Eagle and High Peak Mine Reviews

The mine is located above downtown Julian, CA. The mine was established back in the late 1800's. Actually two (2) tunnels were tug from different sides of the mountain and eventually joined in the middle of the mountain. There are numerous levels below and above the main connecting tunnels that were excavated at that time. As a tour group, we were lead through the mine from front end to back end and much was explained regarding mining at that time. It was very enjoyable and lasted about 1 hour. The guides were very informative. I recommend the adventure, especially if "kids" are involved. They do offer a "panning for gold" experience for everyone. If you're lucky you'll see a speck of gold in your pan.

Have been to Julian many times but unfortunately never went to this mine tour. I am really glad we did this trip, great tour! Highly recommended! The tour guide we had was very knowledgeable and friendly. His presentation was filled with a great deal of historical background and he always made time at each spot to answer questions. Really cool tour inside an actual hard rock mine. The store was neat too, lots of cool antiques. If you are visiting Julian this is something that you have to check out.

Informative, historic tour of a gold mine. Be sure to bring cash ($10 adult per adult) because there's no cc there.

An incredible trip back in time. The tour takes you through long mining tunnels, educating you on what incredible lengths people would go seeking gold - up close and in the mine. The history is interesting, the technology incredible. It is a fun excursion just a few blocks from downtown Julian. We had several young kids on our tour and they were able to enjoy it. You do have to be able to handle small spaces as you are really walking through mining tunnels.

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable. Super cool to walk way back inside of the mountain. Bring your walking shoes though.

We visited the mine on my mom's 60th birthday with a party of 9 (3 kids, 6 adults) and we all loved it! We weren't sure what to expect at first, but based on other reviews we decided to spend the money ($10 for adults, and $5 for kids). It turned out to be the highlight of our camping trip! It was a hot day and the inside felt nice and air-conditioned (all natural, by the way). Paul Paul (our tour guide) was very entertaining and did a great job explaining about the mine. My 5 year-old was basically in heaven being in a mine since he loves Minecraft. A real gold mine! And tracks where the minecarts used to go! And tools!
My mom even got to blow out the candles in the foreman's office in the mine, after the visitors in our group sang Happy Birthday to her. It was a special treat.
Then we got to pan for real gold! We didn't keep it, but it was so fun to do it!
Highly recommend visiting this mine, and we will do it again next time we are out in Julian. Can't believe we were there several times before and never visited the mine.

Had been to Julian three times before and never knew this place was there. We stumbled upon it and decided to check it out. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour which took about 45 minutes and learned a lot about the history and technology of gold mining.

I guess there is not another gold mine in the US that is so intact. Highly recommend a visit. Not for small children, but good learning experience for teens and above.

Close to downtown Julian, we had a great and fun experience. Tour was interesting and neat. Would do this again.

I hadn't been to the mine for 15 years so I was thrilled to see it was still running. Tours form based on the time you show up. Matthew our guide gave an interesting and informative tour filled with some very cute stories. If you are claustrophobic, afraid of the dark, uneasy walking in dimly lit spaces or unable to climb ladders this is not a tour for you. Reasonably priced at 10 for adults and 5 for children it was a good slice of California history. The tour took a little over 75 minutes.

This was a great stopover on our way to San Diego and it is well worth finding it. Firstly, you get to go down tunnels covering two actual mines - and without a load of fuss, just straightforward descriptions of what we were seeing and why it was like it was.

You also get to have a go at panning, with a wonderfully clear demonstration of what to do. You also get to see an old stamping mill and again excellent explanations of what it involved.

So when you arrive and it all looks a little ramshackle (and please forgive me) including the guides, and you are wondering if you are at the right place, just get out of the car, pay the extremely reasonable $10 per person and settle down for a fascinating trip with friendly relaxed and very informative guides.

We took our young family (4 kids) for a visit , which was good to get out of the heat for a couple of hours. Our tour guide was fantastic, a local guy, with history running way back, he really made the place come to life! A real passion for history and mining. We walked both mines which intersect. Probably took around an hour and a half. The mine was beautifully preserved and gave a great insight to Early dry mining and the history surrounding California’s Gold Rush. A real history of the area, highly recommended.

Today we went for a tour at the Eagle & High Mine as a large homeschooling group. We fully enjoyed it! It was a great hands on educational experience. The Nelson family was awesome at educating the kids on their developmental level about gold mining. Everyone was fully enthralled and was captivated by the history to be learned there. The experience really helps you understand the day and the life of a miner as you walk through the mine. This is definitely a tour for families, couples, school groups, or just someone on there own looking to enjoy some history. We look forward to returning next year for another gold mining tour.

This place is a hazard waiting to happen!
We were left in a dark mine 300-400 feet in without a guide. The guy had some kind of drug induced panic attack and left us in the mine. Our three kids and I together with my husband were left alone while he ran out to get air. He then proceeded to turn off the lights!!! WTH! Who does this with three kids in the mine? Complete morons. I reported this place to law enforcement and will be reporting them to any overseeing agency I can find! Protect yourself and don’t go! I don’t want another family to experience what we did.

This is about a one hour tour, although you could easily walk through the mine passage in ten minutes, even though there are miles of mines all around. As is often the case, a good tour guide can make all the difference, and we really enjoyed our tour guide. He gave us lots of history an details about gold mining that were totally new to us. The town of Julian was started with gold mining about 1870 and this is ground zero. In fact, the guide told us that it also sits right on a fault line. When you first go there, it isn't much to look at, but we're glad we went. There is also an exhibit featuring all kinds of other minerals, rocks, and gemstones on display as well as old photographs of the town.

This tour is fantastic - only $10 per person and you get to go way down and thru the huge mine, its amazing. The tour guide was a grandson of the owner who saved the mine and is extremely knowledgeable about mining. I LOVED THIS TOUR

This is a real hill billy establishment and very enjoyable. For $10 you get a very interesting underground tour and look around some fun old kit.

Go there soon before some health and safety person closes the place down. It is very different and special.

Great place for a family with young teenagers or adults who are truly interested in the history of California and the gold rush in the 1800
And the hard work and determination of the men and women at that time
Our tour guide is very knowledgeable and friendly staffs make it pleasant!

At $10 for adults and $5 for kids you cannot go wrong with this place. To experience a real mine where gold was mined and also have a chance to sieve some gold was really worthwhile. The tour guide was really humorous - probably a love / hate type of guy but we liked him.

Supposed to be a one hour tour... it lasted like 2 1/2 hours! Well well worth the money. But really too long. The guide was family and knew everything and wanted to tell you EVERYTHING!

The mine is just a few blocks from downtown Julian and is a really interesting place to visit. There is a ten dollar charge, but it's worth every penny. The gentleman who took us on our tour was informative and friendly. He took his time explaining the gold mining process and showing us the original mining equipment. The highlight of the tour was entering the mine itself. They have run electricity into the mine so it was not dark or scary as one might amagine and it's an easy walk. He took us through the mine explaining everything as we went. We were really impressed and glad that we took the time to visit. There is a small gift shop there where you can buy gemstones, gold flake, etc

This was a great tour of an old historic gold mine in Julian. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and you got an entertaining history of both Julian and the mining activity in the area. We did the tour as part of a llama trek out of the nearby Wikiup Bed and Breakfast. If you're visiting Julian, the gold mine is a must see.

very informative & interesting tour of an old gold mine. The gentlemen leading the tour (he looked like Santa!) was extremely likable, knowledgable & entertaining!

If you're in the area this is totally worth the stop. You get to see the rock crushers, pan for gold, and then go through the actual mine. I would not suggest this tour if you are claustrophobic or don't like the dark. There is a brief period where they turn the lights out in the mine so you can see how dark it really is. Informative and great tour at a great price!

Panning for real gold in a trough was way better than I remembered at Knott's Berry Farm 50 years ago plus it's REAL gold. For educational purposes only, not t keep. Then the actual mine tour-incredible. You go deep into the mountain and up another level via a stair/ladder. Walking through the mine you will see how miners used to make a living- the hard way.
We enjoyed it and then went to the Alley Restaurant in town for lunch. A beautiful day weather wise. $10 per person.
Note: This tour would not be considered handicap friendly

This guys grandpa had the right idea... buy the mine, refurb it and give tours.
He makes waaaaaay more money giving tours than he'd ever do digging for gold.
He listened to his grandpa, knew the stories, knew the history, knew how to tell a good story and keep you interested.
My 80+ year old mom went in with us, and only had a slightly tough time going up the ladder/stairs between levels... but she made it.
Going into the earth in earthquake country feels a little stupid to do... but like rollercoaster stupid... daring and crazy.
It was a good afternoon.

My preferred thing to do in Julian! There’s a great crew staffing the mine. We were a small group of 6 arriving late and they were 45 min from closing, but took us on a 1h tour of the mine nevertheless. And gave us time to pan gold afterwards (we found some!). The explanations were impeccable, incl history, technology and geology. It’s very safe and refreshing under the mountain! Also lots of humor from our knowledgeable guide who was answering questions like a pro. The kids seemed to love it and got some hands on activities. It’s a short walk from downtown, at the upper end of street C, really worth it.

Just a short uphill hike from downtown Julian is the experience of a lifetime. The Eagle Goldmine awaits. How often does one have the opportunity to experience the environment and hear the stories about the men who risked life and limb to pull precious metals from the earth?
Our guide, Paul...actually there were two Paul's...and both were fonts of fascinating information. We learned about the step by step process of not only commercial gold mining but prospecting and gold panning as well. Both of these Pauls were hospitable, patient and very knowledgeable. They each had an easy and comfortable manner in imparting their information and stories but kept the tour at about an hour.
We visited the mine on a Tuesday morning and just happened to be the only ones there. We felt fortunate that we missed the days when the fellas were hosting dozens of school kids.
I would have never imagined such an adventure. How pleased I am that I followed my impulse and stopped in at the Eagle Mine in Julian.

What a wonderful experience!
Craig, our tour guide, is the grandson of the of the man who made the first claim on this mine. He not only gave us the history of the mine, he shared personal stories of his grandfather & father which included himself as a teenager looking to get into mischief involving the mine!
Many funny & informative stories that made it so much more enjoyable!
The passion Craig has for this mine shows on his face! See the photos!
We had desired to see a real gold mine for some time, & this gold mine was a gold mine for us!

One of the highlights of the Eagle and High Peak Mine is the guided tour. The tour guides are knowledgeable and passionate about the mine's history and provide a wealth of information about the mining process and the challenges faced by miners during the gold rush era. The tour takes visitors deep into the mine, allowing them to see firsthand the tunnels and shafts that were carved out by hand over a century ago.

However, there are some negative aspects of the Eagle and High Peak Mine that visitors should be aware of. Firstly, the tour can be quite strenuous, and visitors are required to navigate narrow tunnels and steep staircases, which may be difficult for some people. Additionally, the mine can be quite dark and cramped, which may make some visitors feel uncomfortable or claustrophobic.

Another issue with the Eagle and High Peak Mine is the cost of admission. While the guided tour is interesting and informative, the admission fee is quite steep, and may not be worth it for visitors who are on a tight budget.

We were quite uncertain whether the tour would be worth the time and $15, but we came out quite satisfied. The tour guide, a 74 year old man, was very engaging and really helped us imagine the times when the mine was active from 1870-1934. Even though you had to watch your head in many places, the mine was well ventilated and comfortable. Recommend for all ages, except those who may find it difficult to climb up a short but steep ladder at one point in the tour. The mine had no signage from the 2nd Street and hence a bit difficult to locate. The unsurfaced road from the gate to the mine is only wide enough to accommodate a vehicle and you can't easily see who is coming from the other end; be prepared to back out.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The knowledgeable guide shared the history of gold mining in Southern California. The group on our tour saw the huge stone crushing apparatus. There was an opportunity to learn about panning for gold before we entered the old mines to learn about the hard work of the miners. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes. The tour that I experienced was quite informative and detailed.

great tour of this mine. the guide was a five star. It is worth the time. Learned a lot .....even about the town of Julian.

Our family group of 11 took the tour. Kids 6,11, 16, and young adults 19,20 Adults 39-48 and 2 seniors. We all liked the tour. It is a very unique experience. The guides very informative and you can tell they actually enjoyed their jobs and have mined themselves (unlike some tours where they guides probably just memorize a script)
The tour started with some history and information about the rock crusher. It continued with some gold panning (sorry, cannot take anything you find) and finally you go into the mines.
I would highly recommend this experience. It is well worth the price of $10 per adult (children 13 and under $5)

We enjoyed the very low key, but highly informed tour of these mines. As I am 6'2", you need to duck periodically to get through the tunnels, but the exploration was fun. Our guide was casual but answered all questions as they came and he knew his business.

