Super fun for everyone lots of history very entertaining. The family that ran it were super nice. The kids really enjoyed it... a must!!!

The Smith family present Julian mining history in a way that is fun for all ages. Our party had an 8 and 82 year old. Both of them left the site feeling as though they had a great experience. The train ride and accompanying narration led to a mine entrance that you go in to get the feel of a... More

The Smith Ranch is a hidden gem in california. Located in Julian California the place is special and full of adventure. Many activities are around for the family to enjoy. Your kids will discover a piece of American history. From gold paning, to the rope bridge. I have two girls and they loved that. an 1870 mine tour that shows... More

We took a day trip up to Julian. We were told by some friends to check out Smith Ranch. The kids LOVED it! They learned about the gold rush and got to actually tour a mine and pan for "gold". The Smith's were warm, friendly, and very passionate about their ranch. All 3 of my kids, 6, 9, and 11,... More

The Smiths are friendly, smart and definitely love to show you around. The tour is geared toward children but we adults loved it too. Lots of good stories and artifiacts for the history nut in all of us. A couple of hours and a good price made it the right choice for our visit.

We came to Smith ranch Labour Day. It starts with a train ride up the mountain with stops on the way for explenations on the history of the place and the vegetation. Reaches the mine where there are explenations on mining for gold. There is a little adventure park with ropes, bridges and slides the kids had fun going through.... More

This place is fun for kids. Our daughter liked the train ride, the panning for gold and the rope bridge. Fun place for families and reasonably priced.

A fantastic, educational experience. Visit equaled a trip to Disneyland. KID FRIENDLY!!, hosts and guides provide a warm reception while in their 1890's costumes which allow you to feel the era and hardships true gold miners encontered. Tour allows for hands on exploration. AnitiqueTrain ride and walking into a real gold mine will provide wonderful memories for years to come.

This was really fun. We took our 2 and 3 year old boys and they had a blast. You take a short "train" ride, visit the mine, pan for "gold", and pump water from a well. It's very hands on. I would not recommend this for just adults, but for younger kids, it's great.