Broken Boot Gold Mine
4.5(816)google
4.6(27)yelp
History
Overview
The Broken Boot Gold Mine offers visitors a fascinating, authentic look into the dark and damp realities of historic underground mining within Deadwood. Established in 1878, this real century-old gold mine guides travelers through cold candle-lit stone shafts where early miners blasted through solid rock in search of wealth. Experienced guides demonstrate early mining techniques, explain the dangers of the job, and conclude the tour by teaching visitors how to successfully pan for real gold flakes.
Practical Info
Mon8:00 AM – 6:00PM
Tue8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wed8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thu8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Fri8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sat8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sun8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Suggested Duration1-1.5 hours
Best TimeOpen seasonally from mid-May through mid-September annually, this 1878 legacy gold mine is a subterranean treasure. Planning a hot summer visit at 10:30 AM is highly advised; escape the overhead surface heat by plunging straight into the cool stone tunnels held at a constant 43°F year-round. Don an authentic miner's hardhat to trace the real timber beams and gold quartz veins under historic candle-lit conditions.
Getting TherePerfectly nestled at 1200 Main Street at the western terminus of the Deadwood gulch. Driving is simple: route straight along major scenic corridor US-85/Main Street westward; the historic wooden gallows hoist rises right on the valley shoulder, complete with a free public gravel customer lot. Excellent mass transit is provided by the Deadwood Trolley, which operates its westernmost loop stop right at the mine steps.
Travel Tips
- This operational 1878 subterranean gold drift features unrefined granite headings that contract below 5.5 feet of vertical relief. The industrial safety helmet provided at the portal must remain latched to your head continuously to mitigate skull compression traps.
- The mine interior experiences a permanent thermal ceiling of 52°F (11°C) with persistent high-iron groundwater seepage across standard footways. Traction footwear featuring aggressive lug patterns is mandatory to counter single-track rail slips.
- The outdoor alluvial panning interactive uses a highly constrained continuous flow water table that self-limits to 15 parallel operators. Peak summer walk-ups faces 40+ minute structural delays to secure a position on the panning line.
Reviews
Positive
- An authentic century-old underground gold mine trek! Donning hard hats behind witty guides to trace real quartz gold veins from 1878 makes it highly fun.
- The gold panning here is wonderfully down-to-earth; instructors patiently teach the pan-swirl motion, and you genuinely get to take home tiny pyrite flakes.
- Admission is remarkably budget-friendly (under $12 for adults); tour dispatch is highly orderly, ensuring rigid safety while passing down great mining lore.
- Superbly accessible, sitting right alongside the main historical highway into Deadwood with excellent signage and free parking, a premier pick for a quick 1-hour tour.
Heads up
- Preserving the raw 19th-century nature means ADA access is impossible; the subterranean paths are muddy, slick, and feature low clearance, banning wheelchairs.
- The subterranean walking loop is quite short, wrapping up in about 25-30 minutes; visitors expecting giant excavation machinery might feel it's too brief.
- The cavern stays chilly at around 50°F year-round with regular ceiling drips; if you skip bringing a sweater during mid-summer, you will shiver the whole time.
- Given its fame, the compact rustic lobby and panning troughs get swarmed on summer mornings; if rows of tour buses arrive, waiting for the next slot takes a while.