Gold Bug Park & Mine
Step back in time when you enter the Gold Bug Mine!
Located in Placerville since 1848, Gold Bug Park and Mine is an excellent spot to take student groups interested in learning more about the history of the Gold Rush, the art of prospecting, and local California geology.
This site is an authentic mine from the Gold Rush days, a park containing opportunities for an audio-guided mine tour, mining museum, gem panning, stamp mill, blacksmith shop, and gift shop on site.
IT MUST BE NOTED that while the park itself is open all week, it is only on the weekends (12 - 4) that you can take the audio mine tour, visit the museum, visit the Blacksmith Shop, and visit the Stamp Mill. You can, of course, visit any time to simply observe and hike, however.
During a mine tour, you will receive an audio listening device as well as a hardhat to guide you through the once thriving mine. Inside the museum, you can see tools and artifacts that were used within the mine, as well as several education panels throughout that explore local geology and the art of prospecting in general.
