The new owners are very nice and it looks like they have plans of adding a few new additions. If you love hand on activities and getting a little dirty this is your place. You get to dig for treasure, pan for gold and find lots of cool gems in the water! If the kids are being naughty, put them in jail There's also a wooden train ride, possible apple picking depending on the time of year and lots of room to let the energy go. read more

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My daughter has been super into anything shiny, so naturally she was stoked when we told her we were going to go gemstone sluicing. The price for gemstone sluicing is well worth the number of rocks you get. She was so excited to find all the different colors. We also paid for the train ride. It goes in circles a few times, and my 4yr old seemed kind of bored. I would skip this unless your kid is super young or really into trains. Additionally, we were able to go apple picking on one of the last weekends that Julian seemed to still have crop. Many of the other orchards had closed, so we felt lucky to have the experience. read more

Julian Mining Company - U-pick apples - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

Besides enjoying Julian's Mom's famous pie and browsing local shops, I sought a fun activity and found this. It's not far at all from the shops. It was an informative one hour guided tour where you first learn how to do gold panning followed by exploring the cave. It was a great experience being inside an actual mining cave and to see everything with your own eyes, the tools they used back in the day, the strong smell of the gas, it was very interesting. We really enjoyed it! I think it's a really fun activity to do especially with kids and knowing about Julian mining history! It was pretty cool! read more

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I was looking for a fun family activity while in the Julian area. Besides Apple picking and grabbing some pie, I felt like this was a unique activity. It was an interactive experience while being exposed to history and the outdoors. We showed up shortly after it opened on a Saturday. It was not busy yet. We purchased a small bucket for the gem sleucing. The cost was $40 and produced a small bag of gems we got to bring home. We also bought tickets to ride the train. The train track goes in a circle with a small tunnel, that you need to duck as it's not made for tall people. The gentleman who carried our bucket to the area where the water for our gem sleucing was so friendly and helpful in describing what to do. We probably spent 20 minutes looking for our gems. Afterwards we wandered over to the train and asked if we could ride it. It's very informal, not on a schedule or anything like that. As soon as we hopped on everyone else who bought a ticket jumped on too. There were maybe 6 train cars that can hold up to 2-4 people. They also sell gems and tiny crafts and trinkets at their entrance. The place is family owned and all the employees were very friendly. It was a nice way to spend an hour of our time while in Julian. For those needed to use the restroom. They have an exterior bathroom, not a portable potty but a portable bathroom. Small, slightly larger than an airplane bathroom. I would suggest an outdoor sink for those doing the gem sluicing, as your hands get quite dirty. Would love for the gem sluicing to have an active water running source. It's set up for running water but it wasn't turned on. I've experienced gem sluicing with running water and it's really fun. Overall, I recommend if you're in the area and looking for a fun activity to do. read more

Julian Mining Company - Julian Mining Company sign at entrance - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

Our kids (8 and 10 year olds) have a lot of fun mining for gems and exploring the area. Owners are super nice. read more

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Wonderful experience! My son found lots of amethyst, another gems. The young men working there was very friendly and helpful. And everyone was kind and welcoming. We really enjoyed it. read more

Julian Mining Company - Happiest person in the world - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

Mixed feelings about this. On one hand i want to really help out the company and give it's 5 stars that it deserves. On the other hand i don't want it to get over run by influencers and ruin it. The boy who worked the bb gun station was the highlight for me. My kids loved the sluicing. The setup is great and so much fun. I'm scared to see how much we spent there but the memories are priceless. Thank you!!! read more

Julian Mining Company had so many fun activities that were family friendly and made our time a Julian so much more fun. The staff was so kind and informative, we came home with so many treasures and gems, and had a great experience. We chose to do the gem sifting and gold panning. The gem sifting was so interactive and it was so fun to see everyone get treasures. Prices were also very good for families or big parties. The gold panning was even better in my opinion. Finding the little bits of gold one piece after another was so fun because you had to look closely to find them. The new owners were so nice and are thinking about growing the new business. We can't wait to see where this place will go! read more

Julian Mining Company - Gold Panning - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

