Central City sits in Gilpin County in the Colorado Rockies, about an hour west of Denver. During the gold rush of the 1850s and 1860s it was known as the "Richest Square Mile on Earth," and the Victorian-era architecture left over from that era still gives the town a distinctive character. The whole streetscape is protected as part of the Central City/Black Hawk Historic District, and the Opera House draws audiences from Denver every summer.
In 1991 Colorado voters approved limited-stakes gambling in Central City and neighbouring Black Hawk. The casinos that followed changed the town's character considerably — most of the historic streetscape now hosts gambling establishments. The betting limits and time restrictions on gaming originally intended to keep it "limited" have since been removed.
It can be visited as a day trip from Denver. Several bus services run from the city on casino-focused schedules. Those more interested in the mining history than the slot machines will find more reward at Black Hawk's museums and walking tours of the historic district.