Paul Paul was so informative about the history of the mine. It was a fun and interesting tour. My husband and I love history so we really enjoyed the tour. My family has a long history of coal mining. This tour gave just a hint of what it is like to work inside the earth! Panning for gold was more work than I thought. Loved the whole experience!

Very enjoyable tour. The mine is family owned and operated. Everyone is very friendly and pleasant. It was fun to walk through the mine and hear all the history of the place. If you don't care for dark, confined spaces you might want to skip this attraction. Watch your head!!

Overall, this was a good experience for someone who has never taken a mine tour. Our tour guide gave a lot of information about how the actual process of mining worked and there were plenty of tools from the day to illustrate what he was talking about. They even had a trough of water where people can pan for gold; catch and release only.

Last weekend we had an opportunity to visit one of our favorite destination Julian, CA. During the trip we came across the Eagle Mining Companies Gold Mine Tour. The mine has been running tours since the late 1940’s, family owned, and a wonderful six block side trip from Julian’s main street and the excellent lunch with pie found the Apple Alley restaurant. Back to the tour the guides are a mixture of local character and mining engineer. Our guide provided us with a detailed window of what it took to make a living finding one ounce of gold for ever ton of rock removed. The tour through over 1000 feet of the original mine was fascinating seeing firsthand the engineering required and the risk of working in one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. If you’re looking for a slice of California history this is the place.

We went to Julian California today and made a stop to the Eagle Gold Mine. Without coupons adults were $10 per person and worth it. The tour guide was very knowledgable and professional. This is a real gold mine that closed to mining in the 1920's but has stayed in the same family who started doing tours in the 1960's.

Very interesting and historical.

Really interesting and well worth the $10 for a guided tour of the two gold mines and practice some gold panning while learning some of the unique history of Julian, Ca. Our guide was really knowledgeable and we left with a great appreciation of the effort required for hard rock mining in the late 1800's - early 1900's.

The gold mine site doesn't look too promising as you drive up - old cars and machinery make it look a bit ramshackle- but the people are very friendly and the guide did a great job of explaining how the gold was extracted from the ore and then gave us a good feel for the working conditions of the miners who worked the 12 hour shifts in the mine. His presentation was lively and amusing. Panning for gold in the rivers of Northern California must have been a bit easier than working by candlelight 250 or more feet underground in Julian for $1.50 a day.

Been to Julian many times but never the mine. Employees were knowledgeable and very outgoing. Loved it

We came here with our 9 year old grand daughter. What an interesting tour. Cheap, fun, great guides and some real History to see and experiance. Nice gift shop/museum, fun gold panning. Wear good walking shoes and monitor your more curious children.

Really enjoyed getting to know the history of mining in Julian, and at this mine in particular. The place is still owned/run by descendants of the original owners. Fun to see how a "stamp mill" operates, and then, once inside the actual mine, to learn how they miners followed the veins, and what actual gold-bearing quartz looks like!

Enjoyed the tour by a knowledgeable guide. A little short tour, but still good. You could try to get gold at the end with a pan and water. Did not get to keep any gold you found.

Great way to experience how gold was extracted from the rock in the mountain. The tour guide had great stories, showing what conditions were like a hundred years ago.
Bring cash, as they do not take credit cards for the tour fee!

The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the geology of the rock formations in the mine.
Participants must be able to ealk through tunnels which requires dunking in multiple areas and the ability to climb a ladder. Encountered a bat when exiting the tunnel.
Surprised we were not required to wear hard hats.
Partcipants will learn how to pan for gold.

This tour was fun and very informative and interesting. Takes about an hour. There is one area where you have to climb some steep stairs so be aware of that.

When you first drive up, you might wonder whether you are in the right place. We got there early one morning, and the place looked desolate and run down. Ignore your first impression, because the mine tour we took was truly memorable, and easily 1.5 hours long. Our guide went over the history of the area, how gold mining worked in the area (different than northern California), demonstrated some of the equipment, and then gave an extended and highly informative tour of the mines themselves. For $10 (adults), it's a bargain.

Our family really liked this tour. The tour guide was very informative and engaging. They are a cash only place which would have been nice o know before we got there. They have a small museum and gift shop. That needs some attention (TLC) and they could likely sell more but it is a great little place overall. We liked the panning for gold.

So worth the $10! The tour guides were great, friendly and very informative! Just be mindful that if you dont like small spaces or heights this is not for you. The tour was about an hour, took us through the mine and learned about quartz bearing gold. Also was able to pan for gold and see the machines and tools used back in the day.

We arrived@ 10 am...the tour guide Paul was very informative about the 1870's gold rush..,walked through the mine, we also learnt how to pan for gold..great time..next time i'll bring the grandkids!!!!

Visited today and we were blown away by our tour guide, Matt's knowledge and passion for the mine. It was extremely educational and so interesting. Would highly recommend this tour to everyone.

one of the best $10 you can spend. Children $5, younger $1.00. Great tour into the mine. Great guide tells you the history while you are deep enough in mine. Temp is around 60 so it was really nice while outside was 80. The tour was about an hour, not too long, not too short, perfect. Kids will like it.

This place is random, chaotic, unorganized fun. Best 10 dollars we spent in ages, go with the flow, experience the mine, take half the guides ramblings with a pinch of salt, leave an hour or 2 later wondering what the heck you just experienced.

Went first thing in Saturday, 10 am. Great experience and just $10 per adult (cash). Panning for gold, touring a mine, learning history, seeing the stamper, checking out the museum. Check out out!

Along with one other couple ( strangers) we took a very informative, guided tour of the mine but more important our guide created a complete picture of what gold mining in Julian was like. A great way to learn the history of the town and about gold mining. I highly recommend this tour.

Going deep into the tunnel, and using the formula to find gold. Listening to the tour guide about the History of Mining in San Diego.

Went several times, with kids and various guests. Must do if you are in Julian. Better, much more authentic than the other mine here. Walk through the actual mine, very interesting guide, and gold wash activity :)

After seeing the signs for thirty years we took this tour recently and found ourselves pleasantly surprised. The tour takes you into and through the mine exiting out the other side of the hill. You are led by a very knowledgeable guide who gives an enlightening lecture on the mine, history, and geology. There is one climb up a ladder so consider whether you are up for that. There is also a mini museum of mining items and rocks which are for sale and a stamp mill which is included for the price. The only disconcerting or confusing thing was the entrance which is cluttered with pieces of old trucks. One old Ford is complete otherwise it's just a collection of old parts. Kind of a junk yard. There is a very cool single engine horizontal single piston engine down in the mine too. Overall the mine was fun and worth the $10.

This mine tour has everything you are looking for in the history of Julian, as well as the history of gold mining in San Diego. It is something not to miss if you are in the area.

I had been to Julian once before, but not my wife or sister. So three days ago we took a road trip to this sleepy little town and discovered this amazing hidden "gem" or "nugget" tucked away a short distance from the small town. Go up the hill on C street off of Main. When it turns to dirt you are almost there. On arrival you feel like you have entered some old west town. This old former gold mine has been in the family for three generations and the grandson of the original owner will likely greet you on arrival. Take a look around the gift shop and learn a bit of Julian history as you pay your $10 fee. By all means ask questions as the folks are more than happy to share the rich history.

The mine tour itself is fantastic. The old equipment still sitting inside. The stories the guide will share and just the experience of walking through the old mine shafts and imagining the miners breaking up rock by hand, loading it into metal push carts and rolling it out of the mine to be crushed. So much work to obtain such small amounts of gold.

Do not miss this well preserved piece of history...of Julian...and of gold mining.

My wife and I took this tour a little over a week ago. If you like gold mining history, geology, or just outdoor exploring, you will like this tour. Our tour guide was Matthew. He was very knowledgeable with regard to the operation of the mine during the time it was open. He also has a passion for geology and will field any questions. Also has a fun sense of humor. We got to practice panning for gold which was fun. Highly recommended tour.

We took the tour. Stu lead an excellent and informative tour. We learned so much about the area and the mine. I would highly recommend it!

The Eagle and High Peak Mine tour has the same charm and authenticity that you'll come to expect from the town of Julian, CA. It's family owned and a labor or love. Our tour guide, Matt, had almost infinite knowledge about the mine's inner workings, and he was very charismatic and funny which this made the tour memorable for myself and my fiancé. (And they fit us in for an end of day tour, which was really nice.) There's a trough for learning how to pan for gold, to understand the process and experience the feeling of washing away dust and dirt to reveal something magical. And that might be the same feeling you'll get if you turn down the dusty path to get to the Eagle and High Peak Mine.

We had a great time panning for gold before the tour guide brought us over to the mine entrance. He was very talkative and explained everything in detail. We explored the mine and were very interested in all that was hidden inside, but it was a really long experience since the tour guide would go into such details about everything. The tour was 1 hour and 30 minutes, which we didn't expect since we had a little boy asking us "when it would be over" over and over again. It was a fun experience, but way too long.

What a superb tour . Our guide was thorough and made time for questions and time for the little people and older folks to catch up and do the stairway. It may have been longer than scheduled but so worthwhile. Keep this new guy on.

John was our tour guide, he was very knowledgeable. The small children we had with us were really engaged and interested. He made the history of California mining come to life.

We drug our teens on this tour and they found it to be totally tolerable. I think they even had some fun. The tour guide was knowledgeable and able to project to the whole group. The price is reasonable and it is good for all ages! I enjoyed learning about the mines.

Since the mine had its original equipment the visit is like travel in time. We walk from Julian, it's only 4 blocks away from main road. Also the path to the mine, surrounded by pines was very nice.

There really was gold in them thar hills! Visited this place with the San Diego Professional Tour Guide Association, there were 12 of us. This was a working gold mine started in 1870. Our tour guide was very informative and funny. Awesome to see what these guys went through to make a living. At one point they turned of the lights and it was pitch black, even after a minute or two still couldn't see a thing. As a bonus it is a lot cooler inside the mine on a hot day. My favorite part was the guide showing us a picture of the miner's wives showing up at the end of their husbands 12 hour workday not to give their dirty, sweaty man a kiss but to get their pay before they have a chance to spend it at the saloon!!

An ad for Julian actually came up in my Travel/Leisure magazine. We had walked in the tiny town of Julian before, but never knew about the mine tour. It's a little confusing, as on your way to Julian, you see a mine cart which announces a ride and think this is it. In fact, while in Julian and going up the big hill to get there, you see the mine cart again and expect a ride when you actually get there. The tour guide actually told us of the somewhat fraud that is going on with this. This review is about the mine tour on C Street.

It's $10. for adults and $5. for children. We were a party of eight and all thought it was worth it; it lasts about an hour and is informative and fun. They did advertise restrooms on the premises. Wear comfortable shoes, as you are walking in an actual gold mine, which is dimly lit, on dirt and sidestepping the mine rail track. You have to duck in some parts and climb one ladder. They have made the tour family friendly and it is both in/out of the mine.

The guide we had was so well versed and able to answer any question with a wealth of information. At the end, he shows you how they panned for gold, which is a great interactive activity for kids. What a great way to capture the mining town of Julian and what it was like back then!

This one was a quick trip to the past. The guide was very friendly and explained a lot about Gold mining in those days. It was full of tidbits about the mining and life style of the miners. Clearly, times were difficult back then but the miners and their jobs deserve a hatsoff! Do visit this place the next time you are in Julian to appreciate how hardworking people were back then.

We took our three grandsons ages six, six and eleven to the mine. It was a huge hit. The walk through the two connected hard rock gold mines was great fun. There is one flight of steep stairs in the mine. Once outside the mine we panned for gold, and everyone got some. I would suggest bringing water in case you need a drink. There are restrooms at the old mine office. I don't remember for sure, but I think the entrance fee was $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Bit scary going through the tunnels but fascinating tour. Need to duck down at times. Thorough explanations of the excavation methods and what the miners went through to get their gold

The guides were friendly and informative - the tour is a great way to learn about the history of Julian.

My girlfriend and I enjoyed a tour here while staying in Julian for the weekend. Our guide basically grew up playing in the mines as a child (his grandfather owned it) and so was extremely knowledgable and had many interesting and entertaining anecdotes. There is much more to the gold mining process than I ever imagined and this was a great way to learn about it. I highly recommend a visit. Be sure to wear comfortable closed toe shoes. The tour is not at all strenuous but be aware there is ducking and one flight of steep stairs involved.

