Hangtown's Gold Bug Park
Hangtown's Gold Bug Park
4.5
About
You'll step back in time when you enter Gold Bug Park! It'a a REAL mining site from the Gold Rush days. Explore the park and then the mining museum. Find your riches in the gem panning trough. Be sure to visit our historic Stamp Mill and working Blacksmith Shop. Hattie's Gift Shop will be open for that special one-of-a-kind memento of your mining experience. Be sure to top off your visit with an audio tour of the Gold Bug Mine (see below; fee applies). Our Hours: April thru October: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Daily November thru March: 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM on WEEKENDS ONLY During your self-guided audio tour of the Gold Bug you'll hear a California Gold Rush miner tell about the tools he used to get at that elusive yellow metal - GOLD! As you enter the 352 foot drift of this hard rock mine, you will feel the cool air brush against your face. Activity Suggestions: Bring a picnic lunch. Take a relaxing hike suitable for all ages along our dog-friendly trails. Check out the gold rush museum and perhaps stumble upon a lively blacksmith or a "real" 49er to share stories of the good ol' days. Gold Bug Park promises to be a wonderful experience for you and your family. Outdoor Pavilion rental available for groups of up to 75 people - suitable for summer graduations, family picnics, weddings, reunions, and more. For Schools: We offer educational and entertaining guided tours for both schools and private groups. Contact the park to bring your California history curriculum to life.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
189 reviews
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Kmcoyle
Sanbornville, NH1,367 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
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.
Written August 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FamilyTraveller
Peterborough674 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
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.
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.
Written August 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynn M
Carmel, California, United States907 contributions
Apr 2022
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.
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa Y
El Cerrito, California111 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
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.
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.
Written October 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shafsky
Placerville, CA29 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
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.
Written November 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A Pampered Traveler
Burbank, CA472 contributions
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.
Written June 17, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Triphappy69
Placerville, CA5 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
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 !
Written February 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad D
El Dorado Hills, CA221 contributions
Sep 2016 • Family
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.
Written February 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Allison K
Long Island, NY256 contributions
Sep 2016 • Family
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.
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.
Written September 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SunsetFaith
San Francisco34 contributions
Jul 2016 • Family
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.
Written July 6, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The mine tours can be done with toddlers? what is minimum age?
Written April 16, 2018
It's not a long walk, so your toddler should do fine. My kids didn't have to wear a hard hat since they were so short. It's based on heights.
Written May 2, 2018
Is it opened in January, if so when and what are the times
Written January 19, 2015
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