Sister site to the Adams Museum, the Historic Adams House (22 Van Buren Ave., 605/578-3724, www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org, May–Sept. daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Oct. Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., closed Nov.–Apr., adult $7, child $2) is shown by guided tour only. The house was built in 1892 and is one of the finest examples of a Queen Anne–style Victorian home in Deadwood.

W. E. Adams bought the house in 1920 with his first wife, Alice. It was closed in 1936 by his second wife, Mary Mastrovich Vicich, after W. E. Adams died in 1934 at the age of 80. Mary closed up the house, contents intact, and never lived in the house again.

She moved to California, but returned frequently to supervise the activities of the Homestake Mining Company, a company in which she now held controlling interest. When she returned to town, she stayed in local hotels.

For 50 years, the house remained empty and fully stocked. For a brief period from 1987 to 1992, the house was opened and used as a bed-and-breakfast. The proprietors, understanding the historical importance of the contents of the house, carefully stored everything in the attic. In 1992, the house was sold to the city for preservation.

The house was opened to the public in 2000 after careful restoration. Today, guided tours (every half-hour May–Aug., hourly Sept.–Oct.) give visitors a peek into the wealthier side of Deadwood’s early days. Imagine entering a home where virtually nothing has changed since the late 1920s, the style in which the home was decorated. The original silverware, found in a safe, is on display, as are all of the furnishings, knick-knacks, artwork, and other personal possessions of Mary and William Adams, all relatively undisturbed to this day. It’s a fully authentic walk through another era.