Gold Bug Park & Mine

 
 
 
 
  
 
Excellent4.5297 reviews
 
4.5
 
Excellent297 reviews
 
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 William W 
 
October 11, 2026
 
 
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The docents are 5 star, worth the trip. The mine is underwhelming, takes all of 15 minutes to go through. It is interesting to see the type of rock they were going through.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Manny D 
 
September 26, 2026
 
 
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Interesting, and the Blacksmith was a trove of good information
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Brenda L 
 
September 13, 2026
 
 
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Loved the experience,  on our drivedown from apple hill decided to stop and have a look at the mine. Volunteer and workers were very informative and friendly.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Jana S 
 
August 5, 2026
 
 
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Good little park for picnics and short trail walks, exploring the gold mine and the stamp mill.  Flush toilets and fresh water provided, along with gift shop and gazebo area.  Plenty of shade and wildlife.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Paul C 
 
August 1, 2026
 
 
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Great for kids who want to learn about the gold rush era. The mine self-guided tour is great, but can be a little claustrophobic. The panning for gems is something that will keep the kids occupied for a while. The picnic grounds are also a great place to bring a lunch as they have public bathrooms available. It's also worth a trip up the hill to see the live blacksmithing operation.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Zuliya A 
 
July 30, 2026
 
 
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+9
Gold Bug Park offers an amazing and authentic opportunity to experience the California gold rush history. We were absolutely thrilled with the tour inside the mine itself (Gold Bug Mine). For safety, hard hats are required and provided at the entrance, and it is very cool and atmospheric inside. By the way, if you want, you can take a special audio guide device, which perfectly replaces live guides and allows you to explore everything at your own pace. However, you can also encounter regular guided tours inside the mine, so we managed to stand aside for a bit and listen to the interesting stories from the local guides. Inside the shaft walls, you can even see shiny pieces with your own eyes that look very much like real gold! It was fascinating to see the authentic underground rails and an old ore cart still sitting on the tracks.The park also features a massive historic stamp mill building with impressive, towering vintage machinery from the 19th century. Make sure to visit Hattie's museum and gift shop afterward. They have an excellent 'hands-on' mineral table where you can examine real rocks, alongside shelves filled with all kinds of souvenirs to remember your trip. For example, we bought some great, unique pens containing real gold pieces ✍️✨The park territory is clean, well-maintained, and surrounded by beautiful nature and scenic hiking trails. Highly recommended to visit!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Mariana M 
 
June 22, 2026
 
 
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Good my place to bring my 2 year old to explore without having to pay a fortune. Shaded areas are nice when it's hot out.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Dan H 
 
June 20, 2026
 
 
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+4
This mine interesting as a historical 1880s gold mine in Placerville, CA. Small gift shop with great selection and they offer panning for gems for the kids. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Visitors can (for a fee) take the self guided audio walking tour through part of the original tunnels and experience what early miners endured. Hardhats are mandatory and if you're over 5'10' you will understand why. It was 55f inside the mine. There are bathrooms and picnic areas available.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Michael S 
 
June 19, 2026
 
 
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+0
Very interesting experience with the history of gold mining in California, would recommend a visit
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Jon K 
 
June 16, 2026
 
 
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Fascinating!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Daniel K 
 
June 12, 2026
 
 
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The audio tour was really nice. The mine doesnt go to deep but has allot of nice stuff to look at. It is pretty cold in the mine so bringing a jacket might ne a good idea. The gem paning has allot of different small gems. The $5 for panning is well worth it. Really a kid freindly trip or for anyone interested in the old mines.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Scott J 
 
June 10, 2026
 
 
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The self guided tour was short for the money but it was interesting.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Carolyn C 
 
June 5, 2026
 
 
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Fun and informative. Bring a flashlight and a sweater because the mine can be a little chilly. Wear comfortable shoes. A good outing for the family.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Marques M 
 
May 17, 2026
 
 
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+0
This was an amazing experience for the whole family. We got the chance to see both mines. I would highly recommend this place. The giving the guided tour was extremely knowledgeable and we appreciate him.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Gary C 
 
May 5, 2026
 
 
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Great experience of a real California mine to get a sense of the dangerous work of miners in the late 1840's
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Joey W 
 
