Julian Mining Company

Activity Overview

The Julian Mining Company is a family-friendly attraction near Julian, California, just over an hour's drive northeast from San Diego. Each weekend, visitors can take part in exciting activities like gold panning, candle-dipping, and gem mining.

There's plenty more to do at the Julian Mining Company - depending on the season, you might be able to pick your own fresh produce like raspberries or pumpkins or meet the animals in the petting zoo. They also provides a variety of tours and field trips that are designed for different age groups so that you can find the perfect activity for your child.

Things to Do

• Try your hand at gold panning! The friendly folks at Julian Mining Company will teach you how to pan for gold, and then you'll get the chance to do it yourself at the wooden trough. If the gold is too hard to extract, you can always purchase a concentrate pan which is guaranteed to hold some pieces of gold and will give your family the thrill of finding the small nuggets.
• Young children will love gem mining - a purchased gem bag or bucket is placed into mining screens and dipped into the water, and once your kids shake it, beautiful gems will be revealed!
• Pick some fresh produce to use in your next family meal - you can pick pumpkins in the fall and raspberries in the spring. Learn more here.

Julian Mining Company Insider Tips

• Join one of the six exciting tours and field trips they offer. The Gold Rush tour allows you and your kids to live a day in the life of a Californian gold miner. Activities include building a log cabin, square dancing, writing a letter home using a quill and ink, making butter, and gold panning, of course!
• If your child loves history, consider having a history-themed birthday party for them next year. The three party packages include activities like making clay pinch-pots, archery, throwing tomahawks, making apple cider, candle-making, and petting goats.
• To extend your experience, consider spending a night in a cabin with the Julian Mining Company. Their furnished one-bedroom cabin comes complete with a queen bed, shower, kitchen, wood-burning stove, and jacuzzi with a beautiful mountain view.