Central City, Colorado

Blackhawk and Central City are neighbor small towns. Both economies and tourism recreation revolve around gambling. But this is where the similarities end.

Central City is authentically old and historic. All structures in the town appear to be remarkably unchanged since the gold-mining boom days of the 1800's. As a result, the taverns and casinos are quite small in order to fit within existing structures. Overnight accommodations in Central City are limited. The casinos and saloons are not nearly as high quality as those in Blackhawk.

Blackhawk has numerous very large modern casinos, entirely separate from the old section of this small town. Compared to Central City, it has few old structures and little of historic value. Blackhawk has an abundance of high-quality hotels.

The historic Central City Opera House was constructed in 1878 by Welsh and Cornish miners and still provides performances year-round.