Gold King Mine & Ghost Town in
Jerome (AZ)

I wish we had planned more time for our visit; there’s so much to see!! I would have loved a guided tour of the entire place, having someone explain each piece of machinery and landmark. My husband took me for my birthday and we panned for gold, sifted gems, and used an old crusher to break open geodes!!! Brings out your inner child to ‘find’ gold and copper in the salted bags of dirt. If you’re into exploring pioneering methods and antique implements, this is your jam!

Great little stop! Very friendly staff that know a lot about the area and history. Best kids golf panning I’ve seen, actually educational while doing. The animals are fun to feed. It looks a bit questionable at first when pulling in but the gentleman that restored it collected and appreciated machinery which is why it is all there.

So reading other reviews and going to the place it's easy to see people chalking it up to a junkyard, but that's from visitors who don't appreciate nostalgic things. Everything is American made steel and cars, it allows people to see past beauty made at home. You really have to love learning and looking at antiques to appreciate this place. We spent 2 1/2 hrs here. Feeding animals, doing the mining activities and just looking around. It's fun seeing historical places still operating. Plus the people running it tell about the town's history and mining. Just a good place to explore. Our kids age 6 and 15 both had fun

What a wonderful and fun experience with friends at the mine on Saturday. We learned about the operations and saw the equipment. We even got to look for gold and copper. Every member of staff was very welcoming and friendly. Animals are adorable. It was a great way to start a birthday celebration weekend.

It was something different, fun to do, and passed the time. REALLY liked the gold mining! (That was our purpose for going.) The place is a cross between a museum, a junk yard, an art exhibit, a ghost town, and a Renaissance Fair, minus the food and people. We followed Google maps directions and found it just fine. In Jerome there's an old style black & white oil truck with a big red arrow on top - follow it to the mine. Neat views! Cool stuff to see. There's a store with a nice selection of souvenirs and jewelry, and fossils. There are paths to take to buildings and exhibits. (Earth path vs paved path, so if there's moisture there will be mud). I recall a dentist, a blacksmith, sheds of vintage vehicles, the gold and gem mining, and a fake mine entrance. There is so much to look at your eyes are constantly moving. The blacksmith was there selling wares (hooks & hangers he forged, etc). There are flowers, plants and cactus, rocks, and bits of rusted or enameled parts scattered and displayed throughout. Little details everywhere. Its evident someone (many people) took time to create this southwestern ghost town wonderland. I think we paid $12 a person to get in and explore, and our bags of material to pan were maybe $25 a person? Gem bags were less cost. And the gold miner guide was very nice, and it was evident he enjoyed it. Fun day! We certainly didn't regret it. And now are addicted to gold panning...

My husband and grandson met Don at an ATHS Truck Show in Colorado Springs almost 20 yrs ago! They immediately hit it off, so much alike. Don invited us to come see him in Arizona, but unfortunately we are just now able to visit. This place had been on my husband's bucket list every since he met Don. Unfortunately Don has passed and Jim wasn't able to converse with him, but it was a special occasions and we got to meet and visit with his daughter and grandson. This place got 5 stars from us!!!

Had a wonderful time. The views were absolutely beautiful. The ride was bumpy but fun. Vivian was an excellent guide, so friendly, very knowledgeable, and an excellent driver. I would recommend this tour to anyone and would say ask for Vivian.

A very fascinating place with sooooo much to see, you could literally spend all day here, my husband didn't want to leave. It would be nice if some of the youth activities were included but feeding the animals, geode, and gold panning are all extra. There is very little shade so be prepared for that.

Fun time! Went there with my wife and two teen sons the Monday after Easter, late in the afternoon. We all enjoyed it. Younger kids would really enjoy this too. A good display of an old mining town. A ton of historical items around. They also have life animals and gem 'mining', but we did not do the mining. A good time was had by all.

This was a fun experience, great for kids. It was raining pretty hard when we got up there but they offered umbrellas and we went to explore. The cost for the self guided tour is $12 and you can add on a couple of experiences. They offer geode cracking, pet feeding, and panning for gold. They also had the most adorable store where we found quite a few items. Much better prices here than in Sedona if looking for stones, crystals, or geodes.

If you like old mining equipment, trucks and old household stuff then you will like this museum. They also have a petting zoo for the kids and they're dog friendly.

The perfect place if you love old cars and tools! The ghost town has contraptions and mechanical vehicles throughout its property. It takes around 30 minutes to see everything, but you’ll need more time if you want to “pan for gold. Note for families with small children: It’s a definite “do not touch” environment since almost everything is covered in rust.

