We really enjoyed our mining tour at Eagle Mining Co., in Julian, CA. Our tour guide John, was great he took us inside a mine that was created in the 1870s and showed us the tools and equipment used by the miners. John was very knowledgeable and provided a detailed explanation of how mining was conducted on that specific sight and gave an excellent overall history lesson. The tour took approximately 1 hour the cost was $15 for adults,Kids Age 5-11=$8 and Children Age 4 Younger =$1. The cost also included a lesson on panning for gold which your kids will enjoy. They do offer BBQ, shop and clean bathroom facilities we didn't get a chance to try the food, but it smelled good. Eagle Mining Co., is about a 5 minute drive from Main Street Julián. Check it out! Happy Yelping :) read more

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Really cool and interesting. The road is super bumpy and full of pot-holes to get there. There is a tour inside the mine and I've done it several times, still just as cool every time. read more

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What a fun afternoon outing! We did the tour during a hot summer day and loved every aspect of it. They did an overview outside outlining the history of mining in the area during the gold rush, and showed the processing equipment outside. We then panned for gold and headed in to the cave! We didn't stay to enjoy the lunch but stopped by the gift shop that was very well equipped. we loved this visit and highly recommend Eagle Mining! read more

Eagle Mining - Panning for gold - Tours Near Me - Julian, California

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A great tour blocks from downtown Julian. The adults and kids enjoyed the hour tour. read more

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Our Eagle Mine & High Point Gold Mine Tour in Julian, CA was both affordable and fascinating--just $15 per adult! The adventure began at the gold panning bins, where our tour guide gave us a hands-on lesson in panning for real gold flakes. We learned that William Moran discovered the Eagle Mine and the High Point extension (located within Eagle Mine) back in 1870. Amazingly, only one casualty was recorded during its operation. One of the most captivating parts of the tour was seeing the original mining tools and a vintage one-cylinder gas-powered hoist still on display!! read more

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Had such a great time on the tour! Matthew was our guide and he was super friendly, full of knowledge, and made sure the kids who joined the tour felt included and comfortable even helping ease any fears about being in the mine. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I ended up learning so much about how gold was extracted from the earth, it was very interesting ! If you go, wear closed-toe shoes, something you don't mind getting a little dusty, and be ready for one short but steep staircase along the way. Highly recommend checking it out if you're in the area! read more

Eagle Mining - Tours Near Me - Julian, California

Fun, Informative, and Worth Every Penny If you're looking for a fun and educational experience about gold mining history, The Eagle Mining Company is absolutely worth a visit. My wife and I stopped by and were immediately greeted by one of the staff members, who let us know a group had just left and we could try to catch up with them. After paying, we were about to head out when another gentleman stopped us and asked if we were joining the tour. We said yes and mentioned the guy inside told us to catch up with the earlier group. He said, "If you're not in a rush, just wait for the next one," and invited us to pan for gold while we waited. He showed us how the gold panning worked using the water bins outside. And yes--there is real gold in there! It's just for demonstration purposes, though, not for taking home. As we chatted, we found out this gentleman actually owns the business. That personal touch made it even more enjoyable. Soon after, we joined the next tour with our guide--his name might have been John--who was incredibly knowledgeable. He led a group of about eight of us into the mine and walked us through the whole operation. He explained how miners used to blast out 4-foot sections using homemade explosives, and he showed us the actual tunnels where it all happened. One of the most fascinating parts was seeing how much gold is still in the walls of the mine. It's more of a fine powder than large nuggets, but you can definitely see it glimmering in the rock. Some parts of the mine go as deep as 450 feet--that's serious depth. At only $15 per person, the tour is a steal. If we're ever in the area again, we'll definitely be back. Highly recommend it for families, history buffs, or anyone curious about old-school gold mining. read more

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it was a fun visit of a gold mine in Julian for a day trip. The tour guides were knowledge and kept the attention for the hour and made it fun! We got to try our hands on hand panning after a quick demo. Too bad couldn't keep the panned gold, but it's still fun to try the activity! The mines do get cold and have height limits so if you don't like the cold or fear of tight spaces, you may want to skip the mine tour, but it's fun if you can bend the knee or back lol! read more

