The Murphys Museum
The oldest stone building in Murphys, P.L. Traver erected this dry goods store after the fire of 1854. Over the years it was occupied as a store by Riley Senter, Manuel & Garland, Stephens Brothers, and others until converted to a garage by Jack Morley. It was later purchased by Coke and Ethelyn Wood and became the Murphys Oldtimers Museum.
The museum highlights and preserves the history of Murphys and offers the public an opportunity to view and learn about our excellent collection of Native American baskets, old pictures, clothing and many household articles from the early days of our town. We also offer a large assortment of books on western and local history, post cards, vials of gold, panning kits and other items. The museum was founded by author Coke Wood and has been in operation since 1948.
The Murphys Hotel
The Murphys Hotel, built of local limestone, was completed in 1856 by James Sperry and John Perry. Gutted in the fire of 1859, it was rebuilt shortly thereafter. It was sold to C.P. and Elizabeth Mitchler in 1882 and operated as the Mitchler Hotel until 1945. It has been occupied as a hotel since 1856 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Old Murphys Grocery Store
Built as the Big Trees Hotel on Big Trees Road in the 1890s, the two-story frame building was moved to its present site in the early 1900s. It was then occupied by Ben and Jim Stephens as a grocery store for many years, and after that by Buster and Rose Riedel’s Murphys Grocery Store until the 1980s.