We had an amazing experience at Julian Mining Company. I came here with my son to go rock and gem mining, and it turned out to be such a special day for both of us. The people who work here -- especially the owners -- are truly wonderful. They were incredibly kind, patient, and welcoming. What really stood out was how they took the time to talk with my son, explain everything about the rocks and gems, and answer all of his questions with genuine enthusiasm. You can tell they truly love what they do and care about educating kids and families. This place is not just about mining; it's about learning, connection, and creating memories. My son was so excited and engaged the entire time, and that alone made the visit worth it. We felt comfortable, respected, and appreciated from start to finish. If you're looking for a family-friendly experience with great people, knowledgeable staff, and a fun, educational environment, I highly recommend Julian Mining Company. We will definitely be coming back. And of course, we mined a lot of amazing gems, which made the experience even more fun. read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

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Such a fun and relaxing place! The mining experience was exciting, well organized, and perfect for all ages. I found beautiful stones, and my son was so happy--we can't wait to come back! read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

Great stop, the kids loved mining the gems. Would definitely come back again! Friendly staff! Thank you!

I took my kid to apple picking. We went right after the door opened at noon. However, there was no apple left. There were some, very tiny green ones that bird ate or the bugged ones. And the staff was selling the bag still! They should have put a sign that there were no u-pick apple any more like across a street. It was not nice and disappointed after long drive. read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

What an amazing place to bring my son. The owners were so kind and we had a great time finding gems and shooting BBs. Definitely coming back! read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

We went on a ladies' trip up to Julian and stopped at the Julian Mining Company at 444 Highway 78, just about a mile or so before you get into town. I had read prior reviews that were mixed, but we decided to visit this place anyway. We met the new owners, Dave and Teresa, who took over this place in February of 2025. Those two could not have been more delightful! There is a small cover charge of $5 per person, unless you want to do the mining. Then the cover is included in the size of bucket you are buying. We spend a couple hours there, not only to mine, but also to just enjoy the serenity and natural beauty of the place. We watched the birds (Dave and Teresa provided peanuts free of charge, so you can feed the birds and watch them up closer), checked out the little train track (really cute for kids at an additional $3 charge per ride, I believe), and we just walked around and looked at the buildings. It's was nice afternoon, which we followed up with a meal at Jeremy's across the street. Awesome quality farm-to-table food there, but the way, but sadly will be sold soon. I can recommend the Julian Mining Company to anyone who wants to go back in time for a couple of hours and just enjoy being up there. And across the street you will find the best pie place in town with much less wait and amazing quality. I recommend the Cherry-Apple as it is not quite as sweet :) read more

So so so much fun! My 3 boys 11, 10 and 7 all had a great time searching for gemstones. We purchased a medium size bucket for them to share and they all got more than enough for each of them. We also rode the train and learned about mining and a little bit about Julian's history. I didn't catch the girls name that helped us out but top notch service. DOG FRIENDLY! huge plus for us will definitely put this on our "taking vistors" list! read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

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This spot is always fun for kids on day trips out to Julian. You can pan for gold or sluice for gems and the prices are very reasonable. It's also fun to meander around and look at the old mining equipment on-site. Tons of free parking and an easy 1 minute walk to the Julian Hard Cider to reward the parents after a hard day of gold panning. read more

Julian Mining Company - Fun stop for the kiddos. Gold panning and sluicing for gems. - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

The folks that run this place are so incredibly nice. My boys had so much fun! Great place for green hunting for the littles. read more

Best boysenberry pie! 20 min line right before closing time. Delicious crumble top layer!

Gorgeous family owned place with so much charm. It had a lot to offer all ages. We enjoyed as adults walking through the little areas with history around the property. There is so much to keep kids of all ages occupied. You're warmly welcomed by the wonderful family who owns both property & business. This is a wonderful little stop & well worth visiting. Definitely will be back read more

Gorgeous family owned business with a rich history. Lots of fun for all ages! Definitely worth the stop!

