Hangtown's Gold Bug Park Reviews

We love this small goldmine park that features a goldmine and lots of caves. Not a large site but it has the basics and is really cute.

This was OK, a nice little view of how a mine looked but probably best for showing the kids, a little blah for adults so the admission seemed a little high

This is a good value attraction - $6 for adults. The short walk into the old mine with an audio guide is enlightening. And Black Bart, up at the stamp museum is full of quirky tales. A fun stop for adults as well as kids.

It's a great little tour of a gold mine that is self guided and very informative. I enjoyed it and even though I am too tall to work in this field, those under 5'10 might want to consider it ;). I tried to walk off with the hard hat, but was forced to give it back....

We took friends visiting from Australia. Great easy trip for the morning and then lunch in Placerville. The kids and parents enjoyed it!

The volunteers at Gold Bug are so excited to be there, and helpful and go out of their way. And the tour of the mines is exciting, especially the Priest Mine which they only open once or twice a year! Must go - there was a lot to learn about the miners of 1849.

If you've never been in a mine, this is a fun tour. The headsets and narration provided during the tour is interesting, and gives everybody a unique experience at their own pace. The museum and gift shop are typical for a small museum like this one, so don't expect too much.

Gold Bug Mine is an absolute must do if your looking to have a day out with the family. I like to take my son there and spend an afternoon exploring the mine and trails. Afterwards we like to go to Main Street Placerville and have lunch there.

My husband and I stayed in Placerville for our mini-honeymoon. We decided to check out some of the gold-mining stuff around the area. We checked out Sutter Mill first, and it was ok, but we LOVED the trip to Gold Bug mine. We went in the middle of the afternoon, and it was so HOT, but once we got into the mine it was cold, and it felt SO GOOD! We loved walking through the old tunnel. After the self-guided tour of the mines we decided to try out their gold-panning and we had a blast. We spent probably about an hour panning for semi-precious gemstones. We hit the "mother-lode" when we found a big chunk of fools gold. After panning, we headed up the hill to the blacksmith's shop, and he made me a "prairie-diamond" ring (pioneers used to make wedding rings out of horse shoe nails on the way out West) and showed us how the stamp-mills used to work. Overall we had a blast, and my hubby kept going on about how it was his favorite part of the trip.

Apologies again for the delay in submitting a review. (Visited the Gold Bug Mine in October 2015). The $7 admission fee was value for money. Even though the whole experience is probably more geared towards children and teenagers (my wife and I are 60 years old !) , this is a visit I will never forget. The experience was further enhanced by one of the guides called Duffy, who lived and breathed his role as a Gold Rush miner. Brilliant !!!!

We are staying in our rv in the area and did day trips. This was one and a pleasant find. You can learn to pan for gold really cheap and if you have never been in a real gold mine, this island a good stop for that. Added plus was on the day we stopped in it was extremely hot and the mine was a natural air conditioner. The young gal at the desk was very sweet and helped us with the app to get the self guided tour.
The guide up top that discussed the local history and the devices used in original mining was extremely knowledgeable and really got into character as he shared his knowledge. Coodoos all around

It's a very interesting old neighborhood mine, the kids loved it having never seeing one before and they got to go in it. However, if they're going to charge for panning for gem stones they should crush some up and put them in the panning area where the chart is to id them.

We took a morning to visit this park and gold mine, the kids enjoyed themselves but the parents did not want to leave the gold panning area. The park has an old gold mine to tour(it is best to get the audio tour.) The kids loved putting on the hard hats for the tour. After the tour you can take your turn at some gold panning(for a fee-get the pan in the gift shop), during our panning we found several small pieces of gold and precious stones. The adults could have stayed gold panning all day but the kids wanted to play. There are some picnic benches and the kids had a great time playing by the stream. I would recommend bringing your lunch up with you. There are multiple benches up the road, so if you want more quiet go up the road. There are also bathrooms at the park.

It was a cold wet day and gave us a great idea of what it was like for the miner's / Argonauts. Campy good time.

Not sure what about it just did not grab anyone in our family. The people were nice, but it was nothing special.

Wasn't sure what we were in for, but were delighted with the customer service, the excitement from people onsite, and what we all found out. Was a really neat experience!

A nice setting and a fine example of a gold mine dug into a rocky mountain. Their museum is a nice too. Worth at least one visit.

Very nice staff and friendly service. My teenage niece enjoyed going inside the gold mine and wearing the hard hat. This stop would have been superb if the gold panning activity had been set up! There were picnic tables and a blacksmith shop to visit. Worth the stop if in the area.

We came here to go do a tour of the mine for my 4th grader who was doing a project on California's Gold Rush. I did this more to get her excited about the project and learning information about it. She brought along a notebook to take notes. We did the self guided tour which was a little tricky with the young kids with us. They got loud and we couldn't always hear the information. But we could touch the rocks and see how dark it is and a little bit what it was like. Then we went over to see the stamp mill and the blacksmith and the rock collection. The men there answering questions and helping were amazing. Lots of great info and very fun for even the little kids. I found it very interesting too!
We went on a rainy day and the mine was wet and drippy and we walked up to the stamp mill, but we were prepared for rain and it was not too bad.

Very enjoyable for our son and likely would have rated higher if we hadn't recently been to Sierra Silver Mine tour outside Historic Wallace. This other tour had working machinery and stories from a former miner. Here you have a pleasant audio tour while strolling the mine. Electric lights and flat floor surface for those with disabilities or unsure footing. Includes separate building with ore-crushing equipment.

Had a great time. Grandson was so excited about going thru the mind ! Went hiking along the trails ...nice and easy. People are very friendly. Stamp mill is very interesting and Black Bart was a hoot !

Great park with family friendly outdoors. Very good tours of the mine. Nice way of getting out and about for a trip back in time.

Our grandkids enjoyed the mine tour and panning for the “gems.” Don’t miss the blacksmith shop. The blacksmiths were very informative.

I grew up in Placerville, so probably became a bit jaded towards Gold Bug, but when I brought my little ones here I saw it through fresh eyes. I really do enjoy Gold Bug, it's educational and fun to go into the mine. Just watch your head!

Nice to cool off and enjoy an educational tour. Highly recommend this place to enjoy a peaceful and interesting departure from traffic and crowds.

My son had a great time exploring and getting little tidbits in the store. The veteran that gave the presentation of the stamp mill was excellent!

This was our third trip to Gold Bug Park we were here to take the Priest Mine Tour which is only offered once or twice a year. our starts out with a short hike up to the mine shaft and a 10 to 15 min. wait to take the tour. The tour guilds make the wait seem less by talking about different stuff about the Gold Rush time period.
I've now been in both Mines here and would recommend both.
Tour lasts about 20 min. then your free to checkout the rest of the park which is well worth it to see .

Stopped after a trip to apple hill. Short self guided audio tour thru the mine. Am glad for the hard hat as mine ceiling was low! Felt good in cool mine after 95 degree heat outside. Enjoyed brief history of the mine and also the stamp mill history.

5 minutes from downtown Placerville and super interesting for kids and adults. Did the mine tour which only took 10 minutes or so but very evocative in the damp cool dark cave. Then panned for semi-precious gems. This is the highlight. You pan in a long trough type of thing at waist height so it was comfortable to stand for kids or short adults. They must seed it with these stones as there are plenty to find (but small). There was a young women volunteer there who knew all the gem names and helped us identify them. Even though it was boiling hot, it was very cool and comfortable under the shade of trees and hands in the cool water. Son LOVED this. They have a great gift store which was not over priced which was really nice to see.

