Broken Boot Gold Mine Tour near Deadwood

The Black Hills gold rush started in 1874. Two years later, thousands flocked to Deadwood, South Dakota, to search for gold. The Broken Boot Gold Mine was opened in 1878, functioned as a mine until 1918, and today tourists can take a gold mine tour to see it for themselves.

Our tour guide was wonderful and informative. He kept kids, teens and adults interested in the history of the mine. The Broken Boot Gold Mine was a favorite stop of ours during out family vacation to Mount Rushmore.

Tickets, Getting There and Parking

It’s best to purchase your tickets in advance of your visit. While you can purchase them at the Broken Boot Gold Mine building, it’s possible the tours are already sold out for the day. Purchase your tickets online and select your date and desired tour time.

From the city of Deadwood, head south along Highway 14. You’ll see the Broken Boot Gold Mine on the north side of the road, roughly one mile from town. Parking is free, so find a spot and make your way to the entrance.

Be sure to arrive 15 minutes before your start time. That will allow you adequate time to check in at the admission area, grab a blue hard hat and wait at the mine entrance for your tour guide to arrive. DO NOT enter the mine before your tour guide arrives.

Touring the Broken Boot Gold Mine

We had the best tour guide during our visit. He knew what he was talking and about pointed out things in the rocks to teach us about the mine and its history.

While going through the Broken Boot Gold Mine, our guide said the rocks on the floor were fair game. He even gave the kids a little baggie so they could collect rocks if they wanted. Further into the mine, our guide helped us collect a green mineral that grew in the mine. Each kid was able to take home a small sample of it.

During the tour, we learned about what a miner’s day was like: when it started, what they did all day, and what conditions were like. The temperature was perfect inside the cave – considering it was 95+ degrees outside. Even in the winter, the cave remained a comfortable temperature. If you get cold easily, bring a small jacket.

RELATED POST: Tour the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia

At one point during the gold mine tour, the guide will show you what the mine looks like when it’s only illuminated with a single candle. After that, you get to see how dark it really gets when there is no light at all. We couldn’t even see our hands in front of our faces. It was cool, but made me glad I wasn’t a miner.

When the tour concludes, you can drop your hard hat into the bucket and head on your way. Unless you want to learn how to pan for gold – they have that activity available just east of the mine entrance.

Take a Gold Mine Tour by Candlelight

While we didn’t get the opportunity to take the candlelight tour of the Broken Boot Gold Mine, I think it’s something that would be fun to do. Rather than having all the lights on, each participant carries a candlelit lantern on the tour. The content is the same, but you see things from a non-electric viewpoint.

The candlelight tour is available daily at 5:30 p.m. However, every participant must be 12 years of age or older. I think young kids and burning flames may be a bad combination – thus the limitation.

The Details

Address: 1200 Pioneer Way, Deadwood, South Dakota

Parking: Free parking is available near the entrance and ticket office of the Broken Boot Gold Mine.

Cost: Adults (age 18-59) are $8. Students, children (ages 6-17) are $6. Military (w/ID) and AAA members are $7. Children 5 and under are free. Candlelight tour (only available at 5:30 p.m.) is $10 per person. Gold panning lessons are $10 per person.

Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 1 through Labor Day. The last regular tour of the day is at 5 p.m., with a candlelight tour at 5:30. You must be 12 or older for the candlelight tour. 

Website: https://brokenbootgoldmine.com/index.html

Phone: (605) 578-9997

Disclosure: I received discounted admission to the Broken Boot Gold Mine for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

PIN THIS