The coal mining tour was quite boring and didn't meet expectations. The ticket office had a nice selection of accessories and jewelry. There is an outdoor seating area available if you want to wait for your group or take a break to enjoy some food. We were a group of four, and the cost was $60 if paying with cash or $62 with a credit card processing fee. Plenty of parking. read more

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Good golf mine your in Jillian. 15$ a head here for adults and you get the choice of a self guided tour or to go with a group. We went by ourselves and liked it. Small mine but very cool To walk through read more

This was a really cool place to visit. $15 gets you about an hour tour that starts off with some info about gold mining equipment used at the mine back in the day. This is followed by an intro to gold panning, and yes you get to pan for gold. Then, you go into the mine from 1870. The tour guide is knowledgeable and informative. The mine is really cool and still has gold flakes all over inside also. There are actually two mines connected that you get to walk through. I highly recommend this if you've ever seen the old gold mines on TV and thought that it would be cool to go in one sometime. It's just like that. read more

Eagle Mining - Tours Near Me - Julian, California

A BIT OF HISTORY We have visited Julian numerous times over the last 4 decades and finally visited Eagle Mine. (July 2025). There's not that much to see and do in Julian, so this quick tour is something to consider when visiting. BUY TIX IN THE GIFT SHOP Buy your tickets in the gift shop and then join the tour which starts outside, observing the rock crushing machines. If you come when the tour has already started, you may join late and then continue on afterwards to see the parts you missed. THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS! Follow that up by watching a panning for gold demonstration and then try giving it a go yourself. (I don't think we saw one spec!) You'll then enter the mine, following your tour guide down the tunnels and listening to his narration. You can see the gold flecks and stripes in the walls. He tells you about the conditions and history of the mines. I found it particularly interesting about how they lit the mines with candles on their hats. The tour guide demonstrated what complete darkness would look like if their candles all went out -- pitch black! SLIGHTLY PRICEY I thought the price for entry was a little high ($15 July 2025) $7-$10 was more like what it was worth. The gift shop could do with a complete revamp. Note: Complimentary parking. This mine is no longer a working mine. Restrooms located in the main building across from the gift shop. They were offering bbq food for purchase after our tour. Helpful? read more

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Eagle Mining Company demonstrates professionalism and efficiency in their operations. Communication was clear, staff were knowledgeable, and the process was handled in an organized manner. The team was responsive and took the time to explain details clearly, which made the experience straightforward and easy to understand. Overall, Eagle Mining Company appears reliable and well-managed. read more

We were immediately greeted after parking and getting out of the car and were directed to the gift shop, where we paid ($15 per adult) for the mine tour. The tour consists of 3 parts in no particular order: gold panning, walking tour inside the mine, and tour of tools, machinery & description of the milling process. Our guide Matthew was knowledgeable and entertaining, which made the tour enjoyable. I suggest wearing comfortable shoes (not mandatory) and be careful walking inside the mine, as some parts have very low ceilings. It was a fun experience & great for tourists, families and people of all ages. read more

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It is good to explore it while in Julian, but i wished the tour was longer and has more stuff to see. read more

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This is a great historical place and has a great host with a map and easy access. We got there late but for a small discount we were allowed to enter. They gave us a map and we explored the mine which was easy to walk through and pretty cool. After we walked to the front and did some mining for Gold. Although it is only for fun no taking home any flakes. The two gentlemen were very helpful and gave us some interesting info on the town of Julian. Plus, they gave my daughter flowers and offered her to cut roses to take with her. Too kind and very appreciated. read more

Enjoyed the tour with my husband and teenager. A must see if going to Julian. Learned how to pan for gold. It was fun

As Julian began as a mining town, it is important that we honor its history by learning about it. Admission is fifteen dollars a person, though they don't give you a ticket or really have any way of checking if you paid or not. The mines are deep and a bit low, so be mindful of your head when walking through. It was a fun tour with our guide John. We finished with a good old panning experience, but we do not get to keep the gold (so that other miners can find it in the future). Separately, they thankfully have a nice bathroom setup. read more

Had a great time on the one hour tour! The tour guide was really knowledgeable but the way he was presenting information was great, he kept it light and had great tone and cracked a few jokes here and there and was even good at handling the little kids that would not stop talking during the tour. I'm sorry but if I'm on a tour I want to hear what the tour guide has to say and not what your child age 2-4 want to scream and shout about. The mine itself was really cool to look at, you can see the flecks of gold still inside of the mine walls: read more

