i'm going out of my way to write this review because this was such a cool experience. I did the "Mother Lode" combo, which includes the main main tour, plus an additional mine tour, which to reach it that requires a quarter mile hike up a trail, and gold panning (after several tries I only found one tiny gold flake, but I got something!). Definitely bring sunscreen for the second tour, as you will be sitting outside in the sun for a little bit. It's cool and refreshing inside the mines, and they're full of history, right down to the wooden shafts that still have numbers painted on them from the miners of 1800s. You will learn about mining history and how harrowing and challenging it was, and see the actual tools they used, and how techniques developed over time. You will see shafts and tunnels you cannot explore but remain from days of old that inspire the imagination. You will also hear some silly ghost stories, and even see how UV light illuminates the rocks and minerals in the mines. Interested in history, gold, geology, or mining? Even if you aren't, take this tour anyway! It's well worth it, and the guides do a great job. read more

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We have been to Colorado many times and this remains one of our very favorite things to do! You just can't beat panning for gold in a river stream knowing that you are actually going to find flecks of gold and we have every time! It is so much fun! This year we did the tour of the cave and it was super super interesting me as well and my kids really loved it :-) I did too! Lastly, the chipmunks. You could literally just go for the chipmunks lol! They are so super friendly and so much fun! We cannot recommend this place highly enough! read more

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Great educational experience. Recommend if driving from Colorado Springs, take the scenic route through woodland park using SH-67. read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

We were a group of two families and we were begrudgingly going to do this for the youngest kiddo in the group. What dummies we were. The mine tour was far more interesting and fun than we all could've expected. We loved our incredible tour guide in young Bryan who answered all of our many questions with patience and thoroughness. His knowledge was vast and he had the proper amount of enthusiasm. Afterwards, the panning for gold actually kept the kids intrigued longer than expected. Score! read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Mining nerds! - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

We had a super fun time here! We tried all of the activities they had to offer and they were all fun! We were the only ones on the train tour that goes to the upper mine and got a great tour with the owner personally. He was knowledgeable and a great guy. The lower mine tour was fun as well and our tour guide was really knowledgeable and could answer all of our questions. The gold panning was fun as well and the girl who showed us how to do it did a good job explaining how to do everything. The train tour is apparently very new and has only been running for a couple weeks. It was worth it and fun. I was worried about it, but it was safe. Be warned that there were a couple huge bumps and the noise of the tracks grinding was super loud. Now for some criticisms. When we arrived all the people seemed super disorganized. When we paid for our tickets, they forgot to give us the stamp and tickets so we didn't know if we needed to get anything so people would know we are doing the tours. We also didn't know about the extra train tour since it wasn't advertised to us when we bought the tickets for only the lower mine and we heard about it from the gold panning girl. When we went back to buy tickets for the train tour it seemed like there was confusion about which tours to put us on and then there seems to be miscommunication with who is going on what tours because of the online iPad system they use. Anyways it all worked out, but the general miscommunication between people could be improved. Also the mine is dog friendly which is a plus. Wish there was a real bathroom and also the chipmunks were annoying. But overall the people were all so friendly and knowledgeable and if you want a fun and unique day activity that is also super close to Idaho Springs I highly recommend this. read more

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We did two different tours. One with part of my Girl Scout troop and the other just the 4 of us on the ore cart tour. We absolutely loved it. Kennedy had all the answers and our mine guide was incredibly patient with 7 girls who to be fair, were not always the politest in the tour. We fed the chipmunks which was the highlight of the tour. They panned for about an hour. We didn't find much but the creek was nice and cool to put toesies in. The owner was friendly and patient with all my stupid questions. Not just that but incredibly accommodating. I have 9 herniated disc's in my back and he let me drive the girls up and take the tour backwards instead of hiking up a short but steep hill. By noon, my back had enough so I cannot stress enough how much I appreciated this seemingly small request. I would absolutely love to go back at some point. read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

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Went here with a bunch of friends and had tons of fun. We went gold panning and I found a nice sized piece of quartz, my friends only found little pieces of gold. The tour inside the cave was actually really fun, we saw tons of interesting things like gold veins. The best part was buying souvenirs and buying seeds to feed the chipmunks. Definitely something you need to try! read more

Izzy was awesome! Went with my family and my 3 year old son was a bit of a heckler but she pushed through the adversity and delivered

This is about a one hour tour through the mine. PJ was our guide and was a pleasant person. She allowed time for pictures and took pictures of us with our phones, so that everyone could be in them. We did find some stones by the creek with silver in them. My only complaint was that the tour was not as in depth on history and knowledge as it was when I went four years ago. It's more expensive too. read more

We did the Motherload tour which is 2X tours and the most you can do on-site. The first tour of the Phoenix mine with Zoey was very fun and informational. The second with Julian on the train was hilarious! We hope Comstock opens soon so we can go back and see it. Great family fun. read more

