 | Historic Site (706) 864-2257
Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site is now open daily.
Selected as a "Readers Choice" site in Georgia Magazine, October 2009.
Twenty years before the famed 1849 gold rush in California, thousands of prospectors flocked into the Cherokee Nation in north Georgia, marking the true beginning of our country's first gold rush. Their dramatic story is told inside the historic 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse, the oldest courthouse in Georgia.
Dahlonega prospered with this mining activity, and a U.S. Branch Mint opened in 1838, coining more than $6 million in gold before closing in 1861. The museum's exhibits include a set of these coins, a nugget weighing more than five ounces, a large hydraulic cannon and nozzle used to blast soil from mountainsides, a film and gift shop.
Visitors can also explore the courthouse features, including beautiful wooden chapel seats from 1889 and the judge's chambers. The town of Dahlonega is a popular destination for gold panning, shopping and sightseeing.
NOTICE: Some exhibits are on the second floor and are not wheelchair accessible. Guidelines from the National Register of Historic Places prevent the addition of an elevator to this building.
| | | According to an interview conducted by the Atlanta Constitution in 1894, Benjamin Parks first discovered gold in the Lumpkin County area while deer hunting in 1828.The courthouse building was built using locally made brick which includes trace amounts of gold. The building served as the seat of Lumpkin county government from 1836 to 1965. it is the oldest existing courthouse in Georgia of 132 historic courthouses.
The building was restored by the state of Georgia as a State Historic Site and adapted for use as the Gold Museum and is one of the most visited Historic Sites in the state.The Dahlonega Courthouse Gold Museum offers visitors a look at the mining history of Georgia. A 23-minute film describes the mining techniques and lifestyles of the prospectors through interviews with members of long time mining families of the area.
Gold Coins
The Three Dollar Gold was minted only in the year of its introduction in 1854. A total of 1,380,757 gold coins including the Half Eagle(1,109,258), Quarter Eagle(197,850), the Gold Dollar(72,529) and the Three Dollar Gold(1120) were minted at the Dahlonega Branch Mint from 1838 to 1861. A complete set of 59 coins on loan from North Georgia College & State University is on display at the museum. Location and Hours The museum is located in the center of the square in Dahlonega. The hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. and on Sundays 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.. The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. A small admission fee is required. For More Information Dahlonega Courthouse Gold Museum
State Historic Site
Public Square
Dahlonega, Georgia 30533
(706) 864-2257 |
 | The Crisson Gold Mine dating back to 1847 is open for tours and gold panning. Located 2 1/2 miles north of town on US Highway 19 Connector. This operating 10-stamp mill is demonstrated as part of the Crisson Gold Mine Tour. Pan for gold or try you luck at gem grubbin, where you can find rubies, emeralds, garnets, and more! Great fun for the kids, you and old. Open every day except Christmas. For more information call 706 864-6363. Crisson Gold Mine is an actual open pit gold mine that was established in 1847 and was worked commercially until the early 1980s. We've been open to the public since 1969 and we are the oldest gold mining establishment in North Georgia.
At Crisson Gold Mine, there is a 125-year-old stamp mill that is still used to crush quartz rock which contains gold. This crushed rock is called ore. In addition to the stamp mill, we have rod mills and jaw crushers that we occasionally use. All of these antique gold mining machines along with our open pit mine can be seen when you visit our gold mine. See the Crisson Gold Mine Web Site
| 
The Consolidated Gold Mines and gold processing mill, built in the early 1900's, was the largest gold mining operation east of the Mississippi River. Most of the mill buildings are gone but the tunnels deep below in gold bearing rock still remain. Tours are conducted daily. Your tour guides are actual miners who are open to questions during your tour of underground mine tunnels. The Consolidated Gold Mines are located about one-half mile from the Dahlonega Square. Call them for information at 706-864-8473. Visit the Consolidated Gold Mines Web Site | When you visit, you will be taken on an underground tour of the gold mine by our friendly, knowledgeable staff. Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega was the site of America’s first gold rush. After the tour you will do some gold panning, and gem grubbing. Your gold mine tour guides are friendly and can answer any questions you have about hard rock mining and the excavation period in which approximately 4,000 tons of dirt, debris and ore were removed from the tunnel system. The guides are open to questions and welcome interaction during the 40-45 minute tour. The mines remain at a comfortable 60 degrees year round. A GREAT gold mine adventure!
| Experience Gold Fever in Dahlonega! The Gold Fever Package offers discounted tickets to local gold attractions where you can learn about the history of the Dahlonega Gold Rush, explore an underground gold mine, and try your hand at panning for gold yourself! Purchase a Gold Fever Package and Enjoy One Admission to Each: Subject to change without notice. | | |
Gold was first discovered in the Dahlonega area in 1828, twenty years before the Gold Rush to California. When it was discovered it was completely by accident...
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment