Niles History: An Audio Tour of the First Movie Capital

Duration1h - 1h 30m

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Niles isn’t just a charming town hidden in the Bay Area hills – it was Hollywood before Hollywood existed.

On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll discover how this rowdy railroad junction became the world’s first movie capital, where Charlie Chaplin perfected his Little Tramp and cowboy stars invented the Western genre.

The tour starts and ends at the Niles Depot Museum. You’ll walk along Niles Boulevard past the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, housed in the original 1913 Edison Theater. Along quiet residential streets, you’ll see preserved Essanay Cottages where actors bunked together, and Victorian homes where railroad elite rented rooms to movie stars.

You’ll hear about how Niles transformed from a frontier town with 18 saloons into a thriving film studio. I’ll also share stories about bank robberies that were stopped by costumed cowboys, ghost sightings in the Hotel Wesley, and how Joe’s Corner operated as the town’s unofficial bank during Prohibition.

What's included

Directions to the starting point so that when you're in the right place, the tour will start
Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
App for Android and iOS
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour

Smartphone and headphones

What to expect

Niles Depot Museum
Pass by

This self-guided audio tour starts at the Niles Depot Museum, the 1901 train station marking the Transcontinental Railroad’s true finish line.
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
Pass by

You’ll walk along Niles Boulevard past the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, housed in the original 1913 Edison Theater.
Pass by

On this walking tour, you'll pass by Devout Coffee and you’ll discover how this rowdy railroad junction became the world’s first movie capital, where Charlie Chaplin perfected his Little Tramp and cowboy stars invented the Western genre.
Pass by

While hearing how the town developed and survived various industries, you'll pass by the Niles Library and hear its history.
Pass by

You'll hear stories about bank robberies that were stopped by costumed cowboys, ghost sightings in the Hotel Wesley, and how Joe’s Corner operated as the town’s unofficial bank during Prohibition.
Pass by

You’ll hear about how Niles transformed from a frontier town with 18 saloons into a thriving film studio and see the Niles Antique Co-Op.
Pass by

While hearing how the town developed and survived various industries, you'll pass by Bronco Billy's Pizza Palace and hear its history.
Pass by

By the end of this tour you’ll have a sense of how a canyon town built by railroad workers became the birthplace of American cinema – and survived when both industries moved on.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

This tour starts at the Niles Depot Museum. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

This tour starts at the Niles Depot Museum. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

Additional information

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

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