I had never done a gold mine tour so found this very interesting. Only four of us on the tour so felt like we could take our time taking photos. Very laid back guide but informative at the same time.

For something out of the ordinary, do this trip. It's quaint and scenic and the guide is really informative. Indeed, it's quite technical! Loved the tour and would recommend to everyone.

Took a tour of the mine and enjoyed all aspects of this interesting one hour trip underground. Two mines have been joined underground and you start on one side of the mountain and come out other! What a lot of work to extract the 18” wide quartz vein and then crush it - one ton of quartz yields one ounce of gold - almost the lowest economical yield commercially viable. Eight men worked this mine for several decades and working conditions were pretty tough!

Just a great tour and history lesson in the heart of downtown Julian. This is a no frills guided walk through a large, multilevel gold mine led by a knowledgeable local. We have been to Julian plenty of times and definitely recommend this for anybody.

We spent a couple of hours all combined with the mine tour and looking at the displays and talking to the people of the history of the area. They were all very friendly and informative.
The tour is only $10.00 for adults and lasts about an hour. This was one of the best tours we have been on, very informative explaining what we were seeing and answering questions. The gold panning lesson was the best and I actually got some gold flakes in my pan when we got done. What a fun place to visit and learn the details of hard rock mining in a very informed manner.
The mine tunnel tour is about 1000 feet long and does not change elevation much so is a fairly easy walk following the ore cart tracks in the tunnel.

I highly recommend this tour when you are in Julian, it is better that the tourist shops in town.

As per other reviewers, we weren't sure we were headed in the right direction as we were driving to the mine. Stay on the rough road, and you will drive to a nice parking area. We were greeted immediately upon exiting our van. There was a small tour ready to start, and we were able to join this group. We asked if the mine was on even ground and were assured that it was...well until we got to where the second mine exit is. You do have to climb about 10 steps to exit the mine because in the history you will learn that one mine was sold to the other. The tour guide was quite informative and made the experience pleasant for adults as well as youth. I have been on other mine tours, and this one was worth it and the cheapest by far for the $10. Plus, you received (an included in the price) gold panning demonstration where you are assured that you will find gold dust/specks. But, you do have to return the gold back to the trough. Most mine tours charge extra for this experience.

Toured the mine with my husband during a visit to Julian. Had a character of a tour guide who was funny and informative. For $10, the tour takes you about 400 feet below ground, temperature was so good after walking all day in the hot sun. Walking shoes are definitely needed. Afterwards, you get to pan for gold, but you don't get to keep any of it.....but just the experience was fun! The tour took about an hour, but it was fun, informative and educational!

There's a little gift shop that sell 24k vials of gold and lots of geodes.....I actually liked this place because it didn't LOOK like a high end tourist trap......just a little building with old tools and machinery that brings one back in time.

Tour costs $10 for adult and $5 for kids. Guides are descendants of original mine owner - and grew up at the mine site. Well worth a few hours

Tour was very informative and the guide was a hoot! Good value for your money for sure and highly recommend including in your trip. Great for adults and kids alike!

they guy that gives the tour and the man in the store are awesome great people and helpful so friendly make you feel so welcome, even the lady guide tour too, thanks

we went late in the afternoon (about 3:30). we got there just in time to join up with a small group,,,,,,,it's really neat to see - I wouldn't try and make a day of this - but 90 minutes or so is cool.............

This was a fun tour and only $10 per person. Do you want to pan for gold? Walk in a dark mining cave and see gold in them thar hills? Learn a little about explosives? Get a guided tour by a REAL local of Julian? This is the tour for you!! Great way to spend about an hour visiting Julian before stuffing your face with apple pies and wine. You drive on a paved road just off the main street in Julian, then on to a dirt road which turns down into a small parking lot. Don't worry if you have a low to the ground car, your Corolla will be okay, my coupe was. Park and join the group. We were led into a dark cave, saw gold, climbed stairs, sat for a moment in darkness trying to figure out how people could run in complete darkness from explosives, and came out the other side of the tunnel to light once again to learn more about some gems, large gems, worth lots of money hiding out in plain view in the parking lot.

The tour was a lot of fun and very informative. You learned a lot about what life was like for miners about a hundred and fifty years ago They have a lot of old equipment and cars to look at as well..

Really enjoyed our visit to Eagle and High Peak mine, lots of history and great stories told by knowledgeable guides.
When we arrived we were given a tour above ground and shown how to pan for gold (an important life skill) the guys running the tour mocked us relentlessly for our English Accents but it was all great fun and made us feel welcome, don't we all love attention? We were then taken into the mine and just at the point of going in my little boy freaked out about the dark. The tour guide was so incredibly patient and spent time calming him down and making promises about safety, even let him control his flashlight. Really kind man. The tour was really interesting and also very welcome respite from the heat outside. It's a must do activity when In Julian. Prices were good and the gift shop also well priced with something for everyone and all budgets. Highly recommended.

I did the mine tour earlier last week.... Really enjoyed it. Craig shared so much of the mining history in a way that made it fun to learn.

We took a day trip up to Julian and to the Eagle and High Peak mine while vacationing in San Diego. The drive is very scenic and not very long. The mine is a little hidden but we found it after asking for some directions. The mine tour was a little shorter than expected but still worth the trip. The guide was knowledgeable and fun. Highlights included panning for gold and walking through the mines and seeing how things used to be done - tough work to say the least. The price is right for what you get. The facilities are a little worn but it kind of adds to the ambiance of the place. Would recommend for a fun day's adventure.

Very cool place to explore. It was fun to go inside an old gold mine. Lots of history at this site. A lot of fun for everyone. Didn't take very long to explore. One hour is perfect and its down the street from the main town.

This was the best $10 experience of a lifetime. The guide is a wealth of knowledge in mines and how this particular one was passed thought the family. It may be a little too low tech for those under 14 but for for those who can devote a solid 2 hours to a walking tour inside and out of the mine it is time well spent. It is no wonder this have as a solid top contender for things to do in Julian.

Very interesting tour. Good old boys running the place. You have to do some ducking and stooped walking in the mine, but I made I.

We have visited Julian several times but somehow it took until now to finally visit the Eagle and High Peak Mine tour. The end of C Street gets a little rough but we had no trouble in our ordinary car. We arrived just in time for a tour and paid our $10.00 each. The tour began with a short demonstration in gold panning which was low cost way for prospectors to get started. Then into the Eagle Mine which was about 60 degrees while it was hot outside.

The main tunnel had numerous cross tunnels which followed the gold vein. The High Peak Mine occupied the middle of the mountain and used the Eagle Mine tunnel for access its deeper tunnels because the opening was closer. As the tour continued, there were section with tool and equipment. The guide explained drilling both by hand and using an air powered drill. There were displays of tool and elevators and finally we exited the High Peak side. We finished by passing various pieces of equipment and vehicles.

I brought my mom here for something "new" to do. We did find walking through the mine interesting but we were in a group that was much too large. Not sure how many people but we were at the back and only 2 times did we get to hear anything she was saying. Seeing the conditions and the equipment the miners worked with was pretty amazing. FYI....very cold in the mine AND toward the end you have to climb some steep steps.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The mine very interesting. It was a cool and wet day, which didn’t dampen our spirit though. We took the tour at about 1 PM and perhaps because of the not so good weather, only one other couple showed up, which was actually to our benefit. It made it feel like we got a private tour. Lucky us.

Nice tour with fun and education. We went expecting very little and were very happy with our experience. The tour guides were very informative and enthusiastic. The story behind the mining was very interesting. Kids loved mining for real gold. I would recommend this as a great activity when visiting Julian.

I hadn't been down a mine before. The knowledgeable guide gave a fascinating tour of this old mine, which clearly had been restored for visitors at considerable effort. The guide was really enthusiastic and keen to answer questions, of which there were many from the group. His calm confidence reassured one lady who became a little nervous underground. In fact the tunnels are well laid out for easy access, and well lit too, though there are a few places where taller visitors need to duck down a little. It was interesting to have a go at panning gold after the underground tour.

The tours are arranged ad hoc, as soon as a few visitors have assembled. We had to wait just a few minutes, and occupied the time looking around a small museum display of mining implements and curios.

A friend in Julian recommended the mine tour. Clearly it's an attraction that the community is proud of, and I can see why.

The attraction is pretty self explanatory. It is a gold mine that is hand carved into the solid rock. It is a one man operation located above the town of Julian. The price was inexpensive ($5 per person). You walk into the mine "caves" and up a ladder to a separate shaft and out of its original entrance. The guide explains the mine and how it was made. Outside, there is a machine that was used to separate the gold from the rock. The guide showed us how it worked.

On our trip to Southern California, we went to Disney Land, the Beach and San Diego Zoo. This was the cheapest attraction we went to but, to this day, my kids remember it and say it was their favorite thing we did on the trip.

The town of Julian is about 2 blocks with cute stores and places to eat. If your kids are into Minecraft, a trip to the mine and Julian is a good day trip.

We did this trip in Aug 2013, however, it is showing as 2014 because I cannot select a 2013 date.

I was thoroughly impressed with this tour.had never been near a mine, forget a gold one.all my imaginations about gold quarrying got an answer
Its too much of hard word.i bow to all the miners in this world with respect and gratitude

I love the historical tour and the guide was fantastic and well informed. It's a great, local your and a must for all visitors.

I am not generally a person who enjoys any kind of tours but this was facinating to me. The tour guide was in family of relatives who once ran this mine. The tour gave you a feel of what it must of been like to work in this mine. Enjoyed it immensely.

I have done this tour three times now with different family members and friends! It is so interesting and you really get to go deep into a real mine! Informational, fun, and them gem shop they have there is really really good prices.

The family and I really enjoyed the chance to explore a gold mine that was very much frozen in time. The bonus opportunity of panning for gold also helped us better understand the science behind the work. The tour guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable as well, making for an easy hour to an hour-and-a-half tour.

This was one of the highlights of our trip. Our guide took us into the mine giving a very entertaining talk about the history of the mine as we went. The tour took us a thousand feet in and over two levels. We saw gold speckles in the rock and as the mine was very well lit never felt claustrophobic. On the way out we dislodged a bat and then had a go at panning for gold - very labour intensive! If you are anywhere Julian this is not to be missed!

It was a bit disorganised at the start but we turned up without bookings at 3pm on Christmas Eve so, on reflection, unsurprising
Craig, the grandson of the original owner showed us around. He really made the tour with anecdotes from his childhood. You walk through two mines and need to be able to climb up a ladder.
It's only $10 and the time flew by. We had only 6 on our tour and he went at our pace.
He was very knowledgable about the process and the history. Not my usual thing but I really enjoyed it. Fascinating to picture the poor miners
You get to pan for gold in a water trough at the end but don't keep it.
This is a rough and ready exhibit run by locals. It was a pleasure to support a local business

went with kids family and grandparents. great fun. steep steps inside the mine. person who gave the tour was very nice, but had the "tour" speaker's drone. seemed a bit bored, but overall a great place to visit. kids love the gold panning.

Technically we arrived just after the last tour time but the folks at the attraction agreed to take me and my wife for a tour down the mine. Boy did we enjoy it.
The tour guide was really interesting and knowledgeable and once we admitted that whilst not geologists we both had some background and had been down several mines in different places over the years he really got going!!
Talk about an interactive experience - our tour seemed to last ages.

My family and I traveled to Julian for the weekend and discovered the Eagle and High Peak Mine at the end of the street from where we were staying. I had never been in a mine before and found it extremely interesting. The guide gave a very educational and fun tour walking us through this real gold mine with different passageways and levels, showing us original equipment used by the miners back in the day, and then turned off the lights to show how incredibly dark it was in the mine. There is a constant temperature of 60 degrees in the mine. My son loved it! He bought a real sample of gold in the gift shop at the end of the tour.. Fun, educational, and reasonable family friendly attraction. I would recommend it. You also got to pan for gold.

Tony was a great tour guide inside. It was really neat and my 6 yr old son loved it. I would recommend tennis shoes since the tour is through a tour.

Most enjoyable tour with an excellent guide who was very well informed and funny. Nice complement to Julian Historical Museum to find out about the 1870 mining start to the area. Saw the early gold extraction machines. Learned how to pan for gold, at least a few grains. Took a 1000 foot tour of two 1870 mines. Hard to imagine what it was like to be a miner in those days.

Arrived on a chilly, rainy Monday; my family of 5; my mother, my three girls 10,12,14 and myself, were the only ones there. We were able to ask questions galore. We were all impressed with the knowledge and the humor that our tour guide, Matthew, brought to the tour.

