This United States Main Street Feels Like A Movie Set

Hollywood already found Wallace, Idaho. In 1996, Universal Pictures rolled into this silver-mining town in the Idaho Panhandle, dressed up its century-old storefronts, and blew the whole place off the map as the doomed fictional town in the disaster film Dante's Peak. Here is the twist: Wallace barely needed the makeover. Nearly every building downtown sits on the National Register of Historic Places, the streetscape has looked the same since the silver boom, and the town is so sure of itself that its mayor once declared it the Center of the Universe. Put down the remote. The set is real, and you can walk right onto it.

The Center Of The Universe (Conveniently Located In Idaho)

Wallace's claim to fame became official in 2004, when Mayor Ron Garitone stood before the townspeople and declared the place the Center of the Universe. The reasoning was cheerfully simple: since no one can prove that Wallace is not the center of the universe, the claim stands.

The stunt grew out of a long and bitter tangle with the federal government. The Environmental Protection Agency had designated the area a Superfund site over mining contamination in the local soil and water, then expanded the boundary from about 21 square miles to roughly 1,500, a move that hammered property values across the valley. Frustrated residents answered with some logic of their own: if the authorities could not prove that Wallace was not the center of the universe, the town would simply claim the title. You can stand on the Center of the Universe marker yourself at the intersection of Bank and 6th Street.

Stepping Back Into An Old-Timey Film

Wallace's cinematic quality is no accident. Founded in 1884 and built into one of the richest silver-mining hubs in the country, the town has kept its early-1900s face remarkably intact, so much so that nearly every building in the downtown core is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That preservation was hard-won. In the 1970s, federal planners proposed routing Interstate 90 straight through the middle of town, a plan that would have flattened Bank Street. Wallace fought back. It got its buildings onto the National Register and pushed the highway onto an elevated viaduct that skirts the center, and until that bypass opened in 1991, the town was famous for holding the last stoplight on all of I-90. So when Universal Pictures went looking for a place that still looked like the past, Wallace was the natural pick, and Bank Street got a Hollywood makeover, with many residents appearing as extras.

A good place to start is the Wallace District Mining Museum on Bank Street. Established in 1956, it now holds more than 50 exhibits, some 5,000 photos and maps, and 7,000 square feet of local history to explore.

For another snapshot from another time, stop by the Oasis Bordello Museum on Cedar Street. The building ran as an active bordello right up until 1988, when its occupants suddenly fled. They left so quickly that they abandoned nearly everything, from personal items and furnishings to the groceries still sitting in the kitchen, creating a strange and silent time capsule. Guided tours are available.

The Sierra Silver Mine Tour also departs from downtown Wallace. Led by experienced guides aboard an old-fashioned trolley, it carries you through the heart of town and deep into a real underground silver mine, where you will learn how mining techniques evolved and hear firsthand stories of life as a hard rock miner.

Sipping And Dining On The Silver Screen

That same vintage feel carries into the restaurants and bars around the silver-mining city, making even a meal feel cinematic. At the 1313 Club, for instance, you can dine in a building that dates to the late 19th century and has worn many hats over the years, serving in turn as a hotel, a bus depot, a barbershop, and a cafe. The two-story brick structure still wears its cast-iron pillars and segmentally arched second-floor windows, and today it operates as a saloon turning out hearty food and handcrafted cocktails.

If a craft beer is more your speed, head for Wallace Brewing on Bank Street. The tasting room sits inside the historic Coeur d'Alene Hardware building and is known for its mining- and bordello-themed pours, including the Red Light Irish Ale and the 1910 Black Lager.

That's A Wrap

The best way to wrap up a day on set is to spend the night in one of the town's historic, character-filled hotels. Two of the most notable sit on Cedar Street. The first is the Ryan Hotel, a boutique property that traces its history to 1903 and offers 14 individual rooms, each updated while keeping its original character. The Brooks Hotel is about a block away and has a story of its own. Run by a mother-and-daughter team, the family is lovingly renovating it one room at a time, and it now offers a range of updated rooms and suites plus an on-site restaurant serving country-style breakfast and lunch.

A Small Town With A Big Personality

For a town of only about 800 people, Wallace has lived several lives. It has burned and rebuilt, including after the largest wildfire in US history scorched the region in 1910, faced down an interstate that nearly erased it, crowned itself the center of the universe, and stood in for a town wiped off the map by a Hollywood volcano. Through all of it, the silver-era streetscape has barely changed, which is exactly why a stroll down Bank Street still feels like stepping onto a set with the cameras about to roll.