Courtney O.

My family and I trekked up the mountain to meet our friends at Gold Bug Park yesterday in Placerville. It was the first visit for all 7 of us and we had a great time! Our first stop was the mine cave that was very cold inside and educational - they give you a phone that plays audio with all of the historical facts while walking through the mine. It's about 15 minutes and we really enjoyed ourselves. The staff member who handles the cave tour was great with getting the 7 of us situated and explaining the rules. We also checked out the Blacksmith and the Stamping Mill - both were also very entertaining and educational. My daughter got to hammer a square nail into a tree truck - cool way to leave a little mark on the place. Gold Bug Park also offers Gem Panning which would did not check out, but we saw a couple of kids having fun while doing it. Entrance to the park is free, but the mine cave tour is $12 per adult, $8 per kid - 5 and under are free! Overall, we had a lot of fun! So many cool artifacts and history to explore. I thought every single staff member was knowledgeable, friendly and did a great job keeping our kids engaged! We would definitely come back to Gold Bug Park next time we are in Placerville!

Marie S.

Gold Bug Mine is such a cool experience! It was amazing to walk through an actual mine and listen to all the historical facts during the tour. This place makes for a great educational field trip -- fun and informative. We even got to see a blacksmith in action and learned a lot about the craft during a live demonstration. Everyone who works here is super knowledgeable and really helps complete the whole authentic vibe. It truly felt like a blast to the past! The kiddos especially loved panning for natural gems. Highly recommend for families, history buffs, or anyone looking for a fun day out!

Shelli H.

Such a cool stop! We were in hangtown with time to kill and my sweet husband knows I dig this kinda stuff. Entrance is free. It is a really nice park for a picnic and a little hiking. Very peaceful. The littles can pan for gems and though we didn't do it this time the mine tour looks like something I am coming back to do. I think it was 12$. The gift shop was nifty. I purchased 2 smoky quartz, an aquamarine and a rose quartz. Bring lunch, play with rocks, learn some stuff, explore. A good outing for anybody really!

Wingsdomain ..

Note, this review of the Placerville Gold Bug Mine is part of a larger review on Placerville, CA which is quite the friendly town with nice folks eager to tell you the history of the town as well as how they got there...my full review on Placerville, CA can be found at https://www.wingsdomain.com/placerville-california-aka-hangtown-usa/ (it's too long to post in a single review here) "Gold Bug Mine" was a trip worth taking, granted I've never been to a gold mine and so I'm not the expert in what a gold mine trip is worth or not worth taken in an old town, though I was not disappointed at the end. We got there about 5 minutes before the self-guided mine tour opened for tourist consumption and though we saw the sign at the gift store door window was "open" (tickets to gold mine upstairs), the door was closed and locked. So I peeked in. An older guy walking with a cane approached the door I was peeking into and promptly turned the hanging sign at the door the other way, showing "closed"! LOL. I thought it was a joke since the folks down on Main street was so nice and hospitable just the day before. I stood there perplexed, so the older guy with the cane who turned to sign the other way to show "closed" opened the door, at which time I chuckled, still thinking it was all a joke, though he had a cold stare! And he said nothing. So I offered, are you closed? Yes, he replied with no further courtesy. So at this point, I felt his serious demeanor, and I asked what time they opened (though knowing very well they open 5 minutes later at 10:00am). He replied with a stern look on his face, "10"......it was 9:55am at the time, LOL! I was taken aback after the courteous Main Street merchants and residents the day before. So all I could do was chuckle and say I'll be back then.....not a good next day start to an otherwise relatively surprisingly hospitable day on Main Street before. So we left the gift shop (gold mine tickets upstairs) hoping to find some mildly sloped trails to hike in the area to kill some time. But the short relatively steep slopes around the mine forced us, mainly my old torn ankles, to ditch the hiking and we headed back to the room above the gift shop where the tickets for the self-guided smart phone audio tour ticket can be bought. The lady selling the tour tickets was very uninspired, not judging, it is what it is, I was just tainted and spoiled by the nice happy persona of Main Street Placerville the day before. The tour inside the gold mine was terrific, maybe not $10 per senior and $12 per (regular) adult great (the tour is advertised as a short 15 minute audio tour), but it's the only paid event we were in on our visit to Placerville, and its like an air-conditioner in the gold mine in the 90plus degree weather! We made sure we took full advantage of our $32 cost of admission (2 seniors and 1 adult), listening to the entire audio (you can fast forward the audio, but we didn't) as we trekked into this historic gold mine. Very educational! Next, we hiked up the "Stamp Mill Trail" which is a short relatively easy trail up the hill next to the road up to the Stamp Mill. The Stamp Mill did not disappoint, in fact it may be the highlight of our trip if not for the nice folks down on Main Street who make it hard to decide on best of town! The guide at the Stamp Mill was a gracious 70+ year old gentleman with a heart of gold and a patience to match. We did both introduce ourselves at some point (I introduced my family as well), but as I said, verbal names escape me like an a leak in a spigot, though both my wife and son think his name was Mike. So I'll just go with Mike, but you know who you are, Mike or someone in my memory ephemeral memory, though I still have a visual memory of who you are (like I said, I'm a visual person!), I'll buy you a beer or any other alcoholic beverage of your choice if I ever bump into you again. Your patience and using layman terms to explain the Stamp Mill and the other subsequent contraptions used to extract the finite gold dust gave me a much needed understanding and appreciation of the process of extracting gold. You said yourself at the end as we were just chit-chatting that you suffer physically from your pursue of gold as a labor of love, though a few "Eureka"s would have been nice (you told me you've had knee surgery among other physical issues from mining), but you persist, and I salute you with my 2 nightly martinis right now as I write, and may this bring you much gold prospecting success, cheers! See my full review on Placerville, CA at https://www.wingsdomain.com/placerville-california-aka-hangtown-usa/ (it's too long to post in a single review here). https://gallery.wingsdomain.com

