The best mining we've ever been to. The owners really try to give the kids a treat and on top of it, they had Fossil mining! My kids begged me to write this 5/5 review. Yes it's pricier than the others but the bucket is huge and easy for 2-3 kids to share. And the haul was amazing. We got a megalodon tooth, fish fossil, a massive geode that they opened for him on the spot and so much more! We def got more value than what we paid. The staff shared the enthusiasm of my boys which made the experience even more rewarding read more

The service was absolutely amazing! We found incredible rocks in just the $20 buckets that we got. We had so much fun we bought another one! The lady who owns the place is knowledgeable, friendly, and gave us a discount for the next time because our oldest will love the dinosaurs. This is a can't miss! read more

Little River Gem Mine - The smallest of the gemstones found in the $20 bucket. - Hobby Shops Near Me - Sevierville, Tennessee

this place is a must if you're in Pigeon Forge! Adorable setup, smaller but they have everything you could want with gems etc. we made a short stop here before going down into the strip of Pigeon Forge and bought our 3 girls the $20 bucket to sift through. Nice big rocks that were easy to do in about 20 minutes. Great for younger kids. My 2 year old son loved playing in the water haha. Another plus is if you want, after they mine for the gems, they can take them inside and the owners will tell them which kinds of stones they got. They loved this part a lot! Really was a nice touch. We saw another big gem mining place farther u to town, but it was busier, less personal and more expensive. I was so happy we went here instead of the bigger/more commercial places I definitely recommend this place for a smoother experience! read more

See all

This is off the beaten path, but SO worth it. There is a huge selection of glass, rocks, gems, and petrified wood outside and inside. The owner there can answer any and all questions and provide so much insight into every single piece. You can also buy buckets of different sizes and go out to the mine and see what you got. We are adults and were giddy looking at all the surprises in the buckets. You get so much for the price. I can't say enough good things about this place!!!!! We can't wait to go back. read more

See all

We wanted to steer away from the main touristy gem mining spots and we're so glad we did! We came in with our 3 year old son and absolutely loved it. We got the $50 bucket and left with about 5lbs or more of gems! We found a geode and the gentleman working there cut it in half for us to see. He also provided clear instructions on how we could care for them and display the gems back home. The gentleman was very knowledgeable and even told us about spots where we could go gem hunting in the state. Overall, we had an amazing time. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND! 10/10 read more

Little River Gem Mine - Hobby Shops Near Me - Sevierville, Tennessee

I can't give this place enough stars! We had the absolute best morning at this gem mine. We mined 4 buckets and each person left with over a pound of gems, minerals and shark teeth. The gentleman helping us was so knowledgeable and kind. My kids had the best time asking him questions and he gave such thorough answers. This trip was fun but we also learned new gem facts. Our rock hound daughter was in absolute heaven and even she learned some new things. We'll definitely be stopping in again the next time we're in town. read more

Little River Gem Mine - Beautiful rock garden. - Hobby Shops Near Me - Sevierville, Tennessee

This place is great! The gentleman running it really knows his stuff. He was so friendly and patient with our kids taking time to explain to them about fossils, how the gems form, how some are used all around us and telling them about each item they found while sifting their buckets. Additionally, there is a large selection of items to view and purchase from petrified wood and fossils to large crystals which was fun to walk around and look at it as well. Pricing was also much cheaper than the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg spots. It is definitely worth taking a few extra minutes to drive to compared with the other options. read more

Price was not terrible. Kids loved it. Friendly Owners. We would come back, next trip.

We struggled a little finding things our toddler could do in the area. But this was a really fun activity for my 2 and 4 year olds. We got each of them a small bucket (2/$35) and there were so many rocks in each bucket. Our 4 year old doubled her existing rock collection in 20 minutes. I agree with another reviewer that it doesn't look like much from the outside but this was one of the most fun activities for us in the area. It doesn't take very long to go through a bucket (20-30 minutes depending on how speedy your kid is) but the amount of rocks in each bucket is very, very generous. Also seemed to be a family run business which I really like. read more

Great little place to bring the kids if you are in town! The staff is amazing & friendly and willing to help you the entire time. We received so many gems For our money! Such a fun time!!! read more

What a great place! We were helped and the type of stones were explained to my son which made the experience even better! It's less touristy and has a more country feel to it, even though it's right near the city! I would recommend! read more

Talking with the man and woman behind the desk you can tell they have a genuine love for geology. It didn't feel like a gimmicky gem mine but the passion for the people. If you buy a bucket of gems to shift through, you'll be happy to see a wide array and assortment of various gems, minerals, and stone with even the smallest bucket. They're happy to identify the stones you received and even explain the nuisances and provide interesting facts and discussion about geology. It's a fun quick little date you can have while on a road trip or a place to bring the kids and have fun. I was able to make their $20 bucket last for half an hour between me and my significant other. I feel the money was well spent, the people were genuine (hehehe gemuine), and that this place is an absolute GEM! read more

With so many choices in such a touristy location, I'm glad we relied on the Yelp reviews and went here. At first sight, I thought it looked kinda ratchet, but it turned out to be a great experience. Our son got to sift through and find several cool "gems" which the owner of the business took a great deal of time to explain to all of us. The buckets were fairy inexpensive compared to other places in the area. This guy knew everything about what we collected and went in to great detail about the history of it all. He had some very interesting pieces which included an authentic megalodon tooth and a prehistoric fossilized dinosaur egg. 10/10 recommend this place! read more

Such a great shop! Beautiful pieces of jewelry and stand alone gems. The shop owner knows so much about each type of stone and their history. Very reasonable prices and lovely treasures, all around a win win! read more

Little River Gem Mine - Hobby Shops Near Me - Sevierville, Tennessee

I have to give this place 5 stars because they were just so friendly. We brought our kids by to mine for rocks and they had a blast! We purchased the smaller bucket and it was plenty of rocks for both kids to share. It was my daughters birthday so they gave her a free necklace and they gave my son some extra rocks. Super cool stop for kiddos.!" read more

We took my 6 year old nephew to this gem mine and bought 2 dirt buckets. There were sooo many amazing gems - they are very generous and it's well worth the money per bucket. My nephew liked this place better than any of the attractions we went to while visiting from Florida. read more

See all

Fabulous experience, so many rocks to look at and mining is so fun! The best part was the very knowledgeable worker who spoke to us for 30 mins explaining so much information about rocks, what they are made of, how they are made, found, etc. he even gave us all free rocks. Overall great experience. A must see. read more

Traveler from Florida. This is a great place to look at gems and crystals. I found one I was looking for but was out of my price range. I ask the girl that wasn't the owner several questions on different pieces. She had no clue what I was talking about had to Google some and was really not helpful finding things. It was a decent place to look at but things that cost $15 were costing $75. Expect to spend a lot of money if you want a nice piece for collector. read more

Found this place on multiple sites. I loved how far away from the touristy areas. Buckets were very reasonably priced, and the older gentleman was very knowledgeable and took the time to go through my daughters bucket with her and explain all of the different gems and their origin. Would highly recommend this place to anyone. read more