This is such a unique place. There is something to see for everyone. If you love history, old cars & trucks, animals, antiques, and more, this is the place for you. They have a petting zoo, gold and gem panning, and a blacksmith shop.

Worth a trip back in time... not so long ago, but feels so different from today's culture. The exhibits of old buildings with all the fixtures are very interesting to see. We hunted for gems, pet the cat, Gizmo, and enjoyed this 1 hr visit. Our daughter thought the "out house" gimic was the best. Hey! I'm in here!

Fun but they want too much to visit the museum part. The State museum in Jerome is 7 dollars these folks want 12. Their choice but too much for my blood.

We had a lot of fun exploring the town. It is a great place for fun photos. Loved the animals. There is no bathroom unless you pay to go into the town (the gift shop is free). They have gold mining classes and geo breaking experiences, too.

From the moment the cat greeted us in the parking lot, we enjoyed this quaint trip back in time. So many clever things to see. And, the crazy-haired chickens were a highlight. There are 1,001 clever signs hanging all over the property and on the gift shops. We spent about an hour and a half wandering around and looking at all the historic buildings, vehicles, and objects. One could easily spend more time and not see everything. Others will be happy with a 30 minute walk-through. I suspect you already know which group you fit into... and which group your kids fit into. ?

This was a random stop we made while exploring Jerome, and this was so much fun! Great collection of very old cars and engines, for vintage automotive buffs, this is a must go. Interesting animals onsite, including the fanciest chickens you have ever encountered! Very rough terrain, so bring good shoes.

Would definitely make it a point to visit here if you are in Jerome or the area- you could easily spend half a day here walking through and taking in all the historical objects. There is such an overabudance of Americana history here to enjoy, whether you are a history buff or not, from old cars and machinery to old dentistry objects. There are many different buildings to explore. Additionally there are great activities for kids such a small petting zoo (as an adult it was fun to see all the chickens and goats as well!) and gold panning, etc. In the front they have a large gift shop filled with interesting items

My rating might not be fully accurate due to not going through the full town and petting zoo situation they have. But the drive up to the gift shop was really enjoyable, seeing all of the old west mining stuff everywhere and the gift shop itself was really cool! Plus, they had this adorable little cat sitting outside!

Amazing ghost town adventure! Wonderful experience. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly, and so much fun. My family spent almost 4 hours playing with the animals and exploring. The place is huge. So much history. Thank you for the amazing experience.

This was my second visit to Jerome but my first time visiting the ghost town and man I am glad I went this time. Many cool old vehicles, old buildings with lots of cool things inside, gold and gem panning, cute animals around like chickens, pigs etc. fun gift shop. Great place for kids and adults alike. The staff are very friendly. I had no idea how much fun I would have going. I highly recommend a visit.

They used to mine here, collections of old mining equipment from large to small. If you like being around equipment and farm animals, this place is for you! The drive up the mountain takes you through the town of Jerome.. cute but we didn’t stop there. We did the $38 special and got to sift for gems, learned how to pan for gold, cracked a geode open and fed the animals. The family that runs this is super friendly and helpful.

The staffs are friendly and informative. The place is full of vintage/antique vehicles and tools. They have chicken everywhere. There is a potbelly and three goats. They are well fed and cute. It’s a small little spot to learn about this little town but it’s fun. I highly recommend to come during the winter so it won’t be so hot.

It's not a real western ghost town in the traditional sense. But the spirit, its owner, and founder is everywhere around you. He collected pieces and staged them in ways that give you a deep look into our not to distant past. To see the ingenious use of wood, steel, gears, and combustion is a really wonderful testimonial to our capacity to create. It's worth the $12 . And the turkeys are really cool.

Fun Family Visit! We brought our 3 kids to check out the mine and ghost town and overall, I'd say it was a nice activity to add to our weekend trip. I'd personally love to see a handout available that has a little history lesson and facts etc you can read to kids as you go through. All the old cars were cool and my husband definitely enjoyed checking them out! We didn't do any add ons, so it only took us about 1.5 to walk through checking everything out.

Decided to go to up north out of nowhere with the wife and It was a great decision! The town itself is awesome and the mine is a blast. There is so much to see and do at all ages. The older cars were a blast go check out and the working mill was super cool! The kids also have lost to do with panning for gold and checking out the animals. I highly recommend taking the time to check this place our and see some great stuff!