Michael F.

Cool spot with a little self guided cave tour, gem mining, a stamp mill and lots of little hiking trails. The staff were really friendly and the kids had a great time.

Janet M.

Take a walk into Gold Rush History this summer. We decided to check this place out since we have seen the sign for years and sure glad we did. The Gold Bug Park and Mine offers an exploration tour in the Mine with a audio guide and the Mine was so nice and cool inside. The cost is $10 a person and the people running the place were very friendly. The Gold Bug Park and Mine is listed on the National register of Historical places and as a California State Point of Historic Interest. You can enjoy hiking trails then relax at the shaded picnic areas and enjoy a picnic lunch. After lunch you can do some Gem panning in the troughs and fine some wonderful treasures. They also have a Mining museum to view the colorful mineral collections. Also, don't forget to checkout the Stamp Mill and watch an Blacksmith make some works of art. Enjoy and get out this summer and maybe you may find some Gold.

Ben H.

So first, avoid the rush and get there in the morning or late morning. By early afternoon - it gets crowded for panning and the mine tours. Anyone over 5'6 or so will need a hard hat that they provide when on the mine tour ($10 per adult and $6 for kids). Pay upstairs. No $100 bills. Runs about 30 minutes and is just an audio tour. The gem panning is neat and costs $2 an hour or so. Pay at gift shop. The blacksmith is up the road. Drive there unless you want to hike in the heat. It's rather interesting seeing the presses and the stamps and he's very knowledgeable. Cute place for the summer, and interesting to go for a few hours of history. There is also a covered picnic area, and a separate restroom facility. All in all, great time... but if traveling from the Bay area, be cautious of the traffic around UC Davis.

Katherine A.

We accidently stumbled across this adventure! We had a great time with Carter at the Blacksmith. Then we went on the guided tour thru the Gold Mine each person is given a device with the number guided tour it was very informative and saves someone's voice. We then tried our hand at panning for gold! A little hiking but worth it! Everyone was great working there. We went weekday and enjoyed the coolness of the cave on a hot day. Wish that we had gotten there earlier but enjoyed the time we had.

Heather S.

Nice set up. Easy to walk mine tour that is self guided. $12.00 for adults. Then there is the stamp mill and blacksmith shop ( no additional fee). Very well maintained property, with nice walking trails. Beautiful pavilion for picnics.

Lisa Y.