This spot is a Gem! Great people, and such a cute place!!! The prices are great and the gem slucing is so fun! It was the perfect place to bring my daughter for a surprise! read more

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Had a lot of fun looking for gems this Saturday with my 6 years old daughter, super friendly aura there

We came here for jem mining. They have selections of different size of buckets and bags to choose from. We go $29.89 bucket. It was really heavy and lots of sands inside. It was plenty to entertain two kids for a good amount of time. Pictures show how much we got from the bucket. Nice big and small gems. They have gold mining and fossils too. We will come back and try other activities next time! read more

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We visited on a Saturday and chose a gem bucket for our 3 and 6-year old to share. They had so much fun and collected a great amount of stones. The train ride was simple and fun. The owners are really kind, helpful people. It is a fun little visit for younger kids. I'd honestly come back and try the fossil bucket for myself, as well. Just a nice, different experience getting the family outside and getting our hands dirty. I would highly recommend, and it's wonderful to support and celebrate these small, family businesses as well. We will be back. read more

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The reason for the 5 is for price (Groupon) and customer service. Roman helped our families and he is SO nice. Honestly, all of our kids were too young for the gold panning(this was our first time), but he explained other options and really made us all feel welcome. I saw him throughout our stay helping so many families - he was amazing with kids! To sum up our recommendations: Kids under 5 likely won't enjoy the gold panning BUT they have a gemstone option that is awesome for littles. Bring lunch - they have picnic tables and and awesome little mock-goldmine for kids to explore. Definitely use the Groupon option if they have it. Either way, I definitely recommend checking out at some point and I hope you get helped by Roman. read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

My friend, has never been Julian but loves gemstones so this place was a great find. The staff were so nice and we had a blast "mining" but had fun trying to find cool rocks. If you have kids highly recommend because it's a cool activity. It's so serene and calming, but be aware they are kid friendly activities so expect families. Overall, would do again! read more

I was so spectacularly bad at panning for gold it was comical. But EVERYTHING about this place was adorable and fun and even though I was so bad, the experience was so wonderful! A large part of that was thanks to a rockstar employee who had the patience of Buddha when attempting to help me (seriously if you see this, thank you Roman, if it wasn't for the pandemic I would've hugged you! And if he doesn't see this- whoever does should pass along the message and give him a bonus)! The place was busy, which is awesome since so many businesses are feeling it right now, but not so busy that it felt unsafe. I would come back here every weekend if my neck could handle looking down at the sand for that long, if my ego could take the continued bruising and if I knew I wouldn't likely cause all the employees to quit! That being said, I will 100% be back before Christmas read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

We stopped by to do the gold/gem mining activity which we got with a groupon. To start with they gave us a quick demo and sure enough, there is actual gold dust in the water. My 4.5 yo toddler in all his optimism kept panning in the hopes of finding gems n gold. My husband had fun doing it alongside him but my 2yo quickly lost interest. So I walked around the property with her and checked out the petting zoo part- goats, donkeys and horses. They were all super friendly! In the end of it all, we stopped by the mining store which was filled with all sorts of affordable gems and other mining related gifts. We let my son pick a little baggie to fill up with polished gems of his choosing -$3 / bag It was a great treat for the kids and a different experience for the family! read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

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Very cool experience, and something fun to do in the San Diego county area! I will recommend to others.

I take my boys here every summerr and they love it! It's $12-$14 for a large bag of gems. You can also buy buckets too! The small one is $25, lasts a while, and has a ton of beautiful pieces in them. The owners are the sweetest people ever. The wife, Gina, is so precious and her husband is adorable as well. They are closed on the weekdays but you can call during the week and they'll open for you! It's awesome. My sons and I had the whole place to ourselves today! They also have livestock on the property too. You need to see "Bubba"....he's a huge pig! :) Great place, great staff, great for kids AND adults! read more

Julian Mining Company - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

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Pleasantly surprised in a good way, coming here with my girlfriend (we don't have kids) and this place exceeded our expectations. We had not been here since we were kids ourselves and were a little worried it would just be kids toys in the gift shop. We went for the apple picking mostly and after stopping across the street at the overly-crowded pumpkin patch, this place is a dream come true. The only downside is the parking which is very limited and not ideal if you don't have a vehicle with 4WD, so have to deduct a star for that. The gift shop is one of the best we have seen, and we've seen a lot. Excellent taste and selection from whoever runs this shop, we saw one lady working there but not sure if she's the owner. In a small rural setting like this we are used to racist and tacky merchandise being sold, but that was nowhere to be found here unlike nearby shops. Some of the best looking crystals and prices for them we have seen anywhere, although a somewhat small selection and mostly amethysts. The apple picking was good, but I would give that 3 stars if I could. The guy at the entrance was a bit antisocial and seemed like he didn't want to be there. The apple picking area itself was smaller than we anticipated and despite going on the first available day, we were surprised how many apples were already on the ground or not good. It seems like it would be fun for kids given the smaller size, however the only good apples were high on the trees so it seems like the adults would have to pick the good ones anyway. For only about $10 a bag it was a steal overall. read more