Within 10 min our private tour turned into a larger one of 12 people. Matthew did a great job catching everyone up to speed and sharing his knowledge. It made us wonder what his background was — when you go, ask!

We highly recommend this destination as a must see when in town!

•Bring a jacket and windbreaker! It will be chillier there than in town.
•All three of my girls enjoyed it. It’s not easy making something enjoyable for a kid, tween and a teen.
•There is some climbing up a ladder, space has some tight places. My mother tends to have claustrophobic tendencies but she was fine.

Great trip with the teenagers! Lots of great info. Mine is super cool. Parking for gold was fun too. Will definitely visit again.

I would highly recommend a visit to the mine a step back in time.Pan for gold take a tour Paul was really good at showing us around and informative and friendly go deep in to the mine its rustic but that's mining it's well worth the ten dollars great.

Came here with two young kids. Loved the atmosphere, the mine tour and guide were great, and they loved panning for gold in the chilly water. Fun time and educational.

Well worth a visit. Not too often you can explore a mine. The tour lasts about an hour, and costs 10 dollars a person. Prepare to duck especially if you are tall, remember this was dug pretty much by hand so space is tight.

Good place to learn about the history of Julian, especially as it relates to it's gold mining beginnings. Friendly staff and well done tours. They give you a short tutorial on how to pan for gold and then let you try your hand at it. Fun for the kids.

This was a really unique visit. Our tour guide was great and funny. My husband loved panning for gold at the end with the kids. There are some low overheads (about 4.5-5’) and one steep staircase/ladder. Tons of good scenery on the premises for photos and to country-fy your Insta.

The place where you park and meet is so nice. Picnic tables, shade trees and beautiful flowers.
The tour is so interesting and I learned a lot. The mine itself is really awesome and the tour guide was so interesting. He spent the right amount of time at each station and we got to see a lot. It was really interesting. You should do this your. Well worth your time.

If you are taller than 5'10", be careful about bumpting your head in some places of the gold mine. I scraped mine in some parts, without much pain.

Spoiler Alert:

At one point, they will turn off the lights, to let you see how dark it gets inside of the mine. It really is pitch dark, so if that makes you uncomfortable, you are forewarned now.

When I visited Julian, I went into town first, and had a slice of apple pie. It was really good, and that is recommended. Julian went from Gold mining town to well known orchard, and it is possible to pick up apple pies from many grocery Stores in the San Diego area - and those are highly recommended.

Visiting the Gold mine was a good introduction to what Goldmining was like many years ago, and I'm happy I went for a visit to Julian.

Carl gave us a great tour of the Eagle and High Peak Mine. Along with my grandsons, I was very impressed with the facts and the history of gold mining in the Julian area. This was a very educational experience including the gold panning.

We visited this mine in early November 2014, walking up from the town's main street, and arrived just in time for a 4-guest tour which was amazing! It lasts a good hour and goes deep underground so you can see the quartz seams and the equipment the miners used. The guide is steeped in its history and brings it all back to life. It wasn't a very productive mine - such an effort for a small amount of gold in the end. It's all a bit run down outside - ancient cars and machinery and the shop is an antique in itself, but the atmosphere is genuine and you can pan for gold in the troughs outside. Opening hours were 10.00-3.00 when we were there but cost was still $10pp.

If you want to see inside a real gold mine of over a 100 year old with original mining equipment and streaks of gold ore in veins in the rocks then this is the place to visit just a couple of blocks off Main Street. It is safe and well lit but you do go inside several yards so if you are extremely claustrophobic---perhaps just visit the Museum/Gift Shop
The day I took the tour the guide was very informative and spent a great deal of time answering questions. I would think everyone will learn something about all types of underground mining by taking the tour----it was a big part of our western history

Great little place. Learned lots and really enjoyed the tour guide. Good value also. Would recommend.

We were staying in Julian for the weekend and decided to visit the Gold Mine. We actually walked up the hill about a mile to the mine. The cost was only 10.00 and has been the same for many years. First you get to pan for gold in a trough, and it gives you some small idea of what the miners had to go through to find even minuscule amounts. Our guide rounded everyone up and we headed into the mine. I will say if you are claustrophobic this might be a problem. We were told a very detailed history of the mine and the miners as we went through the mine. Our guide, Derek was very knowledgeable and friendly and it was a learning experience. Be careful to watch your head as the ceilings are lower than normal. It was a fascinating time and you will enjoy the lesson on California history.

My Grandparents and I went out to Julian for a day and decided to visit this mine. What a good decision that was! The men running the mine and operating the tour were very friendly and all had a good knowledge of the mine and it's history. The facility seemed well maintained, and the mine was well-lit and safe.

Keep in mind: the mine tour takes some walking and ladder climbing, and the ceiling is somewhat low in places (5'2" clearance at it's lowest).

Took a day trip from south OC, to visit this mine in Julian. I thought a little adventure would help work off the Julian Pie I would eat later. I have been on a mine tour in Virginia City, Nevada last year, and enjoyed the tour and history. The Eagle and High Peak Mine was outstanding. The tour guides (Robert and another man that I am sorry to say I do not remember his name) were very entertaining while they educated us about the mines. We even had an opportunity to pan for gold, and discovered it is not as easy as it looks.

We went here on a trip to San Diego. My son (7 years old) had been watching a show about mining for gold on TV so he felt he was an expert. The tour was very informative and enjoyable. Carl, our guide, was quite knowledgeable. The tour itself was about 1 hour and it was interesting from start to finish. Afterwards we got to pan for gold which was really fun. You do not get to keep the gold you find, but you will always find it. The ride up was very cool, you spend quite a bit driving through switchbacks. The mine is at 4,000 ft. All in all it was a very nice time and I recommend it.

Guide was cool local dude who said he was normally the cashier and was just filling in.

Extremely knowledgeable and great personality and attitude for someone that had been running tours all day.

Group was a little large at 32 people and as always, some rude folks talking while he was speaking but he handled it very well.

Also a couple of bratty kids that he also managed just fine.

The mine itself is really cool and very interesting history.

Felt bad we had no cash for a tip as he deserved it.

I think we’ll make trip back up to drop off a tip tomorrow.

Well worth the $10 per adult, wish the groups small and tour a little longer inside the mine.

I was in San Diego visiting family and we decided to head to Julian for the day. Julian is a cool town in its own right, but we had seen a sign for a gold mine tour so we decided to check it out. When we pulled in we saw all these old classic cars rusting away which totally added to the character and charm of the place and made you feel as if you were stepping back in time. The mine itself is pretty neat. You get to see how mining was done back in the day with candles and chisels, tons of hard work. I definitely recommend a visit if you are heading to Julian, its not far from the center of town so stop on by.

We visited this mine in December 2014 and was so worth it! Our tour lasted about two hours and was so full of information. Our tour guide Craig was awesome! We enjoyed all of his first hand stories while growing up with the family mine. Walking into this mine was an experience you will never forget!

Give yourself an hour and you'll learn everything you need to know about mining. Tour guide Jerry or Gary, sorry forgot which, will take you way back in time to 1870 and 1000 feet back into the depths of this old gold mine. It's always interesting seeing what "real working men" had to endure to survive and build our country. Tour lasted a little over an hour and cost $10.00. Worth your time and money.

had to convince my husband to go on the gold mine tour..he's been to 100's of old mines out in the desert , so he didn't want to go , but i said I haven't been to mines...and after walking uphill to location from town of Julian, wanted to use restroom, which operators allow - we decided to take the tour.

interesting and informative walk thru the mine tunnels ,up some wooden stairs, ..afterwards , we got to 'pan for gold flecks ' , shucks - had to put it back after you found your gold though...

at least the temperature of mine was definitley cooler than the outside heat !

This was our last stop on our vacation and we were so glad we decided to stop and take the tour here. The tour guide - Matthew - was a wealth knowledge about the mine, it's history and the processes, and was great with the kids on the tour. We learnt about the machines they used to process the ore and had a go at panning for gold the way it was originally done. Costs $10 per adult and $5 per kid - make sure you take cash or cheques with you as they can't take credit cards. Well worth the stop if you have the time!

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 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.

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Enjoyed our step into the past. This informative fun tour helped us in vision what mining was like in the 1870s-1930s. The tour included a walking tour through 2 mines shafts taking us deeeeep into the mountain. Low overheads and 1 steep flight of stairs may be a challenge for some with limited mobility. Learned how to pan for gold. Worth the time and effort.

The guide mumbled so could not understand most of what he said. They kept adding people to the tour after it started and ending up being too many people to see or hear what he was talking about. Not told there was a large, steep ladder you had to climb. I am disabled and could barely make it to the top.

When we told them we were unhappy, it was just,shrugged off. At least half of the people complained about this tour.

Makes a great day trip from San Diego. The tour through this old mine is quite enlightening and only slightly scary. A great feature is the chance to wash your own gold - makes you feel the excitement of the gold rush diggers

Mine tour was good although it was hard to hear the guide at times. Gold panning was fun, but it is catch and release.

I had no idea this mine even existed. It was the perfect activity on a warm afternoon as it is cooler in the mines. You have an opportunity to pan for gold too. But they are very small pieces and you don't get to keep! I enjoyed the tour, but my only complaint is the group was too large for all to get close enough to hear the docent when in the mine. And since the group that followed us was similarly large, I'm guessing this is an ongoing problem. You do need to climb a one story ladder in the mind so not for individuals with mobility issues. I can be claustrophobic but this wasn't a problem for me here.

I went to quiet Julian for my birthday and seeing the Eagle Mine was top of my list. I am a history buff so I was eager to see the mine. I am lucky that the mine was open on Monday as most things around Julian are open weekends only. I was the only guest and I was told they were hoping for at least one other person. It was a quiet day so I ended up getting a wonderful personal tour of the mine.

The guide, I believe his name was Matt, was personable and informative. He gave me a history of Julian and of the gold mining craze. The Eagle Mine was an amazing piece of mining engineering. I was amazed at how much information Matt shared on the mine and the whole mining process. It definitely was not an easy life for miners in the 1800's.

The mine was an easy walk but there was a steep ladder to climb to get to the upper level. I told Matt I could climb up but could not go back down. Fortunately, the exit is on the upper level and then a walk back to the parking area. The ladder is high and might be hard for anyone with mobility issues but no doubt, people could turn back and not climb up.

I felt that the mine was the high point of my birthday weekend to San Diego and Julian. It was a completely different educational experience that I am used to. I would give the mine a super high recommend!

We visited Julian, to purchase some pies from the Julian Pie Company. We had thought about doing this tour, but it is not possible for the disabled, as there is a lot of walking up narrow walkways.

Dwayne was our guide (I think I got his name right). He was very friendly and informative. It's a great tour for kids and it's a big bonus that they actually have real gold for you to mine (but can't keep of course). Our 10 and 7 yr old kids loved it!

An opportunity to go into an actual gold mine and experience on a limited level what it may have been like for the miners. The mine is still owned by the family that ran the mine and the tour guide had some interesting tales. This was a hard rock mine so the shafts were excavated by hand, using picks, drills and dynamite. A lot of the tools used are still there and you can see the drill holes and pick marks. After the tour you have an opportunity to pan for gold, and really find some they place there but you can’t keep it. This is a great tour for kids and history buffs. You can drive to the mine or it is a short walk from the town. I recommend the walk, as there are some interesting things to see along the way.

When you first pull in it looks kind of sketchy. But it really was very interesting. It looked sketchy at first but once Matt started the tour we all enjoyed it very much. Our family consists of ages from 11 to 50 and everyone of us had fun.
Matt was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Probably would go again if I ever get back out that way.
Give it a shot I think you'll be glad you did.

Escape the heat with a head duck into the cool, ambient temperatures deep into the darkness of the mine. The tour guides, while mildly dry, awkward and perhaps even overworked, they still keep the ability to offer a fantastic tour. Of course, the dark caverns and narrow tunnels don't take much to keep you amazed. The price is affordable and they allow pets, if they remain leashed and well under control.

There are 3 sections of the tour.

The guided tour takes you back to the into the time of gold mining. The first half of the tour is outside of the mine where 3 mining presses are displayed. The tour guide goes steps us back into the history of this mine and the founder. He describes the gold in this region as course gold found in the veins of quartz, thus needs to be crushed from the stone. The story goes when the mine opened for tours, the owner would attract curious visitors to the mine by running the mining presses. The noise of crushing the stone could be heard from downtown. Visitors would ask locals what the noise was visitors we come to see the presses, then take the tour.

The second half is panning for gold in sand troughs with find gold and sand. The host demonstrated panning for gold. He was able to get a fair amount first try. We were then give 10-15 minutes to pan for ourselves. Everything was pan and release.

