Located in Dahlonega, Georgia, the Crisson Gold Mine preserves a historic 19th-century gold mining facility, operated today as a tourist attraction offering pan mining experiences, wagon rides, and other family-friendly activities. Like many nearby former mine facilities, the Crisson Mine was opened for operations as a placer mine in 1847, during the Georgia Gold Rush of the mid-19th century.

History

Mining operations at the facility began as a tunnel mining operation utilizing hydraulic mining technologies, but following the exhaustion of original placer deposits, the mine’s tunnels were dug out into an open pit mining facility. The facility is most noted as the source of most of the gold used for the Georgia State Capitol building’s signature gold leaf dome. During the late 19th century, a stamp mill was installed at the facility for the purposes of crushing gold-bearing quartz, which is still in operation today for demonstrations and customer mining. In 1969, the Crisson family opened the mine to the public as a tourist attraction, offering pan mining experiences and other family-friendly activities.

Attractions

Though the Crisson Mine was closed for industrial mining operations in 1982, the mine remains open today as a tourist attraction, continuing to mine gold from its quartz deposits for visitor activities. As the oldest gold mining establishment still in operation in the northern Georgia region, the property is located near the Consolidated and Calhoun Mine facilities and is home to 22 gold-bearing veins of quartz within its open pit mining area, with some veins producing up to a quarter-ounce of gold for every ton of rock mined. Gold mined from the mine and the surrounding Dahlonega region is among the purest gold in the world, graded at over 23 karats.

Though the mine itself is still in operation for mining for visitor activities, the veins and pit of the Crisson Mine are not open to the public for exploration for visitor safety. Ore for visitor operations is mined using a 130-year-old Stamp Mill, which is displayed as a visitor exhibit. The mill, which crushes quartz rock to extract gold deposits, is the only operating stamp mill within the state of Georgia and one of only two remaining machines of its kind in the American Southeast. 10 stamps weighing more than 450 pounds apiece are used as part of the machine’s operation, which uses a chain-driven electric motor and a momentum-based flywheel and cam system to crush ore. Other mining equipment on display at the facility includes an antique rod mill, shaker tables, and jaw crushers.

Self-guided tours of the facility’s stamp mill and other mining equipment are offered with basic visitor admission, along with the opportunity to complete a pan or gold mining activity. Expert instructors are on site at all times to assist visitors with mining for gold or gemstones at the mine’s dedicated pan sifting facilities. Basic visitor admission includes one pan of gold dirt and a two-gallon bucket of gemstones for sifting, along with a gemstone chart for identifying gem finds. Additional ore for pan mining may be purchased by the pan, bucket, wheelbarrow, or tractor scoop. Use of highbankers, trommels, and rock crushers is also offered for advanced miners, and rates are available for guaranteed gold nugget buckets. For gemstone mining, larger sizes of concentrated buckets are offered, with some packages offering free cuts of any gemstones found within buckets. Professional gemstone cutters are available on site to cut any gemstones found in buckets into jewelry set in pendants, earrings, and rings for an additional fee. A mining store is also available on site and on the mine’s website, offering dredges, gold concentrates and separators, and metal detectors.

In addition to gold and gemstone mining activities, wagon rides are offered at the facility for a nominal fee per family or small group. Rides pass through wooded areas with farm animals and open pit and tunnel mining areas, with ride tour guides offering information about the facility’s operation and equipment. Picnic areas are provided for visitors to bring their own lunches or buy food options on site.

The Crisson Mine is open for visitor operations seven days a week, with the exception of major national holidays. Group rates are available for small groups and organizations with 20 members or more, including elementary and secondary school groups, scouting troops, and senior and community groups. Several tour attraction packages are offered, with options for gold panning, gemstone mining, and wagon ride activities. Birthday parties may also be hosted at the facility, using picnic areas for party activities with advance arrangement.

2736 Morrison Moore Pkwy E, Dahlonega, GA 30533, Phone: 706-864-6363

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