sierra Silver Mine Tour gives the visit some weight. The town sits 45 minutes east of Coeur d'Alene along I-90 in the Silver Valley, and the entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places, a walkable run of brick buildings and vintage storefronts.
The Sierra Silver Mine Tour is the anchor. A 75-minute guided tour starts with a trolley to the mine entrance, then walks you through underground tunnels where guides demonstrate period equipment and explain the geology and economics that built the valley. Pair it with an hour wandering downtown for a satisfying half-day. Even better, combine Wallace with the Hiawatha trail at Lookout Pass further east: Wallace in the morning, Hiawatha in the afternoon, back to Coeur d'Alene by evening.
Mine tour runs May 1 through October 15. June through August: departures every 30 minutes, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May and September: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission $10 to $20. Walking downtown is free. The mine involves uneven underground walking and stays cool year-round, so bring a layer regardless of the weather above ground.