Stopped by in a Sunday afternoon. Wait was about 45 Min for a self guided tour. Very much worth the wait. Neat part of CA history. Will go again.

Ashlyn L.

We left a festival for something a little bit more quiet and low key. We ended up here but had no idea how much this place would exceed our expectations. The gold mine tour was amazing. It's self guided with an app that's easily downloaded onto your phone. You have to wear hard hats in the mine as the ceilings are low and there is dripping water. We didn't mind at all, it was actually pretty stylish. The lady at the check in desk was very sweet and helped us get set up and ready to go! The mine has a beautiful crisp cool breeze that was perfect for the crazy hot weather today. It was informational and BEAUTIFUL. So fun to have this experience and memory. After the museum tour we paid just a few dollars to head outside and pan in the water for some gemstones. There were plenty of families splashing around and having a great time. We got to find some cool trinkets in the water and moved on to the next adventure. We went up the hill to see the stamp mill and the blacksmith. The guy at the stamp mill was friendly and knew exactly what he was talking about. It's nice to note that kind of confidence when you're at a learning environment. He even started up the small model of the stamp mill to give us an idea of function in a smaller scale!! There is also a fairly large display of crystals, gems, and other natural workings down stairs. The black smith was very sweet and answered all of our questions without hesitation. His workings are gorgeous and I hope to visit back soon. I would love to own a piece one day! Especially the wizard wands!

Chris M.

Wow -- this was a pleasant surprise on a short trip back from Lake Tahoe! Located about a mile north of Highway 50 in Placerville, the Gold Bug Park and Mine is a fantastic piece of history to experience and explore. Not only can you walk through an abandoned gold mine, but you can explore the various exhibits located on site -- including the Stamp Mill. The stamp mill was responsible for crushing rock 24/7 during its heyday. Apparently, the sound would be heard throughout the county. The mine was closed because of the Second World War. According to the tour guide at the stamp mill, gold just wasn't considered "essential" during the war effort. Following the war, the returning soldiers found less dangerous work elsewhere and left the mine without enough workers to justify its reopening. If you're in the area -- on the way to or from Tahoe -- this is a great place to visit. It's great for adults and kids alike. During our visit (on a Monday afternoon), we had the entire mine to ourselves. The only other visitors were from different parts of Europe and had already concluded their self-guided tour. Tips: 1.) The mine can be toured without a guide if you have a smartphone (iPhone or Android). You'll simply download the app from the appropriate app store and follow the markers through the mine. 2.) Wear your hardhat -- especially if you're tall! Some of the doorways in the mine are short and I hit my head a few times. Without the hat, the solid rock would have really hurt! 3.) You can park close to the mine...and then drive up to the stamp mill. Otherwise, its something of a steep uphill walk from the bottom of the mine building to the stamp mill (or other mine entrances). 4.) Bring a camera! I suggest avoiding the flash in the mine itself. For one, you'll blind anyone nearby. Secondly, there is ample lighting in the mine to produce some great pics anyway to justify turning off the flash. 5.) Placerville is a quaint town with some nice restaurants and places to visit. If you're up for it, you can stay in town on the way to Tahoe. Otherwise, it isn't very far to drive (roughly an hour from Tahoe and less than 45 minutes from Sacramento in good weather and traffic). Your trip to the mine can be as long or short as you like.

Kristian D.

Hangtown Gold Bug Park is a nice little stop in the region, but may be a bit underwhelming compared to other mines in the Sierras. This combination mine tour and community park is tucked away in a valley north of downtown Placerville along Gold Bug Lane, of course. Parking is limited and may be full early in the day. The big feature here is the mine tour. There were several mines at this location, but the Gold Bug Mine is open for self guided tours with audio from a phone app. The mine is pretty cool with several interesting geologic formations and replicas of the operations. The rest of the park is very nice with the typical foothill forest scrub landscape, although the valley location makes walking a bit tough with lots of steep hills. I am glad that I finally visited, but it is rather small compared to the state parks and other cave tours offered up and down Highway 49. Visiting Gold Bug may add a bit of adventure to your Apple Hill trip, but it may be more rewarding to take the kids to one of the larger mines for a much bigger experience.