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We did it all with a 4 year old and 3 year old and they loved it. I couldn't believe they made it on each tour and kept interest. Rick the tour guide for the train tour was SO good to my son on his birthday and he even got to "mine" a special rock and keep it. We spent hours here enjoying the space and feeding chipmunks. Just a great day. read more

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We toured the Phoenix Mine and the new Dark Mine with the Mother Lode ticket, and we HIGHLY recommend this experience. Our guides, Carter and Freddy, were extremely knowledgeable and made the tours fun, as well. The Dark tour has things you can't see anywhere else in the country. So cool! read more

So stinking cute!!! My kids loved it. Fun way to learn about gold mining and great way to break up a drive up to the mountains read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

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Easy stop on the way to/from Denver. The tour was short enough to keep my kids interested, and the guide was adept at explaining in a way that kept everyone interested. We loved feeding the chipmunks that scampered around the entrance of the mine with seeds from the gift store. Panning for gold was also fun for my kids, read more

When you arrive you will be greeted by ground squirrels and chipmunks. They are friendly and the cutest lil guys I've ever seen. The staff is very nice and will check you in and sell you some sunflower seeds. Buy the $1 pack of sunflower seeds to feed them so that you can have fun while waiting for your tour to start. We panned for gold. It was interesting and the water was refreshingly cold. The first tour of the gold mine was a little boring in my opinion (sorry!) very educational but I'm on vaccinations. Then we went on the "train ride" we had to walk up a hill a ways. My husband has a bad knee and we didn't know we would be walking up hill so this was a little challenging. The train ride only took us to the entrance to the next goldmine to continue another walking tour of that mine. The guy that gave that tour was more entertaining. He even took group pictures of folks in the mine, really cool! He didn't have to do that. He was extra. lol. All in all we would have done it over again. The squirrels were my favorite part. read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Friendly Ground Squirrel - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

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Ruth was the best tour guide. She was very knowledgeable. My family of 5 had a great time with the mine tour and the mine cart tour/lantern tour. And of course my kids loved feeding the chipmunks. If you are considering this experience I would highly recommend it. read more

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We visited on an early Friday morning at 11 AM and the entire experience from booking to the tour itself was seamless. Making a reservation online was quick and easy. Our tour guide Julian was absolutely fantastic. He was friendly, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable. He brought the history of the mine to life with clear explanations and answered all of our questions with patience and enthusiasm. His upbeat attitude and sense of humor, especially the dad joke at the end, really made the tour memorable. Thank you Julian and the entire team for such a fun and educational experience exploring the mine and panning for gold. read more

Our tour guide, Ronan, was EXCELLENT!! Great mix of information and humor. I'm so inspired to go work the mines. But seriously, it was a really great time, very educational, and a lot of fun. If you take a tour, I highly recommend Ronan if he's working. Three years of good luck from the lucky bucket! read more

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We absolutely loved our experience at Phoenix Gold Mine a few weeks ago! Staff is friendly and welcoming. We bought the Mother Lode package - underground mine tour, main mine tour, and panned for gold. We also bought seeds and fed the chipmunks- they're so cute and docile. Very cool learning about the rich history of the mines and surrounding area. My son loved panning for gold- such a gorgeous backdrop for that. Beautiful location! Shout out to the staff for being accommodating and rescheduling our tour time when I called to let them know we were running late because of major construction traffic. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was one of the highlights to our Colorado vacation! Our young tour guide, Freddy, was so knowledgable for someone so young. You could tell he really loved what he was doing. We also learned how to pan for gold. We had kids from age 6 to 13 and they were also attentive to every word on the tour. read more

This is a great hidden gem. My husband and I learned so much during the tour. We were greeted by a handful of cute chipmunks. You can purchase some chipmunks food and feed them. Freddy was extremely knowledgeable and patient with our questions. Ron provide easy step by step instructions on how to pan for gold. Unfortunately, we didn't find any. I highly recommend adding this on your list. You won't regret it! read more

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Amazing! My son rated it 4 million out of ten! Such a cool experience. The mine was gorgeous and the tour was so cool. My kids loved the chipmunks the most. Panning for gold was amazing! You're in a real stream looking for gold and other gems. Loved it! read more

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Our family had a great time here. We learned a lot and to end panning for gold was really fun. I love that it is a family owned enterprise. The staff were truly lovely. recommend. read more

Love love the tour ... super awesome and family friendly ... I wanted to grab gold but meh maybe next time lol ... love all the fun facts

Took the family on the way between Estes Park and Breckenridge. The tour was fantastic, Allen gave a great overview of the history of the area, tools, and the mine. And then we prospected for gold inside the mine. Cute little "School bus turned into gift shop" with very unique items. The people there were really, really nice. Everyone loved it, we would go again and I highly recommend it! read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

This experience was informative and fun! We learned a lot of Colorado and mining history from the friendly guides.