The last section was to enter the mine from one end, pass through to the second mine, climb a ladder to the next level and exit the second mine on the other side of the mountain. The first section is nice and wide inside. The host stopped at a couple of quartz veins to show how they were mined. The second mine was more interesting because it is a down shaft mine (skip) with multiple levels. The host showed us the lifting machine, miners equipment and tools, and the foreman’s office in the mine. While sitting in the foreman’s office the guide showed us total darkness then lit a few candles for effect. To exit the second mine, you need to lower your head if you are more than 5’4”. In all the tour lasted almost 90 minutes. For the cost of $10.00 the tour is truly worth it.

Fun tour, if in a small group. Shows what these miners had to endure in the 1800's. Save any questions for the end of the tour

This mine tour is great, un-crowded and informative. Friendly tour guide, inexpensive and not your typical tourist venue. High recommend this tour.

The entrance road is a little rough.
What a great tour. The underground part of the tour is fantastic and the tour guide is very knowledgeable. The tour goes in one mine tunnel and exits from a different one.
The gold panning is fun, just too bad we have to put the gold back. The 64 degree year round temperature in the mine is nice.
There is lots of old stuff (antiques) laying around if you take the time to look about.
Well worth a couple hours and all for ten dollars. CASH ONLY.

How often do you get to visit a real gold mine? The tour through this small mine was exciting and fun. The tour guide was well informed about all aspects of mining and the history of this area. We were lead through narrow, winding shafts, following tracks of mining carts. We stopped frequently to see different features of the mine and learn another piece of history or myth. It was great fun, and just a bit creepy.

We decided to do an impromptu day trip to Julian. We've been to the town multiple times, but usually just stop for a pie or a malt in our way to camp at Cuyamaca. So I checked out some fun things to do in town and came across this in Trip Advisor. So glad we went! I love the Julian history and mining history in general. The tour took you through a good portion of the mine, not just 30 feet of flirting with the idea of a mine, like a lot of other mine tours I've been on. There was a lot of areas to gaze of the multiple drifts and imagine what it must have been like working in the mine. Our tour guide was incredibly informative, both on mine history and the geological significance of what we were seeing in the mine too. The kids (13 and 12) had a great time, they loved the history and panning for gold too!

This was extremely interesting. Definitely an excursion the whole family would enjoy. You get to go into a real gold mine that was now a tourist adventure.

A good look at the way gold mining was done in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It's an easy walk up to the mine from Main Street and the guides and tunnels were great. After the tour the kids (and adults) get to pan for gold (but not keep it). An educational break from pie-eating, and the walk builds up your appetite for more pie after.

We really enjoy our tour! The guide was so knowlegable and we've learned a lot with them.
Worthy a visit for sure!
Best thing we've done in Julian.

Wow such a great experience! Museum and gift store very interesting. Very knowledgeable tour guide. Gold panning demonstration then hands on panning experience. Then a walking guided tour of the former gold mines. This tour is underground and some ducking required but it is a fantastic tour. $15 for adults. Worth it!

We loved this place. If you can get miner Matt as a tour guide, all the better. He was very informative and very funny as well.

It is pretty awesome that the original family still owns and operates this mine as an attraction for history buffs and tourists alike. It is a unique experience that takes you into the lives of the miners in the 1890's and the processes that culminated as the gold rush. Our guide, Robert, a local who has worked there over the course of 15 years was funny and informative. He led us into the eagle mine on one side of the mountain and we exited out of the high peak mine on the other side. It was really cool. I could have explored all day in there if it were allowed. We panned for gold and got a surprisingly good amount. Not fool's gold, the real thing. Unfortunately, it is just part of the education experience and "catch and release" policy.

We found it by accident on trip adviser and went there. The tour in the mines are cool to see and they let you find gold in from the sand. The town julian is also cute, like the time stood still.

Are you kidding me? Talk about facing your demons. I'm the guy who doesn't do enclosed MRIs. Yet, into a mountain I walked. Jerry, our tour guide was incredibly knowledgable about the are and the min in particular. Safety was job one for him.
He did a fantastic job explaining the hows, the whys, the wherefores about the mine and the process used to extract the gold.
There was one place inside the mine where he asked if it would be ok to turn off the lights. Talk about black. I don't think I've every seen such black. Then he lit three candles to simulate what the guys would be using way back then to light the mine for their working conditions. Put a new light--no pun intended--on how these guys worked.
If you go, don't book something immediately afterwards. Jerry takes his time and the tour could go on longer than stated. It's worth it.

We were so glad that we found our way to the Mine Tour! Our guide Robert did a great job on the tour! Learned a lot and he made the entire group of strangers on this tour feel interact and enjoy the experience together. We learned so much about the mining process and the life of the miners. The tour took one hour and cost $10! Time and money well spent! Learn history! There was an opportunity also to pan for gold and to learn about amalgamation!

We were 5 adults, a 7yo and a 2yo, with several other couples & one other family with three children. The mine & it’s history is truly fascinating, but our tour guide was “strange”. While he knew his facts perfectly, his affect was very flat, he spoke with little enthusiasm or charisma for his audience, and he appeared to be in very poor health. We were literally concerned he might have a stroke! It seemed like he talked forever, while we got tired of standing, then we’d move on to the next spot in the mine and more standing. Our 2yo finally had to be taken out, as no 2yo can stand quietly for 10-15min at a time! Would have been very nice to receive a brochure with diagrams, photos & explanations of many of the “basics”, then the guide just point out the main features & answer questions. Don’t get me wrong: this IS a must-see in Julian! It just could be so much better!

It had been a very nice trip!

the guide entertained us with the story of the mine, the gold rush and gave us very impressive information about the geography too.

the mine is well presented and preserved, and you can feel like a real miner!
you can also practice and find gold from sand

Our family of five enjoyed going into the mines and getting the vast of information from our guide. We walked the mines, panned for gold and enjoyed the guides stories.

What a fantastic tour! The guide was extremely knowledgeable, and walking through the mine was an incredible experience, especially if you love experiencing a taste of history.

Visited on a very cold and windy April day. Matthew the guide was interesting and knowledgable and it was good to learn a little more about the mining process.
Very much that he had a set script though and wasn’t going to deviate eg kept throwing in the Spanish commentary despite not having any Spanish speakers.
Restrooms were clean and the main shop’s heater was much appreciated after the tour.
The food available was ok - hot dog not very hot and no coffee available.

.. It was fun and interesting, Daniel the tour guy made it fun, he has a great knowledge about minery and is a good story teller. We'll be back for sure.

It is an interesting tour that really allows you to understand what mining conditions were with historical show and tell. I'm claustrophobic, but the mine is cut out of solid rock and big enough that I was alright. It's not expensive, fun learning and you even get to pan for gold.

Very interesting and entertaining, really nice people. The tour last about an hour, you go deep inside the hill and it can be a little tight in there, you also go up a steep ladder, keep that in mind.

For Mother's Day weekend I wanted something different, an activity that all my boys could enjoy. California is rich with history and the tour guides here share lots of information and history during your guided visit. I have never been in a mine. This is a real WOW! As you are walking through you learn that there are levels of mining above and below you. Whoa! Amazing. What a great place, well worth every cent for all that is included. We'll be back.

I wish Inhad rememberd our guides name- he gave a very informative and knowledgable tour of the mine. We got to see equipment from the day and get a feel what it was like for the gold miners. We enjoyed this visit.

The tour was very cool. The kids had a blast. The guides were very knowledgeable and patient with the kids.

Overall not impressed. I understand the need to make money but this is a little overboard for a hole in the ground. Workers all standing around with customers present arguing over petty things and making a scene. Go if you enjoy the historical aspect of an old gold town but skip it if you want to spend $10 somewhere else in town.

We arrived for our tour on a rainy Wednesday in March. We wandered around and spent 15 minutes in the shop before Jerry approached us about the tour. He seemed to be waiting for others to arrive, and surprisingly a family of 6 did and joined us. The amount of detail Jerry provided about mining and the history and operation of these gold mines was amazing. Our tour lasted about two hours. Given that length and that most of the tour is the guide explaining very detailed technical information, I wouldn't recommend the tour for children or even teens, unless they are passionate about history. The passages are dimly lighted, the ground is uneven, and there is only one opportunity to sit down near the end of the tour, with no rest rooms until the tour is over. At one point, you need to climb a steep ladder with handholds to get from one level to the next, so anyone with mobility or height issues should be aware. It was fascinating to learn about the hardships the miners endured for the sixty years the mines operated and the vast amount of quartz needed to produce very small amounts of gold.

Very cool mine visit. Get up close and personal in a gold mine, where you'll learn about the history of mining in Julian and get the day in the life of a real gold miner. Fascinating, great and laid back tour!

The tour was awesome, our guide was very knowledgeable. We were able to look for our own gold ( no you cannot take home). We were inside the mine, it was an amazing experience. I highly recommend this tour.

Awesome guided tour, very knowledgeable and friendly folks. We learned a lot about local mining and our 9-year-old was captivated. The gold panning and gift shop were great too. A gem in every sense of the word!

Such a great tour in Julian. Wasn’t sure what to expect but so glad we decided to do this tour. John was a fabulous tour guide and we learned a lot about the mine and the town of Julian. Will definitely bring the rest of the family.

We visited as a family with two boys aged 9 and 10. After we passed the gold panning station we knew there wouldn't be a out, luckily we had enough cash since they wouldn't accept credit cards. Tours are separated into an "above" and a "below" ground part. Different guides for those two parts, both very knowledgeable and seemed to very much enjoy telling visitors about the word of gold mining in the late 19th century. We actually learned a lot, our boys were thrilled with the entire experience and even found as few specks of gold when they tried there hand at panning.
The entire guided part was close to 2hours, entrance fee was reasonable, plenty of parking, very pleasant mom-and-pop place feeling, would highly recommend if you're in the area.

Two mines combined into one, both opening in 1870. Parking is very tight and limited. Tour will take about a hour. if you're BIG(not tall but BIG) or older, you may have trouble climbing the stairs between the Eagle Mine and the High Peak Mine. Altitude may be a problem for you if you're out of shape as you are above 4000'. The tour in the mines as previously written is cramp with many low ceilings(I'm 5'11", and I spent alot of time hunched over to avoid hitting the ceiling.) The drive to the mine is up a residential area, then onto a dirt road to finally a small almost one lane road t0 the parking area. Worth both the time and money.

When in Julian, this is a must visit. It is very cool. Our guide was very nice and was VERY knowledgable. Being in the mine is amazing. Super cool. I'm 6'2 and at the end you have to walk a while hunched over to get out... so that was a bit tough, but worth it. Ask about the gold that is STILL IN the mine!!! You can see it at times!

Loved this place. Very informative, friendly. Kids loved it! Got to go into mines underground, which was very cool.

We showed up just as a tour was starting. $10 a person. The tour guides were super friendly and they wore masks. The other patrons did not and seemed a bit agitated. But if COVID safety is a concern I DO NOT recommend this place. The employees were safe but the other guests were not.

In addition, panning for gold was fun but lots of wasps were around no stings though!! Overall good fun and a great learning experience! Kids came along and so did older people not a strenuous journey at all. A little low in places so tall people may have to duck down.

I don't know if it was the day or time, but we arrived about 3pm on a Sunday and ended up with only 4 of us on the tour. We enjoyed learning about the history and visiting the mine. We also had a chance to pan for gold (you don't keep the gold). If you are in Julian, you should definitely make this stop.

The mine is well lit, though they do turn off the light at one point and light a single candle so you can experience how dark it gets. If it's hot outside, you'll definitely appreciate the cool air inside the mine.

Very informative and very personable guides. Got gold when we panned. Couldn't keep it. Darn. Only dislike was the very steep stairs in the mine. If I had known about them, I probably would not have gone.

I highly recommend this tour when you visit Julian. It's an hour long and the tour guide has so much information to share. Don't forget your camera!

Visited the mine on a quiet morning so had personal trip. Guide was well informed and humorous so thoroughly enjoyed the banter. 2 hours well spent and a must for Julian visitors.

Great experience for those who don't mind being underground. This is one of the very few mines in California that offers tours of the workings. You actually enter one mine and exit from another. Must be able to climb ladders, NOT handicap accessible.

Gold and apple pie are cornerstones of Julian. The tour at the Eagle and High Peak
Mine is soooo interesting and worthwhile. Our guide, Carl, showed us the evolution of engineering gold mining and life of the gold miners - all while maneuvering through a maze of tunnels. Outside the tunnels are some of the most interesting buildings and artifacts from rusty 1930's trucks, to an amusing cemetery, to an antique Merry Go Round. Yes, the Gold Mine is a must visit, I think.