I had wanted my son to experience panning for gold, so I was worried that this wouldn't be the same but it was just great! In fact we loved it so much we stopped by for another 30 minutes of panning the next day on our way home.

I can't really rate this attraction because I got there too late to go in. The last tour is 3:30pm and there are no exceptions.

I took my grandchildren and we had lots of fun. Lots of steps and walking with steep hills. Parking not the best but is part of the appeal. Glad we visited for sure.

Honestly dissapointing - I think for younger kids (mine are 13 and 15) might have been better but they were not very engaged. It is inexpensive but very short and can get crowded in the mine when several people are on tour at same time. Great site for 4th grade trip I imagine - better use of this park would be go come for the hiking and beautiful grounds vs. the touring. If I knew nothing about the gold rush I probably would have found it more interesting but having fairly good knowledge, it wasn't too interesting and we expected the mine to be so much bigger - you truly could walk through and back if you weren't listening to the tour - in 3 mts. "Gold" pan wth our little ones - they will find trinkets - our were too big to do this but the young ones were having fun only $2, per pan into some set up troughs with silt right outside the museum.

We were looking for something fun to do in the area that we recently moved to from the Bay Area. We found the Gold Bug Mine on Trip Advisor and with its high rating and proximity to own new home, we decided to give it a visit. What a fun day! The self guided tour is narrated as you walked through the "once active" gold mine, and you really get a feeling of how difficult gold mining was during the early years of the Old West. They have a tour of a working blacksmith shop and a stamping station as well, where all the ore was pulverized into a fine powder in order to extract the gold. The staff was very friendly and more then happy to explain all the intricate details of gold mining. Overall a fun adventure for a nominal fee!

My friends, husband , sister and I visited Hangtown’s Gold Bug Park few months ago and tremendously enjoyed our visit. There was a hike trail that added to our enjoyment of Mother Nature.

There are 2 main sites to see here. The audio guided mine tour is a great way to experience what it would have been like to do deep rock mining. Also see the stamp mill where a guide explains the work done there. My kid also panned for gems and had a blast!

We are senior couples visiting from out of state. Bucket list item to see where the gold rush began.
The self guided mine tour is excellent. Clear , concise and very fun to be able to experience an actual mine...dripping water, low ceilings and cool air.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable.
The blacksmith shop and stamping house were also a highlight.
Learning about black Bart was an unexpected treat.

The gold mine here is fascinating - you can tour at your own pace. Our children of middle school and elementary age loved this place. And it is very convenient - only 10 minutes from Placerville.

I love to bring visiting friends and family here as it is a nice journey into local gold mining history. The kids also enjoy panning for gold and shopping at the reasonably priced gift shop.

I've taken members of my family and visiting friends to Gold Bug Park, Placerville, for several years. When I first visited the site, it was mostly a self-guided tour, flashlight in the mine, a little gold panning in the creek. Now it is pretty much controlled, a real safety issue; they've built a demonstration stamp mill; there are picnic tables & better parking areas; and I find it a pleasant place to take people to introduce them to the history of the area.

Something the entire family can do! If you have seen it in the movies you can now have the experience!

We visited here over July 4th weekend when temps were in the 90s and really appreciated the mine tour. It was so nice and cool in the mine. The self- audio tour was very informative and let us go at our own pace. We hiked over to the stamp mill and were impressed with what they have there. We have seen sections of stamp mills before but this was housed. They also had a small model that worked so you could get an idea of the noise and function of the mill. All in all it was enjoyable.

The mine tour was ok... $7 per person for a mp3 /self guided Gold Bug Mine tour. The information was good on the tour. However, the real stars of the operation are in the Blacksmithing and Stamp House area. The people are all volunteers and love what they do. We were talking to the blacksmith for quite a while. He was very passionate about what he does and knew all the answers to all the questions we asked. The person in the stamp house also knew a lot about the operations of gold extraction and geology.

I would definitely recommend visiting the mine, blacksmiths, and stamp mill.

This was good as a quick stopover on a long drive. We did the self guided audio tour into the old mine which was quite interesting.

When we had finished the tour we were told that the stamp mill had closed early (early afternoon) which was a shame as we’d have liked to see that.

It’s worth visiting if you’re passing but I probably wouldn’t make a special trip.

The park is a quick drive from Placerville's Main Street, in a sunny forested area, where I saw 4 deer. I first went to the stamp mill where a volunteer explained its function and history. There is a blacksmith shop on site where the blacksmith demonstrates making a nail ring and will give the ring to youngsters watching. This is free.
Was also able to visit the Priest Mine, which is not open all the time (cost $4). There's a steep walk up to the mine entrance, but the mine itself is level and not hard to negotiate. Volunteers dressed in old-time clothes are full of information and they seem personally vested in what they say.

Gold Bug Park's main attraction is the self-guided tour through the old mine, which is interesting. There is a very small museum (one room), and an opportunity to pan for gold and gemstones. The $2 panning price was certainly cheap, but your chances of finding anything are not great. The panning troughs are filled with sand and gravel from a nearby creek which may have some gold in it. You can buy bags of gravel guaranteed to contain gemstones. Closes at 5:00 pm.

Kind of fun to walk into a rock tunnel. It make you appreciate the amount of labor required to dig through rock. The people are friendly and the museum is nice but after an hour or so we were ready to go. Nice park to have a bagged lunch. Not much else to do.

Trip Advisor said it was closed during the week, but the park was fully open and excellent. The cave tour was great, but the highlight was Black Bart, explaining the stamp mill, and his involvement in the gold rush. He was amazing!

Went for girl scout event friendly staff. We did the gem/gold panning and also went into one of the mines. Nice giftshop with items priced for taking home a trinket or two.

This small park has a gold mine that you can tour and visit a stamp mill. The mine in horizontal, rather than vertical so it is an easy walk thru, just watch your head. That is why they give you a hard hat! You can also try panning for gold and enjoy the small gift shop. Nice place for a picnic. The stamp mill is very impressive.

Very easy to find and plenty of parking and interesting information about the way goldmining was done.

I visited with my elderly father. The staff are super friendly and very knowledgeable. The layout is good, a few sites to visit within one park. We visited the mine and the stamp mill and the museum. My father thoroughly enjoyed himself and I would highly recommend visiting to anyone young or old, with or without children. There's something for everyone including gold panning!

I loved the mine and the audio tour. Easy access, even for less mobile persons. Very well constructed stopping points in the mine. Easy to understand. And, just like Disney, has a gift shop at the exit! I would definately return to this park, and recommend it to others. Allow about 30-40 mines for the self-guided tour.

My husband and i were exploring Placerville Gold Bug Park looked like a great option as i love historical sites. We visited the Stamp Mill first and the docent Keith is a great story teller throughout the whole exhibit he was very informative about the history of the stamp mill. We checked out the museum and the attendant offered us to visit the mine tour we were more then happy to pay the admission based on the great experience we already had with the Stamp Mill it was appx 80 degrees that day and the cool air was refreshing and the walk was very eye opening insight to the Gold Country past. We saw lots of trails and were disappointed we forgot our hiking boots! Owell for next and time!

Stopped with kids on the way from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. The staff were really enthusiastic and informative. Do take time to see the gold extracting area too.

You can skip the mine but do not miss the tour and talk of the mining process and the history of the area.

This was a fun place to visit and learn about the history of the gold mine. Step back in time and enjoy the tour in old Hangtown.

We are 2 adults without children and enjoyed the Gold Bug Mine Tour. When you drive into the park, you have an option of driving left or straight. We didn't see any signs with directions so we selected the left turn. Drove up a small hill and parked the car. There was a slight hill to climb up to the Stamp Mill. There was a guided tour which described the stamp mill and the gold mining industry in California. Very informative and we were able to ask questions since we were the only ones on the tour. Then there is a blacksmith furnace on the top of the hill. There were 3 gentlemen actually working on the furnace creating items that are sold in the gift shop. One gentlemen came out to describe what was being done and answered questions.

We then drove to the main entrance of the Gold Mine. Buy tickets at the mining museum, $10 per adult. Receive a helmet and an iPhone with recorded messages for the self guided tour. Due to Covid 19, only 1 family was permitted in the mine at a time, so not crowded or noisy in the mine. We waited about 10 minutes for our turn in the mine. The recordings are informative and some humor is included from the miner who is educating us. The mine is much cooler inside around 55 degrees with the outside weather being 85. I suggest you wear closed shoes since there was some water on the floor which is dripping off the walls and ceilings in some areas. Not very wet, but just be cautious if you wear open shoes. The geology was interesting to look at, I wish we had a flashlight vs just using the flashlight on our personal phones.

The gift shop was reasonably priced for children and some adult gold items. Nothing was too expensive like many gift shops. There were some snacks and drinks to buy. If you want to pan for gold and shiny gemstones, pick up the pan at the gift shop. We did see several families with children enjoying the gem panning troughs.

We did hike a bit in the area. Going up a hill to another mine (Priest) which was closed. We liked walking through the trees for about 45 minutes and then returned to the front entrance. Supposedly there are quite a few hiking trails to explore. There are restrooms on site and a covered area with picnic benches. We had a good time.

This place was quick and interesting fun - you take a self-guided audio tour right down into a small old gold mine... borrowed hard hats included... it was cool, dark, so fun!! They also have a nice picnic area and some walking trails (we didn’t explore those). Be SURE to head up the hill to see the stamp mill and blacksmith shop - both were just excellent! With amazingly knowledgeable docents (you can visit these for free without going into the mine - only the mine has an entrance fee). A great little stop - we spent about 2 hours!

Great for all ages if you want to know more about gold mining in California. Especially good for kids. You get to wear a hard hat and walk through a rel gold mine with an audio tour.
don't for get to go up the hill to the stamp mill. They have an exact replica in a smaller size that they can turn on so you see the thing in action. Very loud.
they also have a nice picnic area for the summer and some short hiking trails.

The mine shaft is very short, When we went it was very crowded. I finagled my way to get in at 335 pm. I was done by 345 pm, I suspect most of the fun is panning for gold in the sluice box out front. They would not rent out the pans because it was to late. The Staff was obsessed with closing by 4pm. *they were out of the audio tours so I did not listen to the audio tour, I may have liked it better with the audio tour.

It is a pretty area, and parking is free. now paying six dollars to walk 300 feet underground seems not worth it but it was nice to be in the cold mine.

the cave smelled great, but the crowds who had been out in the hot weather did not smell very well.

Upon visiting Hangtown we discovered very quickly just how fun this place would be! It is very quiet and very beautiful although it is not far from the main highway. Extremely easy to get to without a doubt. Five minute maximum drive from old town Placerville.

Everything about this place is fun! With the buildings kept in good condition and with friendly staff you really get an idea of how things used to be back in the old west. All the artifacts and information they have on the gold Rush is quite amazing and very educational.

They also have a working blacksmith on the premises who makes spectacular tools and such right there as you watch. Quite substantial to see someone still keeping alive techniques from the past! Very intriguing! If you need a ring made from an old iron nail, this is definitely going to be your destination to make your wish come true!

Going into the mine is great as it is kept just the way it was back in the olden days. The wooden support beams still actually are holding up the earth from above you. When wearing your hardhat you might have to duck a little bit more than usual if you are tall, but it is definitely a must for safety and not to mention some fun pics as well! The self guided tour recording is really fun and well produced. It made our visit a very memorable one. And even if you cannot load the application on your smart phone, they will most definitely let you borrow one of theirs, so you won't miss a thing. Worry not!

All in all of this is a great destination for friends that love the outdoors, families or just a trip by yourself to spend an afternoon somewhere that is filled with history, wonderful information and beautiful scenery!

What a fun place to visit. My daughter needed to complete a school project and this one a place we could visit. I hadn't been in years and what a great time we shared. The history of the mine and the stamp mill was wonderful. The people that work their are full of knowledge and love to share the history. I would highly recommend for families to visit. Doesn't take long but many things to look at. Cost $5.00 a person which in this day and age is cheap and you get a fun history lesson on top of it. Go see for yourself.

Placerville's Gold Bug Park is a hidden gem in the little town that most people miss. Since there is no centralized area for attractions in the town, you pretty much have to know where you are going. And where-ever that is, it won't be close to something else. So if you are stopping by Coloma to see the State Park (recommended), or going up to Apple Hill, or stopping by the Red Hawk Casino you will not be near Gold Bug Park. But it is easy to get to, right off the Freeway through downtown Placerville. If you are heading up to Apple Hill or to South Lake Tahoe it is on the way. And it is a real gold mine you get to go inside. With a great little park around it so stop off to have lunch on the way up to Tahoe or Apple Hill. You won't be sorry, and it will not be out of your way.

This is such a great park and museum! They also have tours that you can go on and learn more about the park. I didn't go on the tour because I didn't have time, but they are reasonably priced and have a lot to offer. I had my dogs with me and it was such a nice walk, we sure enjoyed it. I also visited the gift shop and bought some gold panning equipment. The store is so cute and has such great selection of historical and educational items. The woman at the register was so nice and helpful. She had suggestions on where to go and was a wealth of information. I would love to come here again and take the tour.

People/ staff are friendly. There are quite a few stairs if you wish a tour of the mine in both locations.

This is a nice visit for a couple hours. The mine is rather small but well kept and the self guiding tour worked fine on our phone. It was done well. The stamping machine was impressive. Was glad we went. There are a couple geocaches stored here also if you're into to that.

Seemed much improved since I'd been there years ago. Nice self-guided tour well worth the price. Don't forget the stamp mill up the hill.

We saw the inside of an authentic gold mine! It is easily access, signs guide you from the freeway to the location! It would be more fun in summer!

Gold bug is a great place to get a taste of the gold mine era from 1849. Actual mine and park tour kids of all ages will enjoy. Be sure to wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes. Great staff and enjoyable experience. Beautiful area and has a stamp mill as well.
Be sure to visit if you're in the area.

The staff was super friendly. Even though schools were visiting, it was not too crowded. The stamp mill was very educational and the blacksmith's shop was super. The self-guided trip through the mine was very interesting. Panning for gems was a lot of fun for our granddaughter, who had been turned down from panning for gold at Marshall Field Park.

We ventured off to Gold Bug Park after years of living here in the town of Placerville. They have a tour system where you are given a hand held device to use as you walk through. The tour guide is a miner from days of old! You learn the history and how life was back in the day of gold mining! Don't forget to head over to the Stamp Mill! The docents there are very informative regarding the process to crush the ore to get to the gold!

History abounds here. A visit inside the Gold Bug Mine is a must but make sure you wear a coat.

This is a great place for the kids. Not far off HY 50 in Placerville. Very interesting cool mine tour, great people working there. Cost is very little and is in a beautiful park. (Get good directions before you head out)

It was the first time for us to visit gold mine and it was really incredible. The self guided audio guide through the mine is great, you get a lot of information! I would recommend everybody to visit it's great!!

Took our nephews here for a visit, we learned more about gold mining than they did. It was great to go into a mine. The kids enjoyed the flashlights and the mining helmet even though they did not need them like we did.

We learned alot about gold mining that we didn't know. All the guides are volunteers & very knowledgeable. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

The visit started out with actually going into an old mine shaft. During the self- guided audio tour, we witnessed what life was like working in a mine, It was dark & wet (water seeping into the shaft)
We also go to see the press where rocks were broken up and how gold was extracted. It was a great (& fun) educational experience

Interesting visit, if you have not been to a mine, go for sure. Many mines to visit in Amador County too.

The park is full of informative displays and there is a mine tour.

We spent an enjoyable 90 minutes seeing everything.

This is a great place to visit! I wanted my granddaughter to learn some California gold history. We loved this place!! We learned so much about the life of gold miners and the hardships they faced. There is a mine to explore and a working Blacksmith Shop too. You can pan for "gems" and picnic too. This is a great leisurely place to visit, with or without kids!

I'm finding it hard to do full reviews on some of these places this trip because it seems that this part of California just doesn't even wake up until April. It is Spring Break (for a lot of us anyway) and this is the ONLY mine around that is still open to the public for tours (because all of the big ones are back mining gold - like Sutter). So...we were pretty psyched to find it on the web and drove the distance to Placerville only to find a sign that said "Open Saturday & Sunday only!" Well...it was a Monday. The lights were on and there were clearly people inside so we had a little chat. They welcomed us to come back when they are open every day in April (not likely that we'll be making the 7 hour drive anytime again soon). That being said, they were very nice people! They gave us a map of the trails and sent us off looking at exploratory pits dug by the miners and we spent quite some time just enjoying the flowers and stream. Lo-and-behold when we got back to the parking lot there was a giant bus and a group of kids on a field trip and the mine was open to them. They still wouldn't let us tour the mine! I would have thought that they might consider being open on days when they know they're going to have to open the mine up for a field trip anyway???
So...why am I giving them a very good? Well, as I said...they were very nice people and they did let us in the gift shop and museum and the trail was really a nice walk. I could pretty much get the idea of what the mine "tour" would have been like (you can peek through the metal grate) and I'd say that the whole set-up is mostly geared for kids...hard hats, a simple sluice outside for some sifting, etc.
I know that they have some "weather" in Placerville, but the fact that they are cornering the market on open gold mines I think they should reconsider their hours/days.

My daughter and I enjoyed this tour - gave you an appreciation of how hard people worked back in those days. The audio tour was excellent.

Easy to find. There are signs pointing you in the right direction. Parking in scarce. It's better to get there early. Take a tour of the mining cave. It's nice a cool inside. The park people are nice and friendly. Some are dressed in costume and tell interesting tales and facts. My daughter loved panning for gold. She was hoping to strike it rich!
But we only found pretty rocks. I recommend packing a lunch. We stayed 2 hours and we didn't make it to the blacksmith exhibit.

The staff worked with me to help maximize my visit given the time constraints I had. I started with the mine tour, which is only about fifteen minutes with audio files, and it was well presented and easy to understand. I then listened to a docent at the stamp mill explain a whole bunch of things. I didn't take the time to visit the blacksmith but could have added on that and spent more time reading the displays above the gift shop if I had been able to. This is a great complement to Marshall Gold Discovery State Park. I was there later on and already had some knowledge of gold mining because of my stop at Gold Bug.

The museum here is very informative and the surrounding park is shady and a great place for a picnic lunch. Stroll by the river and check out the historical site. The for fee gold panning is very fun to do with kids. You will find gold and garnets too!

This was a very interesting place to visit. However, If it gets crowded I can see how uncomfortable the mine tour would be. You can access the tour info from your phone but if you don't have ear buds you will hear all the other tourists getting info from their phones. The mine is not that big! However, an interesting place to visit. We did not go on any of the trails but that is also an option.

If you need something to do with the family that's quick, easy to find and not real expensive then this is a great little stop.

They have a small museum, short mine trip ($5 adults...self guided) and a mill.

If you want to kill some additional time then rent a pan and let the kids pan for gold. ($2.50 per hour per pan).

We saw the signs, so easy to get to and when it's summertime and hot as you know what, it's the place to go. Especially great place to take cranky hot kids to cool off and run around.AND you actually get to see what a gold mine looks like, how many times can you do that? They also have a blacksmith shop and a stamp mill. Fun ways for kids to learn about the past. If you want there are picnic tables, you can grab food from nearby Placerville and eat in the shade of the trees. Great stop, doesn't have to take long if you're in a hurry, but a wonderful spot to let your kids blow off some steam!

Very nicely designed location with excellent interpretive displays, actual stamp mill and occasional mine tours. It feels like you are in the forest, but you are only yards from the highway and Old Placerville.

We were just an older couple but we had a great time exploring the park. Take the self-guided audio tour of the mine. There is a cost for this. Then explore the park. Easy to walk the entire grounds. Visit the blacksmith and stamp mill. They also have a picnic are if you bring snacks. I think this would be great for children.

I've been hauling visiting guests over to Gold Bug park since I was a kid. It's well worth your time! The docents are friendly, the price is cheap, the gift shop has plenty of souvenirs for the kids, and the setting is beautiful. Bring a picnic lunch and cool your heels in the back of the mine. It's an adventure you'll never forget!

My 7 year old grandson (a Minecraft kid) really enjoyed the mine & panning for gems. The blacksmith shop was on the busy side. The stamper machine & talk gave him so great facts. It’s a wonderful place to go on a hot day because the mine is on the chilly side. We then went mining for gems, what kid doesn’t enjoy playing in so water. All in all we spent about 2 hrs. If I’d have packed a picnic lunch we would have stayed longer. Don’t forget extra cash for the gift shop. My grandson gave it 9 out of 10.

Driving up to the Gold Bug Mine, you are immediately struck by the beauty of the rolling hills and peaceful scenery that surrounds this area. But, the beautiful scenery is far surpassed by the treasures hidden within these hills! GOLD! That was the cry that brought this mine into existence! Dating back to 1888, this mine is an undisturbed example of hard rock mining, where ore was crushed to extract the gold. There are many hiking trails, picnic areas, and activities to entertain everyone in your party, ages 1 to 100! Prices are reasonable, and there is a charming gift shop also located on the property. You will enjoy spending an entire day, walking through and exploring this historic site!

Nice place. Historic. Informative. Great for families. $12 entry. Near Placerville, about a 15 minute drive up a hill through a residential area.

The site consists of a real gold mine shaft visitors can tour with an audio you download to your phone. The tour lasts about 30 min and leads into the cold, well-lit mine shaft. It explains the features of the mine, the mining process, and the dangers of mining, including how explosives were used. The mine dead ends about 150ft later and visitors turn around and walk back to the entrance. I'd recommend visiting during the week to avoid large crowds.

I spent about 2 hours here on a Thursday afternoon in October, and during that time, I saw maybe 8 other visitors. In the museum, visitors can pay $12 to tour the mine and park. Visitors are required to wear the provided hard hat inside the mine. I believe the park is open daily from 10am to 4pm.

