Spent about an hour here and really enjoyed our visit! We started upstairs (which I believe is only accessible by stairs, since I don't remember seeing an elevator anywhere). We watched a 15-minute video that plays on the half hour, about Dahlonega's gold history. After the video, an enthusiastic tour guide named JL showed us some of the rooms (office for the judge and deliberation room for the jury), as well as brick with gold specs in it. Then we wandered the rest of the upstairs which had discovery drawers with gems, tools, and other items in them. There were a few more displays and rooms downstairs including one with minted coins from Dahlonega, as well as a gift shop. While we spent an hour here, you could watch the film and get through the museum probably in 30-45 minutes of going at your own pace. Overall, I found it very interesting and would highly recommend! read more

See all

Awesome historic gold town! This little town is filled with rich history, informative museums, and incredible chocolate makers! We really enjoyed the tour of the gold museum and all of the historic facts we picked up! Didn't realize this was the ORIGINAL Gold Rush town! High recommend stopping through this beautiful little town if you're in the area! read more

While in the town square brush up on Georgia's gold history. Quick and easy self guided tour. You learn some fun facts.

While the Dahlonega gold museum may be somewhat small, as mentioned in other reviews, I found it quite interesting. Having grown up in California, I didn't necessarily know much about the first major gold rush in this country, which took in North, Georgia and the Dahlonega area. When I entered the building, Jose, the guide, historian, and researcher, was friendly, welcoming and informative. Upstairs you can watch a 17 minute film, which provides a great overview of the gold rush in the area. Downstairs is interesting and eye-opening to see how the land was taken from the Cherokee and then given to white settlers through a land lottery. There's also a room with a great overview of the role the assayers played. It also gives you examples of some of the first gold coins minted first in Philadelphia and later in Dahlonega. If you want to learn about the gold rush, and the history of the area, this is a great place to start your visit. Cheers. read more

See all

Make this your first stop since they open at 9am. Sam was our tour guide and was very pleasant and knowledgeable. They have senior rates available, so for $7.50 it was well worth it. It will take you about an hour. read more

See all

So, gold. It drives men crazy, I've been told. Unbeknownst to me, north Georgia was the center of a major US gold rush that predated that of the mountain West. A few decades before the Civil War, numerous finds touched off a flurry of activity in the Dahlonega area, all motivated by the opportunity to snag some of the purest, shinyest gold in the entire country. The rush is over, and the remains of old mines dot the nearby hills. Now, a dedicated group of folks runs a compact museum recounting the very um, colorful history. The museum occupies the central, brick building in the Dahlonega square, which had at one time been the Lumpkin County courthouse. It's a convenient place to go while you wait for a resturaunt table, knowing as you do, savvy traveler that you are, that these eating spots in the square are in high demand on weekends. You'll need something to occupy your kids while waiting to get a seat. Anyway, the entry is on the bottom floor, and, after paying a modest fee, you are free to walk about a series of rooms that covers the history of (1) the land/claim lottery that was enforced to the detriment of indigenous folks, (2) the use of GA gold in coinage, and (3) the uses of gold, generally. You will be ushered into an upstairs exhibit that contains a really great rolling movie, that covers the topic pretty well. It was produced in 1985, so there are some live interviews with folks directly involved with the GA gold industry as the twilight was setting on the rush activity. Look around, and you'll see a nice collection of artifacts from the period, including a hydraulic mining nozzle, some panning tools, and fake dynamite :) Things to keep in mind: First, it's very interesting. Plan to spend 45 minute there, if you're filling time. Second, the old courthouse steps to the second floor are a little steep, and I am not aware of handicapped access. This might be wrong, though so check me. Third, the staff is really nice. I spoke extensively with a docent who himself was an amateur prospector. He and others apparently still have a good old time panning in the hills around town, even sometimes finding enough to make small pieces of jewelry. Cool stories from him, for sure. read more

See all

This museum is housed inside the historic courthouse at the center of town square. It is a small exhibit but has a great staff that are informative and always happy to answer any questions quests may have. read more

See all

Make sure to visit the Dahlonega Gold Museum! It's definitely worth the time and there is a lot of interesting information to be discovered there. Feel free to check out my blog for more information about the Gold Museum: https://practicallystacy.com/?p=356. read more

Gold Museum - Museums Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

See all

Like others have said, it's not a big museum at all, but I learned quite a few things from the lady who worked there and the video they show. It's neat that it's inside Georgia's oldest, unmodified courthouse. I wish they could do a little more inside, but I'm not sure what. But I did actually learn more about Georgia's gold rush in the short video than I ever learned in school here. It was $7 to get in today, but I know sometimes admission to national historical sites is free on special weekends. read more

Gold Museum - Museums Near Me - Dahlonega, Georgia

Nominal Entry fee ($5) to see a side of Georgia you cannot even begin to sense from history books. The gold found in Georgia in the early 1800s was the purest gold found in the USA EVER. Without that knowledge the "Trail of Tears" makes little sense. If you are a US history buff, make the treck to Dahlonega. The coolest artifact readily viewed in the old courthouse were the brinks of the building itself. What is this glitter before my eyes....you have to see it. read more

It's not a very large museum, but it's packed with more history than most places in Atlanta. Sure it's a drive up to Dahlonega, but well worth it if you plan to spend a little time in a quaint Georgia town while also getting your learn on. And learn you shall! I still remember being taught - in GEORGIA - that the gold rush was limited to California. Along came a not-by-the-books teacher who finally informed us that our state was the site of the first major gold rush in our nation's history, which is what started a series of tragic events leading to the Trail of Tears. This small court house supplements everything that teacher taught me and so much more. Like how the gold found here is the purest in the nation and quite possibly the world. Seriously. They can get all Bill Nye on the stuff and find out it's 99.9% pure gold. Most gold mines today barely hit 75% purity on a good day. That's impressive! Also impressive is the 5.5+ ounce nugget of solid gold that was found and now sits on display. There is a video upstairs as well detailing the events of the gold rush including the tragedy of the Cherokee nation in Georgia. In fact, the movie is so well done that they don't skimp out and act like "Well, we wanted that land." No, it's tasteful but truthful, no propaganda found here. And the chairs you sit in are over 120 years old, remains from the courthouse you're now standing in. They even have the original hat holders under the seats! If you love history and want to learn a little more about this state, I highly recommend checking this out. It's cheap to get in, though if you have a Georgia State Park Pass - not the parking pass, but an actual card you carry around - that should cover your entrance fee (make sure it says it covers historical sites!). Fantastic museum! read more

As a graduate student studying the Georgia gold rush, visiting Dahlonega and this specific museum was on the top of my to-do list. While on a motorcycle trip from Montreal to Alabama this past summer, I demanded that we stop in Northern Georgia in order to visit. The museum was fantastic! The people working there (both employees and volunteers) were extremely informative and excited at sharing their knowledge about the gold rush. The exhibition on gold mining was exhaustive (considering there is little to no primary sources on this event) and the short video in the courtroom was effective. I would definitely recommend this museum to anyone who is in the area. It is a great way to spend an hour or two! read more

A couple of cool things, 4 or 5 "exhibits" about the quality of an 8th grade science fair project - 20 minute video in a really cool room from the 1840's. That's it. If you're there -go, say you've seen it, and go taste some wine. read more

I had some time to kill in downtown Dahlonega, so I decided to finally check out the old courthouse that I've driven around 3 million times in my life. It's apparently the oldest public building in North Georgia (guessing the 1820 clock tower in Fayetteville doesn't count as a building - otherwise looks like we've got a potential battle for claiming rights) and I think it's great that they use it as a museum for Dahlonega's gold rush history. Too often there are grand old buildings that you can only observe from the outside - always a nice rush to step through the doors (and the "rush" here is doubly appropriate). That said, there's not really much to this museum. The $7 State Historic Site entry gets you three small rooms downstairs and a large upstairs room that shows a Gold Rush video on the half-hour in one half of the room and a large table that details more of the courthouse history on the other half. The video, even though only 10 years old, still feels a little dated and is the most informative display in the museum - though you just really gloss over the main details (basically: aprocryphal tale where a guy stumbles over a golden rock, people go nuts, Native Americans get drummed out, and mining companies swarm in with hydraulic cannons). 4th grade history told on a 4th grade level - which is great if you're a 4th grader but it left a bit to be desired with me regarding both the Native American tragedy and the actual gold rush itself. If you're really interested in the latter, you'll get a slight taste of it here but you'll get much more out of a tour at one of the local gold mines. I will say though that I did come out with a neat bit of knowledge - contrary to what I thought, the first established Gold Rush town in Georgia (and therefore the USA) was the nearby community of Auraria, which as you might surmise from the name established itself immediately after the discovery. Despite my North Georgia roots I had never heard of Auraria and a quick GPS search revealed it's only 10 minutes away from downtown Dahlonega (and even on a path that ties you back into GA-400 if you're heading south afterwards). It's essentially a ghost town now - an attractive ruin of what was apparently the town tavern stands at an intersection alongside a state historical plaque. It might not look like much, but the quiet history of this little spot speaks to a bit of the past that you'd never guess otherwise. A pretty cool discovery, thanks to this otherwise modest museum. read more

Really enjoyed the short film on the gold mining history. They had some great artifacts that were on display.. ask for a view of their secret room. They have also a glimpse of their old jury room and judges chamber. read more

I visited this county museum a few years back and since half my ancestors came from these parts; I saw some totally unexpected local area history. Not just the gold rush, but so many other unexpected historic details about the area and people. Dahlonega is in the Appalachian foothills, (close to Springer Mountain, the southern end of the Appalachian Trail, running 2200-miles north to Maine). Yes it's a small museum, but worth a visit -- and the shops, cafes and bars and restaurants around the square make a leisurely day-trip to the area rewarding if you just relax and follow whatever interests you. read more

Not worth the price of admission. You watch a video and there are a few rooms with artifacts. We were disappointed. I wouldn't waste your money. read more