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My husband and nine year old son again enjoyed touring the Eagle Gold Mine. Johnny our tour guide was wonderful and pointed out lots of interesting geological features of the Eagle Gold Mine. Well worth a visit if you are touring Julian, CA. read more

This tour is a must-do experience! From start to finish, the staff was welcoming and friendly, making the visit enjoyable. Our tour guide was fantastic--extremely knowledgeable about not only the history of mining but also the geology of the area and the rich history of Julian itself. The length of the tour was perfect--long enough to feel immersive but not so long that it felt overwhelming. While there are some steep steps to navigate, the tour felt very safe throughout, and the steps added a touch of adventure without being too daunting. If you're in Julian and want to step back in time and learn something new! read more

Eagle Mining - Diagram of the mine. - Tours Near Me - Julian, California

Matthew was a great tour guide, he made it so fun for us! He impressed us with his spanish and bit of mandarin lol. I was afraid this tour would be just another gimmick but my family and I thoroughly enjoyed learning the history of the mine and how it functioned. I wish I could run through all the tunnels and explore every inch of it but what we did see was still amazing. Highly recommend! read more

Eagle Mining - Tours Near Me - Julian, California

We enjoyed our tour. The mine itself was really fun to explore. You are literally going up and inside high peak mountain. The kids loved panning for gold. The gift shop was fun too. Totally recommend. read more

Eagle Mining - After the tour. - Tours Near Me - Julian, California

Well folks, I got to say it, this place rocks no pun intended!! while of visiting the quiet little town of Julian we decided to stop by this place and give it a shot. Call pretty late in the day at around 4 PM and they were more than willing to accommodate us and let us come up and take a tour which was cool, The guys and girls working there were super friendly and chill and basically we got a private tour through the whole mine as there was not a lot of people there when we were there. The guide was funny ,friendly. And made the whole experience pretty rad. One thing also to the mine stays pretty cool, so if it's a hot day, it's a good place to come and beat the heat for sure you'll probably end up spending a couple hours here and I guarantee you you will have a good time, They showed us all of the old equipment. We walked through the whole mine and they also let you pan for gold which my son that was really cool great little spot to check out in small town and I would probably stop back again if I was there just to do it over. read more

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Absolutely amazing place to visit. We were first greeted by Paul (who I think may be an owner). Paul was very welcoming and cordial. We then met Wayne who was our guide. Wayne is a wealth of knowledge and had a pleasant sense of humor. While this tour is great for adults, it's even more fun for the kids. Our grandkids will remember this tour forever. read more

I've always seen this on Yelp and was curious, but never got around to checking this place out until this past weekend. Was fun and very interesting! Amazing hearing how they used to mine all the gold. Getting to walk through the old mines was very cool. You start off learning how to pan for gold. I honestly wasn't expecting much - it was just dirt and sand. But as our tour guide showed us how to pan, we actually got real gold flakes! Evidently the owners bought the water from Alaska with real gold in it. It's catch and release, so you don't take anything home - but that was a really cool and unexpected experience. Our group had 7 adults and 1 2-year old. We were probably there a total of 1-1.5 hours? The mine isn't too big (the guided tour through the mine is 0.5 miles long). The air in the mine is very cool - feels great on a hot afternoon. If you're in Julian, it's worth checking out at least once! read more

Amazingly educational and enjoyable tour through a nineteenth century gold mine. It's one of those places you always hoped existed and are so happy to find out it actually does. Super tour guide! read more

Great touring! Loved the experience! Our tour guide was incredible and answered all of our questions!