The gold mine tour is very interesting to see and the tours are exciting and the tour guides are in limited supply so there is only 2! You also get to pan for gold..... I won't tell you if you strike it rich, so you find out for yourself. Kids aged 7 and over will find it interesting.

Visited on a Saturday afternoon and quickly joined a departing group. Our guide keep us entertained with stories about the geology and history of the mine. Tours last about an hour and are bargain for $10.00. I even successfully panned for gold (but the policy is to return any gold to the trough). And did I mention the mine was a refreshing 70 degrees while Main Street Julian was 90?

This is an interesting tour for $10. It doesn't last long, maybe 15 minutes but I felt it was worth seeing. They don't have the most organized system but it seems to work for them. Wear good shoes for walking on uneven surface as there is a railcar rail down the middle of the tunnels. Also a steep ladder/stair about half way in. Not for those with claustrophobic tendencies.

You'd never know that the 25 sq miles around Julian are catacombed with gold mines. The Eagle and High Peak mines were two that were close to one another and linked so they could share some of the resources to extract gold from veins in the quartz.

Guided tour runs regularly, cost is $10 per person, small kids discounted. Entertaining, and includes a panning lesson, view of one of the crushers, and an extended trip into the mine shafts. The guides are knowledgeable and energetic, making the visit both informative and enjoyable.

A great tour and experience. This was not a Disney type simulation ride. This was the "real deal" and looks just like it did over a century ago. Met the owner who was beaming with pride on how his grandfather started the mine. Our tour guide was good but seemed almost like he was reciting a script...

You will tour two old mines under the guide of a real miner... worth the trek up the hill. They have a museum of equipment and tools used in the original operations and can spin stories of the past.

We have planned this vacation for a while. We supposed to visit another gold mine tour instead of this tour. . After we have lunch just walk around the city. A guy hand out fryer so we decided to try this tour out. I don't expect to be good. But it turn out pretty good. After the tour we were taught to pan for gold and they had real gold in there even. My son was THRILLED!! All smiles..... They told to take our time and pan all we wanted. But can not take home :( Thanks : )

Very pleasant and informative tour of the gold mine, the best thing we did on our trip to Julian, highly recommend to visit if you're in town, the fee of $10 is a steal for what you're getting in opinion...

What an amazing experience! We went into a real mine, with the guide telling some really interesting facts. He was rally funny and the customer service was brilliant! Definitely something I would recommend everybody to see, to understand the real gold rush in CA.

This is a great tour for old and young alike. Seeing the inside of an old working mine gives you a sense of what it was like to work in these conditions. The tour guide was a wealth of information. This is not a 'sleek and polished' attraction so don't go expecting that. Just roll with it and let your kids explore a little and learn what the past was like.

We visited during a heat wave and it was 59 degrees in the gold mine so remember to take a light sweater if you get cold easily. Our tour guide was very informative and had a great sense of humor. It was a fun family experience.

It was best rated on TripAdvisor and I see why.Great tour. My kids are begging to go back. Had a nice little store/museum by the entrance. I liked that they had a few picnic tables by the parking lot where you could eat your food. Will go back soon.

We thoroughly enjoyed learning about mining for gold at the Eagle Mine. Our guide, Matthew, is a wealth of knowledge explaining how good is brought from the depths of the earth to the surface in granite magma. The mine is much deeper and more extensive than I expected. Many levels and shafts blasted out of the ground. We thoroughly recommend this guided tour, especially if you’ve ever wondered how gold is found and mined. Matthew was a fantastic guide.

We took a pleasant drive to Julian from Ramona about 23 miles. We had read about the mine and this was our destination. They have a small parking lot and take cash no credit cards. This is a genuine hard rock mine from the 1850 befor dynamite and drills. Fun knowledgable guide took us on about 1 1/2 tour learned a lot of history. They also have some great old pictures and historical items. You can also by rocks for the kids items are very reasonable. Just so you know near end of tour you climb a fixed ladder of about 20 steps. Julian should sort out its parking we did not stop to eat there because of it

This was such an informative, family friendly activity! I'm visiting my hometown with my fiance and my sisters and I were looking for a fun, inexpensive activity to take 4 adults, 2 toddlers and a 1 year old to. Eagle Mining fit the bill in every aspect. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and patient (especially with little toddlers running around like crazy people!) The tour price is more than reasonable given the length of the tour and the activities available. What little kid doesn't want to mine for real gold?! There are picnic tables under shade trees, it's easy to find, plenty of parking, etc. I wholeheartedly recommend checking this place out! Truly a historic landmark.

Our guide was very informative and a little quirky. Added some humor. He was very knowledgeable about the mine and mining in general. The tour lasted well over an hour. We were surprised how much we enjoyed it. Really tall folks will need to duck down frequently. Price is only $10 for adults.

I can't blame to tour or the guide. My husband enjoyed it allot, me however had to bale after only ten steps in. I have never been in a mine so I had no idea I would react that way! I was over come by the small space and felt I needed to not continue the tour. Again my husband liked it found it very informative and would recommend it.

We arrived just as the tour group was about to start to enter the mine entrance. There were 8 in our group which was perfect. The guide was very good and answered many questions for our group.They have you walk single file along the mine car track. It is lit by light bulbs and the tour guide has a flashlight. The temperature is very cool in the mine. As mentioned there is a very steep & narrow ladder type stairwell with iron pipe handholds to get to the next level. My mom is 84, in good health, walks steady she did well but my husband made sure to follow her up the ladder! I just can't recommend this type of tour for young children. It would be tough for their attention span and many safety issues. At one point the guide lights a candle to demonstrate the amount of light the miners worked with and then blows it out as well as shutting off his flashlight. Total darkness and you are deep in the mine too! Effective. It was impressive though to learn how safe gold mining really was due all the solid rock. The headspace is low. There are actual marks on the walls from the miners picks, What hard work they did for tiny specks of gold! There is an option to pan gold and the staff gives good instructions and is very helpful. We learned a lot about this part of California history in Julian. Free parking is always a plus too!

My wife daughter, grand daughter and I all went on the mine tour. WOW, a lot of good information and a good time. It almost felt like the 1800's and we were miners. We have gone to the mine several times and learned something new every time. we will go back and do it again. Our grand daughter is nine and had no problems going on the tour. I recommend it especially if you never went on the tour.

My family and I visited this place. We didn’t know what to expect but we are super happy. My kids had a blast and learned some new things also. Our guide was Daniel he was authentic and very knowledge about mining. We had some good laughs during the tour. I totally recommend this place. Thank you Daniel for a memorable time.

Nice place to visit especially if you have kids. The staff were friendly. It is like a travel back in time.

Been here several times with family/guests, always find it interesting. “Real” history, rather than a re-creation. Tastes differ i guess, i love it. A great way to turn lunch in julian into a day trip.

Was a very informative tour, the tour guide was very knowledgeable, love seeing the hard rock mine, the way they did things in the 1800 , also the panning for gold was fun,worth the trip

We were looking for something fun to do in Julian that we have never done before and decided to check out Eagle Mining. It is in downtown and you could walk but they have a large parking lot so its just as easy to drive and park. Tours go all day so no matter the time you arrive a tour should be starting fairly soon. The tour was surprisingly a good length of time especially considering the price. You get more than your monies worth. The tour was fun and educational. I think it would be good for anyone, kids or adults. The guides are nice and let you "gold pan" after the tour. 100% worth checking out if you are in the area.

We spent a couple hours in the morning checking out the mine show and getting tour of the mine itself. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about not only the mine, but also the time period of the time and the history of the town.

Great tour. Lots of original tools on display. Stu the owner and tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable. Very unique off the beaten path place to visit. Worth the drive up from San Diego!

We picked this tour based on the TA reviews and i'm glad we did. There were 3 adults and 3 teens and we all really enjoyed the tour. I especially liked our guide's voice and manner - he seemed really friendly and approachable and not at all "hoaky". He clearly knew what he was talking about. The walking route is flat except for one up stairway and it is dimly lit and feels safe but also exciting. They have restrooms which you should use before you start the tour. It was so cold out that we did not enjoy the gold panning afterwards since the water was cold and our hands were freezing - I would suggest going during warmer weather if possible, but I heartily recommend the experience if you've never seen a gold mine before.

Following Duane through this hard rock mine, listening and learning about its history and the gold recovery process was so interesting. We learned a lot. And trying a bit of panning (even though "catch and release") added to the experience. We are very glad we did this.

We recently experienced a tour of the Eagle/High Peak Mine. Our guide, Beth, was so interesting and posessed a wealth of knowledge. Some amazing facts about how things were done in the past. This was one of the two highlights of our trip. Thanks Beth.

What a great place, history, education, great staff and excellent food. Would highly recommend it. 1/walk through an old gold mine, very cool history around the whole area.

My boyfriend and I (Late 20's/early 30's) thoroughly enjoyed this. We are San Diego Natives and we had a really good time learning about the mine and the history. The walk through was fun, however the ladder is a bitfrightening for me as I don't like any ladders, especially not in a dark tunnel. That aside, it was a great time. Our guide was great and we are planning on returning to take our Niece this weekend.

Tour guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Enjoyed the tour. Panning for gold was fun too. Price was right.

This was a really fun experience. I love that it is privately owned. You really get a feeling of what mining was like. Very unique experience.

Had a great time here. The owner was cool with us going in and paying on the way out. Kids enjoyed it. And your guide was funny and informative.

This was a great time. The wife and I were in Julian and decide to check this place out. It was a ton of fun and money well spent. Our guide was Paul, he was a hoot. We ended up spending some extra time with him at the end just laughing. Go see it. Also great on a hot day due to the natural "AC" in the mine.

Arrived early midweek & we were given a personal tour by Matthew for 10 dollars each. Got a lesson in how to pan for gold and then headed down the mine. Matthew’s knowledge of the history and the geology of the mines was seriously impressive, but he delivered it in fun and light hearted way. Loved our visit, thank you from Mick & Sue x

The tour was about an hour. Informative and fun. When we visited, it was raining heavily, but we could still go on the trail, and it was relatively dry insidethere

A very good tour with robert. Avoid family member who is a bit too long winded. Very enlightening to visit a real preserved mine. Authentic, not fake touristy. Real gold vein visible. Mountain drive also worth the visit.

We looked forward to touring the mine, arriving when it opened at 10 a.m. After more than an hour of yakking by the 'tour guide,' - and having paid my $10 admission fee already - we finally got to the mine shaft opening and we were the first group-! During that lengthy time, whenever a new person or couple happened along, the 'guide' backtracked his information and we all waited for him to repeat to them what we had already heard - that happened 5 times. The mine itself was interesting, but again.... it took 3 times longer than it should have with too many lengthy and often wearisome stories by the 'guide.' I found it to be the most homespun, time-intensive and boring tour ever-------we were there 2.5 hours! It should have taken 45 minutes. Never again. Oh yeah, it's strictly a cash operation with the $10 collected and tucked into the jeans of the 'guide' (no receipt), making me wonder if the IRS gets their cut. Never again to visit, nor would I ever recommend.

Our group of 7 visited this 4th of July weekend and I was beyond impressed with this little piece of San Diego history. In pristine condition given its over 135 years in existence, their pride in their piece of history glows throughout the tour. Our ages ranged from 6 to 77 and Everyone had a great time. It is right up the road off Main St. on C, we were not expecting C to come up so soon- its just a couple blocks from where the 79 hwy connects to Main St. They do have parking.
Our guide was humorous and shared so many fun facts, even our 6 year old was enthralled. He did mention they do a Haunted Halloween one on Oct 31st and average about 300 guests, decorate the mine up and hide ghouls along the way :0) Will definitely give that a try when the youngest is a bit older... I could tell they have a lot of fun with it.

We go to Julian almost every Memorial Day and I thought we had seen and done everything there. Luckily, I was mistaken. This is, without doubt, the best thing to do in town. Absolutely fascinating to see. Imagining how people in the 1800's could have dug such intricate tunnels and known how to extract gold. Just amazing. The guide was great. He sounded like the turtle from Finding Nemo, but used words like he had a PhD in geology. A great family experience!

Honestly, unless you're a history buff, geology student or rock hound, you're not going to remember most of the details of this Mine tour.

That said, mines aren't places we explore often. Walking in tunnels & underground shafts heightens one's imagination.

And, on a hot day outside, spending half an hour in temps 25-30 degrees cooler is a nice retreat.