The museum is small, but contained nice displays and informative signs. Just outside the museum and mine are two long troughs with water and gravel for visitors who wish to learn how to pan for gold.

Visitors can drive 1 mile up the paved road to the stamp mill and blacksmith shops for live explanations and demonstrations by volunteers. Definitely worth the stop.

There is also a nature trail which leads around the large park and to the Priest Mine entrance, which is only accessible with a reservation for a guided group tour.

The self guided tour into the mountain is a real treat, since one of my ancestors was a miner in the Placerville region it was a lot of fun to see how life was for him.

Took the kids and grandparent here. The mine tour was fun and informative. My daughter enjoyed the gold panning. She came out with a lot of little shiny rock (gold or pyrite, who knows?) she also got some turquoise chips and a garnet

The Park area is virtually non-existent. The self-guided mining tour was poor. It is just one horizontal shaft that is mostly too dark to see anything even if there was anything to see! You could walk to the end in about 2 minutes if you did not listen to the discussions of about 11 stops on your cell phone. Then you reverse directions and fight the visitors trying to squeeze by you coming into the Shaft.

The best part of this was the lady taking admission. She had a great sense of humor and was very nice. Other than that we felt we got Shafted.

My kids are 13 and 14. They enjoyed the short self narrated tour. The stamp mill was nice too. They got to watch the black smith creating a hook. Very educational site.

We planned a stop on our way home from Tahoe, and I am so glad we did! We took our 7 & 9 year old girls and started in the mine ($18 for our family) where we were given an audio device to take the self guided tour. Took about 20 minutes and was well done. Next we headed to the blacksmith shop and stamp mill. Each volunteer docent in this exhibit was excellent! The blacksmith forged us a small spoon before our eyes for a small donation, the stamp docent was a great story teller, both girls enjoyed these exhibits the best!
Finally we panned for some gems ($2 each pan). Didn't really find much and we were done after about 15 minutes. I highly reccomend this place. We drive away commenting in the fun we had!

Did the self-guided audio tour with my daughter. It’s pretty quick, but she enjoyed it. The best part was the gentleman working up at the Stamp Mill who was a great storyteller and told us all about how gold was first discovered in California and about Black Bart, who robbed a bunch of Wells Fargo stagecoaches.

This is a fun place to visit with the kids, a walk into mine, a gift shop and picnic area.

We downloaded the 'self guided' tour app...which was really great. If you didn't have a smart phone, they would lend you one to use for the tour! Oh and hard hats are a MUST! I would have had one heck of a headache if I hadn't used it...ha, ha!
But the best part was when we went to the Stamp Mill. A man dressed in period clothing came up and explained about the Stamp Mill and then showed us how they extracted the gold. When he was done with this...he switched modes and became 'Black Bart'...The Gentleman Bandit. He told 'his' story about robbing Well Fargo Stage coaches and his life. It was a GREAT story...if I hadn't known better I would have thought that he REALLY was Black Bart! ~;)
We didn't get up to talk to the 'Black Smith'...the ladies in the group pooped out. But if it was anything like Black Bart...we missed something good...another reason to go back! ~;)

The mine tour is fun, and informative.
But, the real joy was visiting with Pat—the docent—in the mill and blacksmith area.he gave us a great oral history of the gold rush, and this area. We spent over an hour talking with him.

Beautiful place to visit. The mine is very interesting and it doesn't cost much to go inside. The people that work there are very helpful and knowledgeable. Great little gift shop and picnic area. Worth a visit and then take a walk down main street Placerville. Lots of great places to eat or just window shop.

Stamp mill, mine shaft and gift shop make this the place to visit. Take a hike or have a picnic. Seems like you are in the woods a mere mile out of town.

The entrance fee entitles you to an app guided tour of the Gold Bug Mine. No longer active, it was worked untl the 1950's. You download the app and a narrator explains each stop with colordul comments. After the tour you can visit the gift shop or pan for gold (for a small fee). There are other interesting activities including hiking along miles of trails in the park.

A great place to take kids from 6 up. It gives an excellent overview of what gold minng was like in the 1850s. most interesting was the machinery used to break up the ore to get to the gold

Had to make a quick visit to Goldbug mine just to soak in some history. Small museum and self guided mint tour. Picnic area available too. Nice afternoon outing!

We specifically made a trip to Placerville to visit the mine with our children ages 16, 10 & 5. We drove from Chico, which is almost 2 1/2 hours away. Before we left we double checked the website which assured us that the mine and the park were open until 4 pm. We arrived at the mine at 3:35. When we got to the attendant at the mine he promptly said. "We are closed". At first I thought he was kidding and even said so. He replied "No, we are closed." I lamely replied "But, we came all the way from Chico." To which he said (and I quote) "Then you should have left earlier." We were stunned at how rude he was! As we were walking away we overheard him say to the lady next to him that he was going to make sure he got out of there at 4pm. We never got to see the mine and the whole trip was a bust. The kids (and us) were so disappointed. All I can say is SHAME ON HIM.

Took the 3 young kids (5, 8, 10) to Marshall Gold Discovery but was kind of disappointed so we thought we'd try Goldbug. We were so glad we did. I was a bit apprehensive to visit the stamp mill up the hill since so many reviews complained of a grumpy old man. We never encountered the grump but instead a young girl named Brandi who gave us a great history and demonstration of the stamp mill.
My husband, 10-year old and I loved the audio tour of the actual underground mine. It only takes 20 mintues and is very good. Younger kids are not given audio tour wands so mine didn't stick around in the mine very long. They wandered off to the gift shop.
We have no regrets and would recommend this tour. It's less than an hour. We ate at the Buttercup Grille in Placerville. LOVED it.

Walk in a small mine to get kicked out because of a kids tour. Poor planning on their part. Guide was very rude to me as well as several adults way to deep in his character. Way to show kids how to be rude. Waste of my time and money would not even rate this a 1 star Very disappointing 10 minutes trip for a 3 hour drive bravo way to run a park.

Self guided tour using an app you need to download on your phone. Our phone didn't work very well but just seeing the mine was OK without the audio. Doesn't take a lot of time. Short, easy walk but is a little wet.

I am encouraging everyone to visit this mine to understand what the miners encountered as they dug through the earth looking for gold. Adjacent exhibits and artifacts were all a plus.

Great docents, lots of good information, fun walk through the mine. Really nice hiking trails. Great for families, individuals, young and old.

Have been to this park quite a few times over the years, and this is the best I have seen it.
The added attractions make this a must stop if you want to learn about the history of the area and see what happened here, re. "gold'.
There is a new stamp mill and a mine tour...which sadly is a bit pricey...so save up so you can pay the fee.
The park is close to Placerville, so no long drives to get here. There are tables to sit at, so bring a lunch, take a walk, enjoy the sites.
Gold Bug is a pretty cool place.

This is a hidden little park. It is fun for all ages. I recommend that you bring a small flashlight with you.

Excellent attraction with historical significance for the area. Access is provided to a gold mining tunnel with a good audio tour which must be downloaded to your smart phone.

Highlight of the site is undoubtedly the tour of the stamp house (don’t miss this - it’s a five minute walk up the hill from the mine) where “Black Bart” explains how gold is extracted from the ore mined from the tunnel below and provides a brilliant account of his life as a highwayman. Well worth the trip.

Self-guided tour of the mine was informative and easy to use. Highlights for us were the walking trails with trail guide, and a visit to the Stamp Mill (docent lead) and Blacksmith Shop (awesome living history presentation by John the Blacksmith). Clean and comfortable picnic area, as well.

The kids really enjoyed the panning for gold. They didn't stand over anyone, and so it was very relaxed. The mine tour (self guided with an app) was educational and interesting. I'd go back another time and maybe have a picnic lunch (it was too hot for that when we visited).

My friend and I stopped here on a quick getaway. We really enjoyed the narrated self guided mine tour and the stamp mill. But the highlight was the working blacksmith. A group of grade school kids were fascinated. Great way to learn history!

A definite stop if you are planning a gold rush tour. They offer you hard hats and access to a self-guided mine tour. Afterwards, you can picnic on the grounds and you MUST visit the stamp mill. Volunteers interact with visitors to bring history to life. The blacksmith offers interesting stories, as does the storyteller who has done years of independent research to engage all ages with the escapades of legendary coach thief, Black Bart. Quite an experience!

What a great bit of history and the staff there are amazing and funny and sweet!

This is a great little stop for kids to walk down a dark and wet mine shaft on a self guided tour that is about 100 yards long while listening to a recorded voice on a hand held digital device. Good history lesson and kids get a kick out of it. Also, we sprung for the $2 pan rental for kids to dig thru a couple of troughs of sand in the front to pretend they are panning for gold. Beware that kids could get really wet if left to their own devices. The cave is also a cool 55 degrees so it was a refreshing walk out of the heat. There are plenty of picnic areas and hiking trails if you'd like to make a day out of it.

This is a nice little place to visit if you are in the Placerville area. The park is easy to find and offers some great history of the area. The stamp mill is first rate, and the mine tour is good, but kind of pricey.
The stamp mill is free, the walk the around the area is free, the store is free, unless you buy.

A must when you are in Placerville. Make sure to take the mine tour and also see the stamp mill. My son especially liked having to wear a hard hat : ) Hands on history is the best way to learn about the gold rush.

If you find yourself in the Placerville area and you have an afternoon to check things out, you owe it to yourself to check out the Gold Bug Park. If you love California history, you don't want to miss this. There are real gold mines dug into the hills that you can go into and see the work the miners did to chase their dreams of becoming rich. It was a fever and you'll see how it swept the people away with it's allure and excitement. There are mining artifacts and special tools that look pretty scary in today's terms of safety. It's a fun day for the whole family or groups of friends. There's always something new to learn about our California history. I really enjoy visiting Gold Bug Park.

All the highlights of Gold Country in one little park, great for kids who have been learning about in school. My 11 year old and her 8 year old cousin enjoyed the panning experience the most; they tolerated the learning parts pretty well, and my brother and I enjoyed ourselves as well, reading the exhibit signage and asking questions. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, and parking was easy. It was a pleasant day trip from Petaluma, we were able to make it there and back in one day without feeling stretched too thin.

fun to see old gold mine and how they mined it and the grounds and the stamp mill, blacksmith and trails to walk

Took two kids to this park recently and they really enjoyed it...went into the mine and then panned for various minerals that were really not there but they searched for quite a while hoping to score something....

When in Placerville, the question begs: what is placer gold mining anyway? We pulled off the El Dorado Farm Trail to learn more about Placerville’s gold mining history at this former family-owned mine, now listed on the National Historic Registry. Using the Apple cellphones provided with the entrance fee, we took the audio tour into the twisting cave, actually called a drift. We were lucky to be alone in the caverns, directed to 13 different stops explaining the mining processes and geology of the mines. Skipping the gold panning option in a trough outside the gift shop, we drove up the hill to see the stamp mill. Here, a very knowledgeable volunteer regaled us with details on how industrial miners used huge stamp mills to extract gold dust out of tons of pounded rock. Be sure to ask about Black Bart, who robbed 29 Wells Fargo Banks – using an unloaded shotgun. Ask any gold mining questions here – and you too will learn what placer mining is.

I went to the Gold Bug Mine on a Sunday Morning with a group of friends. We started by panning for gem stones for about 30 minutes. It was a fun way to splash in some cool water in the heat of the summer. I was able to find some very pretty stones quickly, but patience is key here. After that we went to actually tour the mine. Their set up is very nice where you are given access to their wifi and you download an app for the audio tour. The whole thing takes about 20-25 minutes. Definitely go inside because it is nice an cool in there. The only issue we had was that other groups were not very respectful of space and let their kids run amok inside. Since there is one way in and out there is some overlap of the audio-stops. I highly recommend getting their early so the cave isn't crowded during your tour.

We recently took our grandkids to Gold Bug Park and Mine and they loved it, especially being able to wear the hard hats. We loved it because inside the mine the temp was a cool 51 degrees while it roasted outside. After we went through the mine, we rented pans so the kids could pan for "gold" in the troughs outside. They all collected their "treasures" before we went up to the stamping mill. At the mill, a docent explained how the rock was pulverized and the gold extracted. They also have a small-scale model of the stamping to give you a taste of the noise the local residents had to endure. On the upper level a blacksmith smith his duties during the mills operation and made small salt spoons that was a highlight for the little ones. This is a fun exhibit that gives one a glimpse of the gold fever that attracted so many people to California.

Just enough...a short informative walk into a gold mine with recorded tour. A display of various rocks and minerals and a small gift shop along with a trough for panning gold are fun for old and young alike. The highlight was the Stamping House where Hugh explained the ore refining process while adding drama to the stories of stage coach robberies of the Wellsfargo's gold by the infamous Black Bart.

Historically and picnic all in one small place. Gold mine and museum, take a walk along creek or relax in shade. Very nice afternoon.

The tour of the mine is awesome, as is the Stamp Mill and the Blacksmith Shop. We learned a lot about mining for gold.

This place is a little out of the way but well worth the effort. The tour of the gold mine is short but informative and well thought through. The guys in the blacksmith and stamp mill are really enthusiastic about the history of the place and it really is an eye opener what the miners went through to get gold.

All in all, Reasonably priced, friendly place, definitely worth it!

A short drive from Placerville. We started our visit at the gift shop/mine entrance where we picked up hard hats and audio wands. I was concerned that the kids, 7 and 5, would refuse to go in the mine adit as they have expressed fear of dark places. But surprise, they loved it. The mine tour is acutally pretty short, but the audio info is informative. The kids loved feeling the water dripping down the walls and posing for pictures by the old ore cars.
We bought some rocks specimens at the gift shop (no trip complete without some rocks) then headed to the stamp mill. We saw the original stamp mill and a local guide turned on the model of the mill so we could hear the noise. He also answered all sorts of questions about the Gold Rush. There are some hiking opportunities but we decided to move on to the Marshall Gold Discovery Site.

We toured the mine with some kiddos and several adults. Turns out that the adults were more intrigued with the mine than the kids were. It's was a fun time had by all. It's a quick tour and does not take a lot of time to go through.

