{"id":5331,"date":"2017-02-01T18:02:04","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T02:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/?p=5331"},"modified":"2025-11-21T18:04:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T02:04:34","slug":"old-hangtowns-gold-bug-park-and-mine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/2017\/02\/01\/old-hangtowns-gold-bug-park-and-mine\/","title":{"rendered":"Old Hangtown’s Gold Bug Park and Mine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Inspired Imperfection by Jennifer Bourn]<\/em><\/p>\n

Every fall, for years and years, we have been driving through Placerville on our way to Apple Hill and I had no idea that Gold Bug Mine existed.<\/p>\n

We love family adventures that teach us about California history and the gold rush, and I was blown away that there was a real gold mine that you can tour this close to our house that we had never checked out!<\/p>\n

Old Hangtown\u2019s Gold Bug Park & Mine<\/a>\u00a0sits with in the\u00a062 acre Gold Bug Park in Placerville, California<\/strong>. The gold mine, stamp mill, blacksmith\u2019s shop, and museum provide a unique look into Northern California\u2019s Gold Rush history and the hard rock mining efforts that yielded gold from the 1860s to the 1940s when the mine closed. It is not known how much gold was removed because no records were kept.<\/p>\n

The main attraction of Gold Bug Park is the Gold Bug Mine,\u00a0a 352 foot horizontal drift<\/strong>\u00a0on the east side of the hard rock mine. Visitors are invited to don a hard hat and take an audio tour of the mine, learning about the California Gold Rush and what is was like to be a gold miner in the mid 1800s.<\/p>\n

On February 1, 1985, the park was approved for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and also as a State Point of Interest on the California registry.<\/p>\n

VISITING OLD HANGTOWN\u2019S GOLD BUG PARK & MINE<\/h2>\n

We arrived about 15 minutes before the mine opened, so we first explored the area around the mine and hike up to the entrance to the Priest Mine. When the museum opened, we headed inside to browse the artifacts and purchase our tickets for the self-guided audio tour, a hardhat, and admission to the museum, the Hendy Stamp Mill, and the blacksmith shop.<\/p>\n

We put on our hard hats, and as we stepped onto the wooden floors inside the historic gold mine, cold air from deep inside the mountain poured over our faces and chilled our skin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We listened as a gold miner talked about his life and the tools used to mine for gold, and walked deeper into the mine until reaching the end.\u00a0The only bummer was that the audio tour sets are only for those over 10 years old, so Carter didn\u2019t get one. He was a little upset to be missing out, so I had to repeat everything I was hearing for him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Next, we hiked up to the blacksmith\u2019s shop to see real blacksmiths at work and the Hendy Stamp Mill to see how gold is separated from quartz. We also got to hear stories from a living history volunteer about\u00a0Black Bart robbing Wells Fargo Stage Coaches carrying gold<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

After that we were starving! So we grabbed our ice chest and supplies from the truck and enjoyed a fantastic\u00a0family picnic in the Liberty Pavillion<\/strong>\u00a0before spending some time gem panning in the ice cold water. And yes, it was ice cold, even on a hot day. My fingers were freezing, but we were determined to find some treasures, and after about 30 minutes, we did!<\/p>\n

ACTIVITIES AT GOLD BUG PARK & MINE<\/h2>\n

Pairing the many family-friendly activities at\u00a0Old Hangtown\u2019s Gold Bug Park & Mine<\/a>\u00a0with a picnic makes for a perfect half day family adventure.<\/p>\n

While visiting the park, be sure to check out the following activities:<\/p>\n