This is one of our favorite places to take out of town guests! The 1890s town has been reconstructed and is free to enter and walk around.

The old buildings and old western town feel are so fun and we can easily spend a couple of hours here. Each of the buildings are individual merchants including restaurants, souvenirs, antique photography, a shooting gallery, and lots more.

One of the things my kids enjoy every time we go is gem sluicing. You buy a bag of dirt (we buy the least expensive one which is about $10) that has gems hidden in it. The kids poor the dirt into the screen and rinse it in the water until the dirt is washed away and the gems appear. The bag comes with a picture guide so you can figure out what gems you have. The adults end up loving this too.

Another activity we love is the mine tour (adults $12, kids $8, 4 & under free). The guides we’ve had are all super knowledgeable and entertaining. It lasts about 30 minutes and includes stairs. My little ones were a little nervous at first but ended up enjoying it.

If you’re there on a weekend between November and April, be sure to watch the gun show! It’s silly and entertaining and worth watching. The fake gunshots are loud though and my three year old was not a fan. People start gathering for a spot in the shade about ten minutes before the show which is performed every hour between noon and 4pm.

There’s also a zipline and narrow gauge railroad that we still need to check out.

Here’s the website for hours and more information.