The guide was enthusiastic & knowledgeable. He answered questions eagerly and did his best to simplify the miner's life.

It was a pleasant discovery.

very knowledgeable guides and they made it fun and informative. they kept the groups small so everyone could enjoy

For only $10 per person, you get an hour-long tour. After an initial history of the Julian area with respect to its roots back in 1870 and gold mining , you take a short walk to see a 5-stamp mill and are given an explanation as to how gold was recovered from the ore that came out of the mine. Following that you are shown how to pan Gold and then given the chance to try your hand at it..."catch and release". Lastly, the tour of first the Eagle Mine with great explanations of terms and procedures used in mining, followed by the tour continuing into the High Peak Mine.
Super, super time! People of all ages will enjoy this tour!

This is an absolute must do when visiting Julian. The tour was very informative and the guide was absolutely brilliant and very funny. Plenty of time to actually go in the mine and see old relics. Gold panning and actually getting gold was awesome ..... even if we couldn't keep it.

Lynn and I recently drove to Julian, CA to get out of the hustle bustle of the San Diego area. We Googled for things to do in Julian and the Eagle Mine popped up. We decided that we needed to do that. The road up to the mine was a little bit weird, but not quite 4 wheel drive. We met our guide, Paul who is also an owner of the mine. Paul's family has owned the mine for more than 50 years. All the time that Paul's family has owned the mine it has been used for tours. He gives a terrific tour which takes you deep into the mine. As a matter of fact at one point Paul shuts off the tungsten light and lights only a candle. This is a good, realistic mine tour. There are also some really old ('30s cars) outside of the mine. Paul demonstrates panning for gold, but this isn't hokey. You don't keep the planted gold that you find. When you leave, take the road down the hill.
If you go up the hill you will be on a tough 4 where drive road.

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.

There’s also lots of old cars around the property

We arrived on a hot day and the mine tour is a welcome cooling respite from the heat! Before your tour begins however you can chat to the owners and look at the interesting old memorabilia from the mine and the current owner's Grandfather - who bought and restored it. The tour is reasonably priced ($10 at time of writing) as they take their time with you - starting with a go at gold panning and showing you the rock crusher, before you explore the tunnels.
Not quite knowing what to expect we really surprised ourselves with how enjoyable and educational it was!
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Julian.

The four of us headed to Julian for some apple pie and gold mine exploring. Neither activity disappointed. Eagle and High Peak Mine was open for tours the day we arrived so we headed up to the mine. My wife and I watch the gold mining reality TV shows, so I thought I knew a lot about the industry – not so much. I learned quite a bit about hard rock gold mining after spending near an hour underground with a good tour guide. We also learned how to pan gold and I did pretty good. You'll love the constant cool temp of the mind on hot days.

Like previous reviews, don't be detered by junky road leading to mine. The mine was cool, both in temps on a hot day and legitimate history. You could see actual gold flakes in the quartz veins. Very trippy when tour guide turned off lights and then blew out candle in bowels of the mine. Total darkness. Takes about 40 minutes in the mine. Started with attempt to pan for gold, which is much harder than it looks. Good way to spend a couple hours in Julian. Robert good tour guide.

I stopped by to see if I could fit in a tour and was happily accommodated .The tour was a lot more interesting than I anticipated and the guide was able to answer questions. It was not dry and boring it gave insight into an era not so long ago. I would go back as I could learn more and the price was great.

While camping at William Heise Park this past weekend we decided to go to Eagle mine. There were four adults and an 11 and 12 year old. The tour was extremely interesting to all of us. Our guide explain things very well and answered all the questions. We had a great time exploring the area

My sister, niece, great niece and me decided to check out this place while visiting Julian. It sounded like an interesting attraction and did turn out to be a fun little adventure. It was rated as the number one activity in Julian on Trip Advisor as well. Arriving at the entrance to this place on a busy Saturday we weren't sure if we could find a place to park as we traveled down the narrow, one lane road. Luckily we didn't have any problem finding a spot. From the beginning, this rather quirky establishment kept us guessing. We entered the office/shop to buy a ticket. Cost of the mining tour is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. It was cash only and when I asked about a receipt, I was told there wasn't one. We were just supposed to go outside and wait to be called. I am not sure how they know who has paid, but several men seemed to be running this place and apparently were keeping an eye on everyone milling about inside and outside. We were soon gathered together and taken to see a stamp mill and told about the history of the mine and how the ore was crushed. We were then told to go over to the mine entrance as our tour would be starting. But then our tour guide seemed to disappear and we were left wondering what to do next as we hung around the entrance to the mine. Some of the group had drifted over to the gold panning area next door to the entrance. We waited for a short while and eventually another guide came to lead the group into the mine. This leader did a very good job explaining the mine throughout our visit and he even looked the part of an old time miner. I thought the group size was a little too big as the mine tunnels are narrow but it worked out okay. We were told that this family gold mine had several levels, I believe perhaps five? and it was interesting to see and learn about the life of the miner and how they extracted the ore. Our guide made the experience come to life for us as we walked through the different parts of the mine. At one point we had to climb up a ladder which was perhaps 10 feet if I was to guess. The leader went on ahead and after reaching the top continued down the tunnel talking to people and not watching to see that everyone made it up the ladder. Not a huge deal, but I was pretty surprised that nothing was said at the beginning of the tour that people would have to do this climbing. Not a tour for those with walking or mobility issues. Our tour came out of a difference entrance then we went in as we had climbed up a level and we then got to see where they crushed the ore and dumped the excess in a ravine. We then walked down a road and back to the main site where we started. We did not pan for gold although that was included in the ticket price. My niece did buy some flakes of "real gold" in a small bottle for her daughter in the shop. The price was supposed to be $10.00 but she was able to buy it for $5.00. There is a lot of gold flakes in that bottle for $5.00 and they don't look that real, but who knows. You will enjoy seeing the old rusted cars in front of the building and makes for some nice pictures. The place though is rather in disarray, unkempt looking with a variety of things laying around and it did not look like there was much effort to pick things up around the buildings and yard. This is an interesting operation. You pay cash only and don't get a ticket or receipt which led us to believe that perhaps they are not claiming all the people they are selling tickets to when paying their taxes to the government? Did not look like they were spending any money to keep the place up and the organization of the tours is rather haphazard. But this is what makes the place quirky and a bit of an adventure. Plus visiting here and taking the tour was definitely informative about how gold was mined in Julian. I would recommend this experience, you will get a kick out of it.

This is a great tour, and worth the time and money. I leaned a lot about gold mining that I had no clue about before. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and a lot of fun. Great for kids.

First off, the tour is super informative, staff are super friendly, and it really is a fun little activity to do in the area. It’s a legit historical mine as well and not just some tourist trap in an old building. Unfortunately, it’s pretty disorganized though. Tours seemed to start at random times and not everybody did everything in the same order so people were kind of coming and going. Once in the mine our particular tour group was quite big and the guide would start talking before the whole group had caught up and it was hard to hear at times, so they really would benefit from capping the group sizes. Also, for what it’s worth, the second part of the tour involves a really steep staircase (bordering on being a ladder), so it’s definitely not ADA accessible (they don’t claim it is, but they also don’t seem to very heavily emphasize the challenge of the second half of the tour in that sense). Overall, it’s still fun though, so I would recommend putting this on the short list of things to do in Julian.

To tell you the truth I didn't expect for our tour guide to be very informative and answering our group questions. From the beginning to the end I was capture by everything in this interesting place. I highly recommend it.

An enjoyable piece of history. Friendly staff, knowledgeable tour guide. Recommend! We loved it here and recommend.

This gold mine is a cute little attraction in the quaint town of Julian. It is off the main street but within walking distance from the main road. I went with my boyfriend and another couple (all in our late 20s) and we had an enjoyable time. The tour was 10 dollars per adult , cheaper for children and CASH ONLY. Being in the mine is kind of a cool experience (we had never been to an old mine before) but if you are claustrophobic you may not have as an enjoyable time as the tunnels are not super wide in some parts. Fair warning that the ceilings in the mine are usually quite low so tall people may have to crouch while walking in the tunnels. Our tour guide looked like an old prospector and was incredibly friendly and knowledgable about the history of mining in the area. At the end of the tour they have troughs with sand in them and they show you the technique to pan for gold, very fun. As adults we thought this was a cute thing to do while in Julian, if you have kids I would imagine it might be even more fun (unless they are afraid of smaller darker spaces).

My son loves the show Goldrush so we decided to try this tour out while in san diego from Minnesota on spring break and see if be could possibly even pan a bit of gold while there. Best part of our spring break!! The tour guide was awesome!! I felt like he really wanted us to be happy and really understand. I also felt like this was a great value for only $10 for adults and $5 for kids. They totallly were not out to rip you off. the other guide who was our guide's brother sat for over an hour and just chatted and chatted forever! After the tour we were taught to pan for gold and they had real gold in there even. My son was THRILLED!!!! All smiles..... They told to take our time and pan all we wanted. Geez they were awesome!!!!!! Thanks from Minnesota!!! Would go back for sure!!!

Experienced going back in time!
We had a most enjoyable time visiting the mine, what an experience. I now know what the poor miners endured.

We went at 10am on a random weekday and though we had to wait a bit for them to be ready this was well worth it. The tour takes almost 2 hours and includes gold panning and a long mine tour. Lots of info. Not stroller or handicapped friendly and they only take cash. You can bring your dog but there is a steep staircase in the mine you have to get him up.

This was a fun little tour full of information just a couple blocks away from Main Street. We ended up on this gold mine tour because the train tour we had intended on taking was not operating on Sundays. The guide was very good. He was entertaining and knew a lot of history that was interesting. It was a good tour for all ages.

Our family (including a senior as well as a 5 and 7 year old) visited Eagle Mine near closing time and the owner and tour guide accommodated our family of five with an interesting tour of the old mine. Our guide, Matt, was very informative and friendly. He explained how gold was discovered in a nearby creek and prompted the mining of the Eagle and High Peak Mine. There are several pieces of original equipment, picks, axes, hats, etc.on display throughout the tour. Definitely a worthy experience!

The tour guides were great with lots of jokes and historical facts. The place is decorated with a lot of historical equipment and is great for taking pictures and you even get to "pan" for Gold. Lots of fun and great for families.

I enjoyed this tour, the guide gave excellent commentary and a very real glimpse into the gold mining past of the area. Well worth the time and a good value.

The mine is located about a mile up the mountain from downtown Julian. There is ample parking on site.

Our guide Mike, a former miner with a fascinating life story, was very engaging and full of great stories. The tour began outside with an explanation of the machines used to crush the rock after it was extracted from the mine. This was followed by a panning for gold activity, (primarily for kids, but fun for all) that provided a hands-on experience of what it was like to pan for gold in a stream (in this case, the stream was a long box of water with sand, gravel and gold flakes).

The highlight of the visit, a guided tour through many different levels and areas of the mine came next. The mine began operations in the 1870s and the tunnels were restored and improved for safety purposes in the 1970s. The highly informative tour takes you back to 1870 and provides a real sense of what it was like to work the mines all those years ago. You get a great sense for life as a miner and life as a mining supervisor, complete with the good (it could be lucrative) and the bad (it was very dangerous and most careers were not long). A visit to the mine is appropriate and interesting for adults and children alike and was one of the highlights of our trip to Julian. There are some low ceilings and one short, steep ladder to navigate but otherwise it was all very easy.

This place is amazing, I really expected to be the tour boring and, well, more of a walk around the place, looking at the tunnels and just reading some little old boards about people I'd never heard of. But instead, the guys at the ticket office introduced us a really cool guide, who knows a lot about the place and really enjoys what he shows and talks about. Totally loved him!
The price beats it all too- adults 10$, kids-5$. We were visiting with a two year old, no one really cared about his presence and he loved the tour too. The mine opens at 10 ( works on Sundays too).
Apart from the mine itself (and a little museum/gift shop), you can see a collection of one of the first Fords, and a vintage carousel, brought from Santa Barbara.
Personally, I really liked the place, it's a hidden gem! There are not so many parking spaces available though, so I'd come slightly earlier than 10 am.

My husband, daughter and I loved it. Our tour guide was fabulous and so knowledgeable. This gold mine is a must visit when you are in Julian...

It was fun to walk in the old mine and see where & how men worked for little pay after the turn of the century. We also had a lesson on how to pan for gold. This would be a great place to take kids too. We were there on Halloween. In the late afternoon they do a special scary tour with decorations and actors jumping out. We were on the last "educational tour" of the day...but late enough that we saw all the skeleton decorations inside the mine. We were lucky to experience that. Staff was informative and friendly.

had a fabulous time with Craig on this amazing informative tour inside a real gold mine.
Panned for gold ( found some) catch and release!!
Awesome and reasonable gift shop.
My grandkids loved it.

We got to take a tour of this amazing place AND got to pan for our own gold! Both the Paul's are quite knowledgable and personable. Would highly recommend this place! Thank you.

Bring your best shoes to walk! It's a great experience to get to know how the mines are and how deep the mine workers had to dig for the minerals. It's dark, some times scary for me but very exciting experience. Make sure you can go up and down in small places. You will love this experience. Also, the person guiding the group of people, he does a great job in explaining in detail and also in making it a fun experience.

This was a much better experience than I expected as we drove onto the Eagle Mine's grounds. The facility looks a little run down at first glance. From there it was great. We panned for gold, walked through the entire process of digging gold out of the mine and were entertained with stories of the mine and Julian gold industry. The guides were real local people with a vast knowledge on gold mining and Julian We were kept interested by the stories of the families, miners, history and gold mining operations. This is a must see.

Beth was a great tour guide. Lots of history, lots to see and do. We had a great time and would come back.

We had been through other mines in different parts of the country. This one is really something special! Craig, the tour guide and owner, is very passionate about the mine and loves to impart his knowledge. He keeps the tour to an hour to respect people's time. Through the efforts of his family this piece of California mining history has been preserved. Well worth the trip!!!

Our tour guide was Matt. He was fantastic. Not only did we learn the history of the area, but we also learned about various gems, geology, earth's movement, philosophical ideas, comical antidotes and health tips. It was a Monday morning, so only 4 of us were on the tour and all of our many questions were answered. We also got to pan for gold, although it was "catch and release".

Gotta say, when we first pulled up after the dirty roads and hand written signs
We were a little freaked out.
BUT they were so welcoming when we stepped out of the car with terrified looks on our faces that we went on with the tour.
And I'm so happy we did. Everyone was soo friendly. The mine was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced and it was so informational.
I was I could remember our tour guides name because we was so nice and friendly. If your debating about going or not. Just go, there's plenty to do in the town :)

Due to the electric company doing work in the area the power was off and the mine was dark except for everyone with a flashlight. That's better than the candles the real miners used. Still got to see the whole mine with interested narrative by the guide who is a local. The property also has some old cars rusting and a restored model T flatbed in the garage. Lots of artifacts and old photos to look at.

This 80 minute tour of the Eagle Gold mine, its history, length of service, further development, and impressive safety record (for its time), makes this walk though the mine well worth the time and price. We had no idea how a person got the mining permit after it was determined there would be gold in them there hills. In Julian? Go!

Got back from the tour a few minutes ago. I wish I knew ahead of time that the admission was actually $15 per person and not $10. It was not worth $15.

What a great experience! Matt was an excellent tour guide as we walked deep under ground in the mine. He had a great way with kids and funny jokes for the adults that made the experience very entertaining. Not only was Matt funny, but he clearly is a very educated man with a vast knowledge of geology and history.

Would recommend this tour to any age group, but would not recommend bringing young babies due to the low ceilings and ladder that you have to navigate. Even a baby in a hiking carrier would be too unsafe.

Very informative and friendly tour guides. Cool to walk deep in to the mine to understand the gold extraction process. Highly recommend.

We arrived in San Diego way too early to check in, so rented a car and drove to Julian! Once again, Trip Advisor does not disappoint. This tour was awesome! Unique, informative, and super interesting. Our guide John was so knowledgeable. We learned so much, and it’s pretty darn cool to get to walk through the tunnels of a gold mine where there is still gold to be seen in the rock walls! Reasonably priced and not difficult to navigate the tunnels at all. Worth every penny.

Panning, touring the mine, stories of century-old and first-hand experiences, sepia photo ops with old machinery and cars, what a blast! The gold mine equivalent of "a gem" or a "diamond in the rough", this was an exciting adventure *and* local museum kind of experience that our three-generation family loved. We each enjoyed it our own way...it wouldn't be nearly as unique or fun if they knocked the dust off, polished it up, and pushed the explorers through turnstiles, so I'm glad we visited before that happens. Either way, we will be back to Julian for more fun. And pie.

Gold fever! Our family’s third trip to this mine was a blast. Come to think of it, a real blast would have made it even more exciting if we could process some ore from a quartz vein through the enormous 5-stamp mill and into the wash pans. Rather, the hard work of mining (panning) was purely optional.

Kids loved every part—the cool “air conditioned” multilevel adventure through the mine with the fun surprises inside, the panning, the gift shop. There is a lot more potential here, too, to show off and immerse visitors in its working-mine authenticity and ghost town ambiance.

Visiting Julian on the 4th of July was easily manageable. The patriotic parade and 4-ship airplane flyover added to the fun. We picnicked at the site and enjoyed the relic equipment and cars…the mine owner barbecued(!) and powered us up for more panning. We left behind the MANY bits of gold dust that we panned out, and as always, brought home new knowledge, new skills, and our share of Julian’s other gold mine—fantastic apple pies.

The entire experience was made by Matt, our hilarious and entertaining tour guide. These guys know their stuff. The mine tour was awesome - hillbilly displays abound and there are ancient equipment and vehicles strewn about the property. Surprisingly informative and you even get to mine for real gold (catch and release only, please)! Best $10 you will spend in the area, and don't forget to tip your host.

Really fun tour of a gold mine in the Wild West. The tour guide was a grandson of one of the investment miners and told many stories of he and his brother exploring the mine which were very humorous. The tour was very educational and interesting. We actually experienced total darkness in the mine. This is obviously not for the claustrophobic but there is ample room to move through the mine with some head ducking. You really get an understanding of how difficult it was to mine an ounce of gold. Well worth the price.

Jerry was wonderful tour guide! We panned for gold, heard history of the mines and mining, such a great time and learned so much. Good place to take anyone, so much history and mines are in great shape.

Stu was a great tour guide! Very knowledgeable and great with all ages. The tour of the mine was fun and interesting, and the experience of panning for gold was both informative and unique. For the price of the tour it was a bargain. Highly recommended!!!

We visited this gold mine with a group of other tour guides from the San Diego Tour Guide Association. We have many visitors to San Diego on our tours asking us for recommendations on what to do in San Diego. After spending a day sightseeing in Julian, we can now absolutely add this destination to our list of things to do while visiting this mountain community. It is authentic and educational. This was more than a history lesson, it was an experience. You will see firsthand the realities of what early miners endured during this historic period of American history. It was an hour walk in the mine and then there are activities outside the mine. This is not a recreation of something like a movie set. This was the real deal.

Jerry provided a walk back to rock mining in 1870. He explained the machinery and process of extracting a small amount of gold from tons of rock. You can try your hand at panning for real gold, but you can not keep it. The visit' s highlight is a rugged walk through the mine. Wear good shoes for comfort. Tall people walk with head before five feet. A great experience of the hard way to make a living in the 19th c. Children will love it

This mine is well worth a visit for able bodied people who are wearing closed toed shoes, without high heels.

This is a mine. It has rails that you must pay attention to to avoid tripping, there are low spots in the mine and spots that have close walls. There is a ladder with 17 steps that you must climb. (You only go up it, not back down.) To get to the stamp mill is a rock and concrete stairway.

This is the best tour I’ve ever taken. If you are a person with mine envy, this is a great one to visit. It has mostly level ground, no bats. The tour guides are excellent. They explain how life was as a miner, they show you the stamp mills, they show you how to gold pan. (Gold pan is catch and release, you can’t take it home.)

This is a great experience. $10 cash only. The ramshackle nature of the operation is part of its charm. Tours are hourly and last about an hour, easy walking, but the museums of memorabilia are great fun to delve into too. If coming to Julian from Lake Cuyamacha direction, take the first right as you come into town and keep going up an unpromising road uphill, for <5 mins.

Taught us about hard rock gold mining, taught us to pan for gold, explained the gold mining business in Julian. This was an experience that none of us ever had before.

I was in San Diego visiting family and we decided to head to Wynola/Julian for the day. This is a great tour for old and young alike (fun & informative)! The tour guides are fountains of information (we met 3 different ones and all could not have been more personable or informative) As noted in other reviews, this is not a 'sleek and polished' attraction so don't go expecting Disneyland. Just roll with it and let your kids explore a little and learn what the past was like. We were a party of 6, with a 2 year who loved it as did the adults.

Cost: $10 for adults and $5 for children.

When you arrive in the parking lot you see all these old classic cars rusting away which totally added to the character and charm of the place and made you feel as if you were stepping back in time. The mine itself is very authentic with period candle lamps, chisels, etc... It lasts about an hour and is informative and fun, but perhaps also noteworthy is to remember that mines are essentially caves...the tour is in the mine is very pleasantly cool for the duration of the tour (@56 degrees) and a welcome respite from the SoCal heat during the day!! Wear comfortable shoes, as you are walking in an actual gold mine, which is dimly lit, on dirt and sidestepping the mine rail track, etc... You have to duck in places and climb one ladder.

The tour is family friendly.
They do have restrooms on the premises.
This is not a ride, girls. It's a walking tour, with narrow stairs and lots of dust.

While the 'gift shop' selection is nothing special, it is interesting.

I definitely recommend a visit if you are heading to Julian, its quite close to the center of town, so stop by.

The guide knew stuff and was well versed in the history and geology of the mine and very entertaining but in a closed mine his BO was overwhelming.

Didn't know what to expect on a mining tour, and I left very impressed. Learned a ton about geology, mining, and the history of Julian. Both the grounds and inside the mine are fascinating. Had a fantastic tour guide named Matthew who was both knowledgeable and funny. The entrance fee of $10 is a true bargain these days. The inside of the mine can get chilly (around 58 degrees) so bring a light jacket. Need good walking shoes too. Fun for every age. Went mid-week and had a small group of 8 which I'm sure made the experience much more enjoyable. I could see that if you went on a busy weekend with a large group, it might not be as fun.

This was a fun experience and it was blessedly cool inside the mine. There is a rather steep staircase (more like a ladder) so some people may not be able to navigate that. The guide was knowledgable and informative.

And not just because it is a gold mine! You can pan for gold here. It is a challenge! Over 1000 feet of tunnels. There are steps in the tunnel. Tunnels provide their own - very welcome - air conditioning, very cool! You can actually see a gold vein in the tunnels. The tour lasts about 40 minutes, costs $10 per adult and the place is at the end of C street. Open from 10-5. Enjoy!

The tour of the mine was very interesting and guides are very knowledgable. We found the tour perfect length for both adults and children to find out loads of facts and interesting stories but not too long and still fun for little once as well.
Gold panning was great fun as well and the setting is great as well. Makes sure to bring cash to pay.

Owners are very friendly and have loads of interesting local knowledge if looking to do some other stuff around Julian.

Gone to Julian many times, but first time for this tour. It is fascinating. A real part of the local history. Good deal at ten dollars.

This was the best spent $10 I've ever used. Our tour guide Matthew was amazing and funny. As a Geology graduate and former geologist, I was amazed how Matthew was able to explain the Geology of the mine in layman's terms that was interesting and informative.

I truly enjoyed the visit. The tour takes about 45 minutes and they are definitely worth it. The guide was truly fun to hear: he had tons of stories about the mine and the towns in the area. We walked after lunch to the mine (just a few blocks uphill). It was hot and the mine inside is nice and cool. There are lots of corridors but it seems that only two are open. Entrance is USD 10 for adults (cash only). Definitely, worth the visit if you are in Julian.

Very interesting and fun for all age,place very suggestive and a person And the adventurous person was very much prepared and entertaining. I recommend it to everybody.

We really enjoyed our day in Julian! Our main activity for the day was the Eagle and High Peak mine and tour. It did not disappoint! While there was a steady flow of people, we never felt rushed or crowded. Beautiful day, fun and informative tour with super nice personnel. We really enjoyed panning for gold and talking before and after with John and Paul. Be sure to check out their gift shop as they have something for everyone!

A nice visit back in time. Our tour guide Duane was the best. He knew so much history of the mine. We really enjoyed it!

A must see when you are in Julian. Very authentic and not a "cheesy" tour. Paul, our guide was great. He was very informative and easy going. Lots of good information in the perfect amount of time (1 hour). Just a short hike up from Downtown.

Awesome tour! Craig our tour guy showed a lot of passion & love for this family owned mine. Hour & 1/2 visit for $10 pp in cash. Well worth the visit! Our tour lasted close to two hours instead of 1 1/2 hour as said.