had to convince my husband to go on the gold mine tour..he's been to 100's of old mines out in the desert , so he didn't want to go , but i said I haven't been to mines...and after walking uphill to location from town of Julian, wanted to use restroom, which operators allow - we decided to take the tour.interesting and informative walk thru the mine tunnels ,up some wooden stairs, ..afterwards , we got to 'pan for gold flecks ' , shucks - had to put it back after you found your gold though... at least the temperature of mine was definitley cooler than the outside heat !
It was best rated on TripAdvisor and I see why.Great tour. My kids are begging to go back. Had a nice little store/museum by the entrance. I liked that they had a few picnic tables by the parking lot where you could eat your food. Will go back soon.
Our family of five enjoyed going into the mines and getting the vast of information from our guide. We walked the mines, panned for gold and enjoyed the guides stories.
A must see when you are in Julian. Very authentic and not a "cheesy" tour. Paul, our guide was great. He was very informative and easy going. Lots of good information in the perfect amount of time (1 hour). Just a short hike up from Downtown.
How often do you get to visit a real gold mine? The tour through this small mine was exciting and fun. The tour guide was well informed about all aspects of mining and the history of this area. We were lead through narrow, winding shafts, following tracks of mining carts. We stopped frequently to see different features of the mine and learn another piece of history or myth. It was great fun, and just a bit creepy.
I did the mine tour earlier last week.... Really enjoyed it. Craig shared so much of the mining history in a way that made it fun to learn.
The mine is just a few blocks from downtown Julian and is a really interesting place to visit. There is a ten dollar charge, but it's worth every penny. The gentleman who took us on our tour was informative and friendly. He took his time explaining the gold mining process and showing us the original mining equipment. The highlight of the tour was entering the mine itself. They have run electricity into the mine so it was not dark or scary as one might amagine and it's an easy walk. He took us through the mine explaining everything as we went. We were really impressed and glad that we took the time to visit. There is a small gift shop there where you can buy gemstones, gold flake, etc
Very enjoyable tour. The mine is family owned and operated. Everyone is very friendly and pleasant. It was fun to walk through the mine and hear all the history of the place. If you don't care for dark, confined spaces you might want to skip this attraction. Watch your head!!
We visited this mine in early November 2014, walking up from the town's main street, and arrived just in time for a 4-guest tour which was amazing! It lasts a good hour and goes deep underground so you can see the quartz seams and the equipment the miners used. The guide is steeped in its history and brings it all back to life. It wasn't a very productive mine - such an effort for a small amount of gold in the end. It's all a bit run down outside - ancient cars and machinery and the shop is an antique in itself, but the atmosphere is genuine and you can pan for gold in the troughs outside. Opening hours were 10.00-3.00 when we were there but cost was still $10pp.
We had been through other mines in different parts of the country. This one is really something special! Craig, the tour guide and owner, is very passionate about the mine and loves to impart his knowledge. He keeps the tour to an hour to respect people's time. Through the efforts of his family this piece of California mining history has been preserved. Well worth the trip!!!