April 17, 2026
 
 
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+4
We had an amazing and educational visit to Gold Bug Park! It was the perfect stop for our family. The highlight of our trip was meeting the incredible blacksmith—he was so engaging and knowledgeable, making the history of the Gold Rush come alive for our kids. My son loved the gem panning, and the mine tour was fascinating (and cool!). It’s rare to find a place that is both authentic and fun for all ages. Highly recommend this for families looking for a real California history experience!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Dan C 
 
March 23, 2026
 
 
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+9
One hell of a cute park. Many thanks to the city of Placerville for creating this park. I understand that there were many volunteers' hours involved in its creation, my thanks to all of them.
Love the mine and stamp mill.
Covered picnic tables along the creek are nice touch.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Aaron B 
 
February 9, 2026
 
 
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Really wonderfully preserved gold mine from long ago, brought alive by the knowledgeable volunteers!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Sharon G 
 
December 28, 2025
 
 
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"I'm gonna Bug 🪲 Somebody" !
Gold Bug Park 🏞️ & (Mine)!
Gold "Digger" Indeed.
Oh, You Mean
GRAVE 🪦🪦🪦 DIGGER!!!
🪒 Sharpest Tool 🔥🔫🔥🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔥🚀🛸🛸 FLEET in the shed.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Sharman H 
 
September 1, 2025
 
 
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+1
Excellent info from all the guides,  props to Rick at the mine and the two at the stamp mill and blacksmith! Had a lovely time and learned a lot.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Justin R 
 
August 10, 2025
 
 
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Totally fine place to go and hang neatly very interesting. Might be more fun for the parents than the kids, lol, but I 100% recommend it!!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Lizz B 
 
August 7, 2025
 
 
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Cute little gift shop, blacksmithing demonstrations, small museum, mine tours and gem panning
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Ori B 
 
July 16, 2025
 
 
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+15
7-15-25 limited free parking lot with a rough estimate of 10 place, including, roofed pavilion , small clean gift shop with a small room size museum, to get a taste of gold rush era since 1880s.
Mine entrance look cool with a mandatory 12 bucks ticket. Also there is a trail going up the hill which I was in hurry and couldn’t go.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Thomas A 
 
July 14, 2025
 
 
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Fun family friendly stop in gold rush territory.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Jenna 
 
July 2, 2025
 
 
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+11
Staff were amazing and friendly, lots of jokes that were fun for all ages, had to wear a helmet if you were over 5 feet tall for safety reasons which was also appreciated! Great place for kids!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Dalailama K 
 
June 22, 2025
 
 
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+1
蠻短的 走快一點五分鐘就沒了
性價比很差
但可以當去太浩湖中停站
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Psychchic 
 
June 17, 2025
 
 
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All the staff were very enthusiastic, love their job, and were really nice. Every staff member we talked to gave us tips on local travel. The mine and details were interesting, but the best part was the staff!!! So fun! The mine is nice and cool on a hot day!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Katie B 
 
June 11, 2025
 
 
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+2
Brought our 4th grade daughters to experience the gold mine since it’s a part of the history taught about California. The mine was a super cool experience even tho it is a short mine (you will probably only Spend 10-15 minutes inside). You listen to a pre-recorded audio as you slowly walk through which gives good info. It is very cold inside and wet so keep that in mind. The girls really enjoyed it!! Adults must wear a helmet as the mines ceilings are very low and you will hit your head if you’re not paying attention. The people working there were very nice and taught us a lot. Also, we visited the stampmill & blacksmith up the hill from the mine. A man I  stampmill explained the process for getting from rock to the gold. The blacksmith showed us a demonstration to make a spoon from horseshoe nail. Pretty cool piece of history and the folks working there are really knowledgeable and helpful.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Jill S 
 
June 5, 2025
 
 
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We had a great time. The staff at the stamp mill and the blacksmith shop are very knowledgeable.  The mine tour was great!!! Loved being able to go at my own pace.  We even took time to pan for gems.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Thatdudepaydro 
 
May 26, 2025
 
 
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Really cool place for the fam lots of history to learn and fun activities for the kids.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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