In the spring and summer of 2025, visitors can expect to see some dramatic additions to the Marzen House Museum on 25 Marzen Lane in Lovelock.
In 1874, Colonel Joseph Marzen built the two-story farmhouse that bears his name. One hundred and fifty years later, it is one of Pershing County’s most popular attractions, drawing visitors from 28 states and nine countries.
For many years, Marzen House was a sleepy small-town museum. That changed in March 2022 when Kelly Thompson took over its operations.
Thanks to Thompson and the board, (chairperson Bonnie Skoglie, Wendy Nelsen, Frank Fisk, Jack Hursh, Darlene Vonsild, Frankie Graham, and Dena Austin) the museum has enjoyed a Renaissance and is planning for the future.
Several years ago, former board member Barb Rackley dreamt about a village on the grounds of the museum. She envisioned a town reminiscent of Lovelock’s past.
And what a past it was. When she’s not giving tours Thompson researches Pershing County history and enjoys sharing what she learns with visitors.
Rackley described her dream to Thompson and the board and they decided to make it a reality. Marzenville, as Rackley named it, will include an assay office, a blacksmith shop, a tack room, a railroad house, a corral, a schoolhouse, a church, residences and other buildings.
Brothels were a fact of life in mining towns and survived in Lovelock until 1970.
La Belle’s neon sign still works and will soon light up Marzenville’s nighttime skyline.
“Our museum board members are working daily on the sheet rocking and electrical in the houses now,” says Skoglie.
In the meantime, there is plenty to see at the museum. It offers tours on a donation basis during its regular hours Wednesday through Saturday from 10 until 5 p.m.
According to Skoglie, Thompson gives the best tour of anyone. The tours last about an hour.
“Nobody just wanders around. Everyone who walks in the door gets a full tour,” says Skoglie.
The house and outbuildings hold hundreds of displays. A few highlights include the Chinese collection, an extensive mineral display and Indian artifacts
Skoglie got permission from the Nevada State Museum to move the Indian display from a bedroom-sized area to a more spacious building where it could grow.
“I started when I first became chairperson of the board trying to get them to let us move the display, which is on loan from the BLM,” she says.
In 2023, the Lovelock Paiute Tribe, the Nevada State Museum anthropology team and other volunteers moved the artifacts to their new location.
“Not one person from the Tribe had ever been here or knew they were being represented in this way. We developed a bond,” says Skoglie. She invited Austin to represent the Tribe on the board.
Another big money maker for the museum has been its ghost tours, led by Thompson, paranormal author Dawn Bequette and Gabriel Frias.
No scientific study has ever confirmed the existence of ghosts but nobody can deny the popularity of ghost tours. They are a worldwide phenomenon.
To date, the museum has led over 20 ghost tours, with over 143 people attending. Ghost tourists have come from as far away as Alaska and Germany. The museum charges each participant 20 dollars.
The museum also offers ghost hunt investigations on request at $120 per person. These include the use of equipment and last anywhere from six hours to all night.
By board decision, all ghostly activities take place within the Marzen House and will never include other display areas.
The museum’s advisory board recently established a non-profit 501c3, Friends of the Marzen House Museum. They can accept donations, all of which go into a gift fund to grow the museum.
Donors can claim their contributions as deductions on their income tax returns, an added incentive for their generosity.
“When they donate to us, every dollar goes into our gift fund. The gift fund is what we use to develop our new displays and move additional structures in to build the town,” says Skoglie. “We can accept services, money, materials for construction, really anything to further our vision of the town of Marzenville.”
Donations can be made to: Friends of the Marzen House
PO Box 452
Lovelock, NV. 89419