Argo Gold Mine & Mill

"Gold Mining History"

Our family has a fascination with gold, its history, its value, its beauty… all of the above make us seek this precious metal.  Therefore, when we see a gold mine with a huge sign stating “gold mine tours”, we have to stop.

Argo Mine, located in beautiful Idaho Springs, Colorado is rich in history.  My family learned that 80% of the gold in this hard rock mine still remains.  However, due to flooding within the mine and chemicals that miners used, gold cannot currently be mined from this site – even in this hot gold market!  

My family purchased a mine tour ($15/adult, $8/child) which included history, self-guided tour and a bag of ore to pan.  We began our tour with a quick 10 minute film which explained the history of the Argo mine. The history was interesting for Mom and Dad, but a little confusing for the kids.  Luckily our kids ages 10, 7 and 2 year sat quietly through the film, ready for the tour.  

We were then bused a few switchbacks up a steep dirt road and let out to explore on our own.  First we explored the Double Eagle mine, a short walk allowing us to experience the inside of a hard rock mine.  The kids liked this part of the tour, picking out and wearing their own hard hats and discovering quartz laden mother lodes along the way.  We then walked a short distance to the Argo Mill where the gold ore was processed.  Starting from the top, we witnessed the original areas and some of the machines that the miners used a hundred years ago to process the ore.  Mom and Dad loved this history, again kids were confused.  We had to walk down several steep stairways to each level of the mine which was a little scary for our toddler.  

Once we reached the bottom level of the Argo Mill, we were once again at the main entrance, the place we started from.  We were then instructed on gold panning techniques and allowed to pan on our own.  The kids loved this part of the tour and we walked away from the Argo Mine tour with a few placer gold pieces.  Families can forgo the mine tour and just purchase ore sample bags to pan on their own.  However, if you are interested in history and have an hour to spare, I would recommend taking the self-guided tour.  Note that the history may be obscure for little ones, but they should enjoy walking into the hard rock mine and gold panning.