My friends and I took a field trip from San Marcos to Julian to visit this spot. Everyone was very kind and it was such a beautiful day. We got the $50 bucket and found so many cool gems and crystals! My friend found the most beautiful Amethyst! If was well worth the money. They also have a cool store you can check out. I highly recommend, especially if you have kids! read more

Julian Mining Company - Check in to pick up your bucket. - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

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Service was great. Immediately upon entering the host sat us and within a few minutes our server came over to get our drinks. We ordered the chicken fried steak with scrambled eggs and saw it cane with potatoes and my husband ordered a potato obrien style I think, and I left mine as is on the menu. When I got my plate of food there were small home made french fries as the potato and they were pretty good! I don't usually eat french fries for breakfast, but they were good. The fried steak and gravy was delicious. I ordered coffee and it was pleasant. All in all I would go back again. A+++ read more

Let me just say...we struck gold coming here! Kelly(Kelli) and Roman you both really made a good day an AMAZING ONE FOR MY SON AND I! I'm not going to give away the secrets of the Mining company but I will say that those two were TRULY EXCEPTIONAL in our experience there. Not only will we be back again, but I will be telling ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN to how awesome this place is. We got thee coolest rocks and minerals! I recommend getting the big bucket..and not sharing! The kiddos love it! I asked my son what the best part of his weekend in Julian was, you guys are it! Thanks again Roman and Kelli! You guys ROCK!!! read more

Julian Mining Company - The incredible pull from the buckets we bought - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

Had a blast with the family. I highly recommend this place! We enjoyed the history and all the activities.

We went yesterday and had the best experience. The staff was so friendly and and helpful. Shout out to Max for being patient and teaching my kids how to pan for gold. The gemstone buckets were awesome for younger kids. We will definitely be back!!!! read more

This is for the Cross pumpkin patch. Took my niece here for her very first pumpkin picking. We chose this pumpkin patch over the others because you can actually walk out onto to pick your own pumpkin off the vine. It was a fun experience! They even have hay rides and other kid friendly harvest activities. It's free to walk on to pick your pumpkin but you have to pay first for the harvest activities. We walked out and picked our pumpkins. You bring it back to the front and they charge by the size of the pumpkin. You put the pumpkin through the different holes to see how much it will cost. They also sell fun items like candles and hand crafted Halloween decorations. It was a great experience I'll definitely come back next year! read more

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Not covid safe. Employees not wearing masks and zero social distancing. Yes, the panning and sluicing is outside but they cram you in like sardines. Not worth it. Even with the Groupon. read more

Really liked this place. When we got there they gave each of us a pan and instructions/demo on how to pan for gold. It is not easy, people! When panning for gold was easy, it was called the Gold Rush and a lot of people came to California to do it! That said, there IS gold in their dirt, and if you are patient and you practice, you will produce a few specks in your pan that you can then put in your vial and take home. The adults in our group were TOTALLY into it. But my 6 year old lost interest. So I went ahead and returned to the cashier to buy a small gem bucket. First of all, the bucket was not very small. I would probably get a medium if I had two kids, which would be a few dollars more but far from double. Second, it was the perfect thing to make a great experience for my child! We shoveled dirt out of the bucket into the screen set in water, and she shook out the sand until she "discovered" semi-precious gems. They really loaded up our bucket and she found probably six pounds of beautiful stones, some polished, some rough, all colors and types. So my child was happy "mining" for gems, and her dad and aunt were happy panning for gold. We were on site for over two hours and really enjoyed ourselves. Well worth the cost per hour/ per person. Even better if you can snag a Groupon. read more

Julian Mining Company - Gold, fool's gold and who knows what else which we produced in our pans and put in one of our little vials to take home. - Kids Activities Near Me - Julian, California

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Amazing experience Educational, historical and lots of fun for the family!!! Thank you This is a must to see in the Julian area!! read more