Hubby, Mom & I went, it was fun, informative & very nice people. Very chilly so wear warm clothes & shoes, it's in a mine

I read many, many reviews of which moves to go to with young kids along the whole route of the Gold Country. I traveled with 3 kids (ages 6, 8, 11). I ended up stumbling upon Strike It Rich Adventures based out of this Gold Bug Park. You can hire Miner Rich (a certified geologist and historian) to give you a private tour for 3 hours which ends in learning the art of correct prospecting. All I can say it was AMAZING! Miner Rich had us mesmerized as he took us on an adventure through the closed-to-the-public Priest Mine and special treats through the Goldbug Mine. He also took us to the Stamp Mill. Each moment was filled with amazing facts and NOT ONCE did any of my kids stifle a yawn, moan or complain. At the end, he patiently showed us the proper ways to mine for gold and we each ended up with a small capsule filled with gold flakes, amethysts and garnets. It was definitely the highlight of our trip and I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

I've been here before, but it's been many years. A few family members who were visiting from out of town wanted to see Gold Country, so I recommended this place as a starting point.
It is located a few miles out if Placerville, and fairly well marked along the route. Lots of free parking and well placed things to see and do.
Start at the gift shop, give upstairs and pay for the mine tour. Its $9 but a good way to see a real mine shaft. The docent will give you a hardhat (put it on), and tell you about the self guided tour, which includes an app for your phone. The shaft is only about 100 yds long, but is mostly flat and easily navigable.
After the shaft you can pan for gold and then go look at a few other buildings located right up the hill.
The giftshop was reasonably priced, for a tourist spot, and fairly well stocked.
They do have bathrooms and a covered picnic area as well but we never used either on this trip.
I recommend Gold Bug Mine.

Fun place to visit especially for those who have kids. One of the few mines left that people can experience the gold rush era

lovely 60 acre park with gold mines, stamp mill, working blacksmith shop, and opportunties to spend money at the gift shop. park is free - mine tour with head set and hard hat is $5.00. also sometimes, black bart is there and the fellow who brings him to life is quite good. check out his realistic looking wooden shotgun. park is open only on weekends in the winter but every day in the summer.

This is a really quiant stop. if your intereted in history of the gold rush this is the place...mine for some gold too...never crowded!

Great hiking trails and lots of nature. Terrain can be a little steep in places. The mining displays are very interesting. Have not done the paid mine shaft 'tour'. Picnic area. Stream. All around something for everyone.

Interesting to see. I took my 7yr old, 5 yr old and 2 year old. They all enjoyed it. They thought the rock formations and quartz lines were "cool". They especially appreciated the fact that they were 110 feet below ground at the end of the mine. The audio is very informative. A pricey short tour - but worth it and the $ goes to the upkeep of the park. Nice picnic areas and other trails and a stamp mill to see. My kids said they wanted to go back again - can't beat that review.

We went with our two young grandsons as part of our trip Highway 49 and the Gold Rush trail...the boys loved panning for very small "gems" (they had panned for gold the prior day in Columbia, CA) -- kept them occupied and happy for an hour. They did not like the 15 minute trip through the old mine (I think they found it spooky). Had to use the device provided by the management since we couldn't successfully download their app on my smart phone -- it was OK. It was also quite cool (the kids shivered a bit!) but I found that a welcome development on a very hot day. The cost to rent the pans for panning was $2/hour; the visit to the mine was $7/adults and $4/kids.

This mine in Placerville is easy to reach from Hwy. 50; the exit street, Bedford Ave., is well marked. The site has two parts. The lower part includes a small gift shop, a picnic area (no food is sold on site, however), and access to the mine tour. The upper part has a blacksmith shop and a stamp mill, which my husband and I did not visit. That area has a second parking lot, so you don’t have to walk up the hill from the lower parking lot.

The mine tour costs $7, which gets you a hard hat—very useful if you’re tall, since some of the ceilings in the mine are rather low—and a recorded audio tour, delivered either via ear buds and a remote or as an app on your smartphone. The tour has 13 stops inside the mine and lasts about half an hour. The audio, narrated by a “ghost” miner, provides mildly interesting information about how the mining was done, names that the miners gave to their tools and procedures, etc. The tour is more accessible than many tours; the tunnel is flat, fairly short, almost entirely dry, and wide enough for wheelchairs. It’s not wildly exciting, but it would make a good family activity and could be done on rainy days.

We have been enjoying Gold Bug for years and years. We brought our kids when they were fairly young and we still enjoy going every now and then. I have brought student field trips here as well and the staff has been knowledgeable. It’s a wonderful side trip into the past!

This was a wonderful end to our travels for the day. Took the mine self guided tour and experienced the life in a mine. The went to the stamp mill where "Black Bart" gave us a tour and history lesson, could have stayed there all day. A great stop, plan on 2 hours or more if you want to pan for gold.

If you are visiting the heart of the California Mother Lode, this is a great place to stop. A little tricky to navigate, but there is good signage leading you just a few blocks away from Highway 50 in Placerville. Hard rock mining of gold, very nice amusing self guided audio tour, you can walk all the way in and out of this mine, but watch your head! (They provide hard hats.) The stamping mill up the hill is also probably worth your time.

The Gold Bug Mine is an outstanding chance to walk into a real gold mine, and see, and feel what it was like working in the cool/ damp tunnel. You get a self guided head set that will explain what your seeing inside the cave. You can buy real gold nuggets and other collectables at the gift shop. If your lucky they will have someone in the stamp mill that will show you how the ore was crushed, and the process of extracting the gold. This is a well worth visit when in Placerville.

Interesting and educational stop. We had limited time, so did a quick run through the mine (cold and damp) and the stamp mill. Stamp mill was in a beautiful and scenic area. The outside exhibits were well documented and big! We did not do this stop justice... Needed more time to really explore.

Really fun place to visit if your in the area. Wouldn't make a special drive out there. A small old working mine and a guy who tells stories of old bank robes

We arrived at the Gold Bug Mine around 10 am on a Wednesday morning. Easy parking and the staff was very friendly. We enjoyed the mine audio tour. The guide at the stamp mill was excellent. My son and I learned a lot. The road up to the stamp mill is steep - there is parking up there if you have limited mobility. We also panned for gems down near the gift shop, which engrossed my son for nearly an hour. Every child that was panning was really into it. Everyone was very proud of their finds. It was a fun stop on our road trip.

I couldn't download the Gold Bug app to my smartphone, so we used their antiquated playback devices, which worked just fine. It was an interesting look back in time into the life of a miner. The mine is especially cool, so if it's a hot day, you'll love it in here.

You get to go in the actual mine with a recorder as your tour. We had a lot of fun while getting a history lesson.

very informative, pleasant trails, park staff friendly and helpful, a real treat for a couple of hours or so

lovely way to spend a couple of hours or more touring the area and visiting the stamp mill...worth the visit. I think they may have some hiking trails nearby as well.

We really enjoyed the gold mine tour. My 9 yr old could not stop talking about it. The 20 minute audio tour is really informative. We came towards closing time and they kept the stamping mill open for us
Must see if you are in Placerville

Although I live close by I hadn't been to the park for quite a while when I decided to take my grandson who was visiting from Idaho. The park has been improving for years. The mine has an audio program that is explains the basics of hard rock mining. The docents who volunteer there are informative and interesting. The stamp mill has a miniature stamp mill that shows how the actual mill works. My grandson was mesmerized by the blacksmith at the top of the stamp mill who told stories of the immigrants who came to this country. The park also has trails for hiking.

Took a few hours after breakfast and enjoyed some fine tour guides, amazing mines and stamping mill. Apparently, we need to get out more.

Knowing full well that mines and the mining community existed years ago in Placerville but never taking the time to get out and check them out. A super worthwhile afternoon checking out the county's past. Our tour guide of the Priest Mine, put a comic spin on his tour which really gets everyone involved and I think paying attention. The voiced unguided tour is also very interesting but not quite as much as those with a guide.

The place is great for kids. There are a number of areas within the park for birthday parties and stuff.

As clearly stated on the Web-site, there is no admission to the gold mine tour if it is less than a half-hour before closing. We came from a distance & rushed to get there, arriving 3 mins. before the deadline, We were graciously allowed to take the self-guided tour which we easily finished in about 20 mins. The audio tape provides a lot of good info about mining & this mine in particular. It has numbered segments that correspond to specific points in the mine. We welcomed the coolness of the mine since the outdoor temp. was in the high 90's.

We hoped to see the stamp mill, too, but were told that the docent there was already closing up shop, because it was so hot. We drove up the hill & saw him coming down the pathway. It was obvious he was not going to let us in, saying he had to close up the entire area, incl. the gate on the road, by 4 pm. It was a disappointment.

We knew it wasn't the day the blacksmith shop was open, so never planned to go there.

There are bathrooms not far from the mine & a covered picnic area, too. There is also a gift shop which we didn't explore. Everything we saw was nice & clean & well-kept up.

Incidentally, we were headed on a vacation trip to Virginia City, the location of the famous Comstock Lode. Between this tour of the Gold Bug Mine & info we picked up at the NV State Museum in Carson City, we felt no need to spend the money to see the ruins of any of those silver mines.

As a child, my dad used to take us into the main cave, along with other families. Gone are the days of trudging through mud with flashlights in hand. Be sure to travel to the stamp mill for a great history lesson.

Hangtown's Gold bug Park is best to visit on a hot summer day. Why? Because it is cooler inside. It is well lit, enough, to see the ceiling, walls, cut out places, and floor. You will appreciate how much work digging men did, just to get gold.

Interesting hard rock gold mine with a horizontal shaft for an easy walk and tour. Be sure to visit the stamp mill.

We spent an hour here with 5 kids, ages 3-8, and they loved it. They were less interested in the mine than the panning for gemstones, but it held their attention for a lot longer than we expected. The setting is quiet and shady. Very nice place to visit.

Loved the self audio walking tour thru the old mine and exploring the grounds. And you can bring a picnic lunch as the grounds have picnic tables you can use.

Loved all the history.Fun place to take the family and learn interesting thing's you get to see for yourself instead of reading much more impressive.

We took our 10 and 11 year old grand kids on a one week road trip to gold country and they said that one of the greatest experiences was the listening to volunteer Pat at the stamp mill and blacksmith shop. He engaged our grand kids and even after an hour they were still listening intently with Pat's description of how gold was processed and how the stamp mill worked. The self guided tour of the mine using the cell phone ap was also excellent in addition to panning for gem stones. A must see for kids and adults!

Went here on a Tuesday, so not crowded at all. Started at the self-guided mine tour of the Gold Bug mine, my 6 foot tall husband had to keep ducking to avoid banging his helmet (thank goodness we were all issued one) on the mine supports and the ceiling. There are lights in the mine, but it helped to have my phone light to see some of the details and air shafts. The audio tour was interesting but not boring. We then went up the hill to the stamp mill and the blacksmith shop (we opted to drive, as the hill is a little steep,and there is parking in front of the stamp mill). We were told by "Black Bart" (the docent for the stamp mill) to start upstairs at the blacksmith shop. Not much room upstairs on the landing in front of the blacksmith area, but the volunteer blacksmith gave quite a fascinating talk and demonstration of the various products, and even created a salt spoon as we watched. He said they get groups from schools all around California and Oregon, so the volunteers are practiced in relating the history. We then went downstairs where "Black Bart" regaled us with his history as a stage robber. He also ran a replica stamp mill, miniature but still very loud. We spent about 2 hours total between the mine and the shop and the mill. A pleasant day trip from the Bay area.

We were able to make a quick visit to this park while in the area for a wedding. My 9 and 10 year old loved it. My husband and I also thought the mine and stamp mill were fascinating. This is a great stop for families with children, or adults young at heart. The price was very reasonable.

This is a beautiful spot to enjoy a picnic, allow children some hiking freedom and gain lots of knowledge about the Gold Rush. We've taken our grandchildren there (age 5-13) and they completely enjoyed the experience. Visiting the Blacksmith Shop is especially fascinating for kids.

Gold Bug Park is a fun way to spend a morning looking at an interesting piece of the Gold Rush. The mine tour and stamp mill tour are great and the short hikes are very informative. You can even pan for gold near the store for a fee which includes a pan.

While in town we decided to check out the Gold Bug Park. It was very easy to find. We toured the mine which was only $5 per person. You wear a hard hat and a little device that gives you information about the mine as you walk through. It was a little chilly inside, but not too bad.

After touring the mine we went to the Stamp Mill. They did not have a blacksmith working that day, but it was still neat to check it out.

There was also a little trail nearby that we walked along. It was a fun and cheap activity for a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Very cool place to visit on a hot day as it is always cool inside the horizontal mining shaft that gives the park it's name. Part free, part paid to go inside the mine.

This little place is well worth a stop. For $6, you are admitted into the mine shaft, along with an audio device that gives you information as you proceed. Having never been in an actual gold mine, I was impressed. Educational, and fun!

Planned on Apple Hill but ended up here for the afternoon. So glad we stopped, lots of great history and much to learn and see. Would love to stop again when in the area.

Took our 5 year old great grandson there on a hot day and it was to refreshingly cool inside the mine

This is a good and nicely low key introduction to the one of the kinds of gold mining that went on during the gold rush. You can take an interesting tour inside a mine shaft with a recorded device and there is a museum with someone to answer questions. There is a short trail with some poison ivy around. It's a short drive from downtown placerville.

Don a hard hat, doff your claustrophobia and bring the kids to experience a real gold mine just a mile or two from Placerville Main Street. Look at a real rock pounder and a model that shows you how it works - learn about how men who operated this machinery earned a higher wage because they would soon go deaf!. A gift shop supplies memorabilia and authentic pine-needle baskets. Many acres of 49er wilderness to hike.

We didn't do the gold mine tour but went to the stamp mill and the blacksmith shop. FUN, great history stories, educational, and a wonderful setting.
The blacksmith will sell at a donation the items he makes. Really neat to watch him make tools, BBQ forks, hooks, candle holders, and more. He's so talented, an older gentleman who looks like a 1800 blacksmith. He teaches smithing too. The stamp mill has a very interesting and educational demo with a real and a miniature size stamp mill. I finally got to lean how they got gold using a stamp mill and the whole, long, dangerous process the old miners used....fascinating.

The gold mine tour was neat although, in my opinion, a bit over-priced at $7 per person. The little museum above the gift shop was also very interesting. No need to move your car up the hill as the walk from the gift shop/mine to the blacksmith and stamp mill is not that far. The blacksmith worker was very friendly and clearly passionate about blacksmithing. We didn't get a chance to talk to the stamp mill worker. The hikes (can purchase map for 25 cents in gift shop) were a bit disappointing only because they were much shorter than I was expecting (around 1-2 miles each), but nice walk nonetheless. We visited on a Saturday and it was not crowded at all.

This is a terrific mine that you will especially enjoy on a hot summer day. The inside temperature is nice and cool. They will provide a helmet and an audio program to explain what you are seeing. Reasonably priced.

Visit a real historic hard-rock gold mine, see how a stamp mill works to extract the gold from the rock, picnic, enjoy the gift shop and learn about the California Gold Rush history.

This was our second visit to Gold Bug Park. Yesterday we took two grandchildren, ages 4 & 6 to the attraction. This was our second visit and the first with young children. It was very educational for all and we all had a great time. The kids were especially intrigued by the blacksmith and also at the panning for gold site. It is a great value and a good time was had by all.