Great mine tour. Rich history and REAL GOLD for everyone. We got to pan after touring and take some paydirt home. Staff were very friendly. Worth the low cost of admission! read more

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I've toured several mines and this one is pretty special. Family owned and family friendly. This mine tour is Approximately an hour long and will show you what gold ore looks like and all the tools used to extract the precious minerals. After a great tour get ready for unlimited gold panning in the stream where fine gold deposits are waiting to be discovered. Highly recommend this tour! read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Precious ore body - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

Excellent tour! Such a random find. We were looking at mining tours and this one is dog friendly. I emailed with questions and everyone was very responsive. Dave our tour guide was thorough and explained the intricacies of the mining process ( new and old) we enjoyed this experience and even tried our hand at panning for some gold, we mostly got garnets but it was fun nonetheless! A little bit Spooky as our dogs didn't want to go into a part of the mine, they growled like there was someone there. But we were alone. Spoooky!!!! Fun afternoon! Learn about mining here! It was fun!!!! read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Touring with pup in tow - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

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It's hard to think of Colorado without remembering the gold rush of the 1800s. For my most recent trip to the centennial state, I decided to try something new and check out one of the gold mine tours. Phoenix Gold Mine was highly rated and on our way to our destination for the day, so we headed on over as we passed through Idaho Springs. Located a bit outside of Idaho Springs itself, Phoenix Gold Mine is like finding a hidden treasure. We pulled up, walked up to the small building that serves as the front desk, and waited for the tour to start. In the meantime, I saw a sign for $1 to feed the chipmunks. "It's the best $1 you will spend in Colorado!" the employee assured me. Out came a George Washington, and before I knew it, I was seated on one of the benches with a chipmunk eating right out of my hand! The tour began, and our guide, Dave, told us history of the mine itself, the different types of minerals that are found and how they developed, and also guided us through the mine, pointing out the winzes used in the past, the veins of minerals, and the "mother lode" in the Phoenix Mine. Family-owner and operated, you'll feel welcome when you visit the Phoenix Gold Mine, and will walk away a little richer in knowledge of mining and of Colorado history! read more

Super friendly is the owner and all the staff. Very informative was the tour, and we had a blast learning to pan for gold afterwards. Not to mention...feeding the chipmunks! Lol We really enjoyed our time here. Thank you!!! read more

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They offer a very involved tour. The tour guide Gabe was very knowledgeable and funny. Highly recommended.

Such a fun tour! Our tour guide Imogen was excellent and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about geology. Both the kids and adults in our party loved it! read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

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One of our favorite experiences whole visiting Colorado from Texas. Allen was a fantastic your guide add we love our souvenirs. The tour and the gift shop is priced affordably. Very happy with the 1 hourexperience. read more

We toured the mine on Monday, 7/24/23. Ruth was our guide. She was awesome. Being a geology student, she had a unique perspective. You could really see her passion for the rock and mining process. She kept the attention of everyone including my 9yr old and even a little dog. lol. Before the tour, you could by chipmunk food to feed the local, friendly chipmunks. And after the tour, you got to pan for gold in the creek. I could have stayed there all day. Overall, the experience was really fun and educational. Well worth the money. read more

Good mine tour that shows you what life was like back in the day. Tour guides are usually young but do have some knowledge. They let you pan the creek when you are done with the tour. Don't plan on getting rich though, it's been picked over for more than a 100 years. read more

Awesome place to visit. very informative and friendly staff! we had a great time panning for gold and touring both mines. The best part was feeding the chipmunks, my son didn't want to leave. We definitely will come back to visit! read more

Learned a lot. Great opportunity to see an actual mine & pan for gold. I would recommend it. It is not ADA. The restrooms are potable potties. It's in a cave, you will need to sign a waiver. If you're cool with that, go see it. It is really beautiful; the location, etc. the staff are very knowledgeable and very very kind and personable. It is pretty impressive how they take risks, seeing the reality of a dark cave with one candle, the cave-ins, so much. read more

The guide was excellent! The underground exhibits were informative. Well worth the experience! Highly recommend!

This experience far surpassed any expectations that I had. My husband and I brought our 5 and 2 year old up for the day. My 2 year old was on the talkative side and refused to wear her helmet the whole time. Despite her echo interruptions the tour guide was patient and accommodating. The chipmunks were adorable, despite being over fed were a delight to interact with. The kid LOVED them. However, it was the gold panning that made our experience magical. My 5 year old found a small fool's gold and was excited to show Ron, the panning instructor when we were done. However, upon showing him, he accidentally dropped it and it couldn't be found. Ron immediately responded with kindnesses and generosity offering him a few stones and gold he had panned over the past month. My son immediately bursted with joy and we're beyond delighted with our time here. A million thanks to Ron for making our day so memorable. read more

Phoenix Gold Mine - Chubby chipmunk - Museums Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado