Silver State Sights - Empire

EMPIRE, Nev. (KOLO) - The best picture winning film Nomadland is about a woman who loses her job after the gypsum plant in Empire shuts down in 2011, which is exactly what occurred there. It was five years after that the mine and town were bought by the Empire Mining Company.

“I think a lot of the people who were here at that time owned property and their families were grown and they just decided to stay,” said Timothy Brogan who lives in Nearby Surprise Valley.

Its population is under 100, but the movie is getting the town a lot of interest.

“Searches for Empire on TravelNevada.com have increased dramatically,” said Tracie Barnthouse of Travel Nevada.

If you go, your options are limited, though there is the Empire Country Market, which is often completely sold out around Burning Man.

The part of the town with homes in it is now on private property owned by the mine and cannot be accessed by the general public.

Copyright 2021 KOLO. All rights reserved.