I found the tour interesting, but short-- a bit too short, in fact for the $15 cost. They would also be wise to add a few more kid-oriented features. A small playground. A couple old mine cars in which to take some pics. Something. There is absolutely nothing there that is kid-friendly-- including the staff. We weren't out of the car for 15 seconds before someone was yelling at one of my kids to get down off the running board of one of the rusty old cars in front of the gift shop (post a sign!). Same kid also made the mistake of touching one of the rusty old antique milling tools near the entrance of the mine and the tour guide interrupted his schpeal to ask him to put it down (post a sign!). They don't even know how to make the gold panning seem fun to a kid. The guy who was there (primarily to make sure we didn't make off with any of their precious gold dust) only spoke to my kids to tell them what they were doing wrong. Everyone just seemed surly and uninterested that we were there at all. Bummer. read more

I've been looking up random places to adventure to and todays look up led us to the Eagle and High peak mines. The weather wasn't the greatest but our tour guide was very accommodating! Instead of touring the grounds outdoors we went straight into the mines. Our tour guide to extra time in the mines explaining the mining process, key roles, rich history, and how the mountain itself formed. I came with my 4 year old son and he absolutely loved walking through the mines. There's a cute little gift store on site and they also have restrooms available on site. I really enjoyed my time here and the staff was incredibly kind. Highly recommended! read more

Eagle Mining - Tours Near Me - Julian, California

This tour was so much fun! Our tour guide, Matthew, was super funny and knowledgeable. Actually going through the gold mining tunnels was such a wonderful experience. It was a lot bigger than we thought! We learned a lot about historic Julian. Even got to pan for gold! The views from atop the high peak mining was beautiful. This made our visit to Julian so much more enjoyable. We learned tips about the surrounding areas from our tour guide (eg Cuyamaca lake and vista points). Thank you for such a fun experience! read more

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This is worth a stop! Lots to see and do here and they involved the kiddos right away. They give a tour of the old mine along with gold panning for only $15 adults (kids are less). There is also a store, food with dining area, and even the grounds are displayed with artifacts and old mining equipment. read more

We came here with our three and two year old after their cousin was here for a field trip. First and most importantly, the staff were all so lovely. Everyone was informative and kind. The tour itself was great, although it was a bit too advanced for our kids -- which was our fault. I'd say it's great for kids 7+. read more

John and Paul were so amazing!! Very friendly people, they love when people ask questions. We went as a group of 9 from San Diego and had lots of fun. Definitely recommend read more

Fun, informative -- highly recommend. Be warned that there is a ladder you'll have to climb to get to another level.

The ticket prices are pretty steep for a family of four, but I appreciated the tour and the access to a piece of mining history. Parking right on site. You buy tickets inside the little gift shop which is pretty dusty and seems like it hasn't been touched in a while, although somehow that fits right in. We enjoyed our pressed dime machine. I've been twice with two different guides and it is really fascinating how different the tours were based on the guide. Our first tour guide seemed very into the miner's lives and working conditions, our second guide, a year later, was a geologist and knew a lot about the actual process of mining, blasting into rock, finding gold etc. We didn't try any of the food that was for sale, but they do a homestyle personal menu for those feeling snackish. read more

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The tour was so fun and well worth $15! I'm claustrophobic and I was fine -- you go deep into the mountain straight and then go up and turn and come out the side of the mountain, so you never go DOWN and that for me was reassuring. There's good airflow and it feels nice inside. Very cool and our tour guide was great. My favorite part was when they turned the lights off to show you how totally dark it could get. I'd definitely come back again. read more

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Amazing, awesome, informative, fun tour! We walked from our hotel on Main Street in Julian. The walk was uphill but only about 10-15 minutes. Very easy to find as there were signs pointed towards the direction of the mine. The tour was amazing!! You get to pan for REAL gold (not to take home), learn about some mining machinery, and GO DEEP INTO AN OLD MINE!!! Going through the mine was the best part for me, our tour guide gave great info and was very patient. You get to see deep holes that miners once had to go in/through.. and the best part.. our guide turned the lights off so we would get to experience the mines like miners did!! (About 5 seconds). I'd recommend this tour to anyone! You do have to climb a ladder at one point, but it's very easy. Great for kids of all ages! read more

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Great immersed guide into the eagle mine, Toros through the mining process and ways in the cave. Overall Awesome tour! Loved seeing the sights of GOLD read more

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What a cool experience! We felt like kids again as we panned for gold and walked through a real gold mine! Everyone here was super friendly and our tour guide was super fun, knowledgeable, and happy to answer any question thrown his way. What a great window into a very important part of California's history! Highly recommend for kids of any age, the curious, and the adventurous! PS for those of you concerned about feeling claustrophobia, you'll be fine. I'm not claustrophobic but am not a super fan of tight small places but the whole time the mine had great airflow, lights, and felt safe! read more

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