Villa Rica was the sight of a gold rush in the 1840s. In fact the name Villa Rica, means city of Gold. The museum has a decent amount of displays about the gold mining history of the area, and some nature trails where you can see remnants of the mining activity. Kids can pan for gold, although we did not... More

Nice film on the history of the area and the gold mining. Make sure to get a map when you pay your $5. It's another 5 to pan. Bring water and a little snack for the 2 miles of trails, don't forget the map. We went there during spring break. There was a large group panning, but we had the... More

There was a self guided tour of the mines, a film and museum. It was nice to get away from the crowds of Atlanta and learn a little about america's heritage. A great day trip.

I took my children here. They had a great time at a reasonable price. We went for the "gold" and "gem" panning. The staff was helpful, teaching my wife and son how to "Pan" for gold. My daughter went 'grubbing' for gems and found emeralds and garnets (nothing "gem" quality, but that did not matter). .My 10yo son found 6... More