Gold Mine Adventure at Riley's Farm

The Gold Mine Adventure at Riley's Farm

Welcomes you to the California 'Diggins' for a ....

May 5, 1849
"GOLD is so plentiful here
that all one must do in order
to get rich, is to stoop over
and pick it up."

"The average miner in California
is now making $8 per day in GOLD
finds compared to the national average
wage of $1 per day!"

(This is an interactive, 1st person experience as a Gold Rush 'Forty-Niner')
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Upon arrival , be greeted by miners eager for news of home. Exchange stories, and share your travel routes & troubles. Learn how nearby claims are holding out, and speculate where the next big strike will be found!

Eager to seek a fortune, be persuaded to work Crossbow Mining Co. claim, (run by potentially greedy Claim Boss Rowdy Ryan), and keep a percentage of your finds!

(Workshop activities indicated by italics below)

Wasting no time, begin your search. Gold-bearing ore must be extracted from the Mine Shaft using pick and shovel. An ore sample has already been submitted to the Assayer for evaluation and this vein is of high concentration!

Contrary to many newspaper reports, finding gold involves hard work! Begin the separation process. With willingness to work and a little luck, Dry Mining with screens and shovels will reveal coarse gold.

The Sluice Box or 'Long Tom', is a useful tool for washing lighter soil matter away from heavier gold. As water roars through the box, it will be forced over 'riffles' (small slats of wood placed perpendicular to the box length). Heavy gold flakes and nuggets will collect in front of them!

Lighter flakes and gold dust carried from the sluice into a lower trough can be collected using a Gold Pan. This placer mining method can also be utilized in the final process of separation for Lode Gold!

Domestic animals such as horses, donkies, sheep, pigs, goats, and chickens make life on the frontier of California more tolerable. Feed, water, and clean up after the Animals that provide us with food to eat, helpful labor, transportation and many useful supplies.

Tents make for good mobile shelter, but a Log Cabin is more comfortable if you're going to stay put for a time. Come inside and rest your feet. Notice the squared logs and dovetail joints that fit each log into place? Take a chance to write home using Quill and Ink.

Saw, split, and stack wood for cooking fuel, and cabin heat during cold winter temperatures. Fetch a pale of water to wash clothes with, stuff a mattress with fresh hay, sweep the cabin or busy yourself with other Miner's Chores.

The Chuck-Wagon is supplied with dried food goods, wheat, flour, salt, sugar, coffee, and salted pork (the company cook may ask for help preparing the next meal). At mid-day a Miner's Ration of whole-wheat bread, cheese, fruit, jerked beef, and lemonade is distributed to those have hunger and thirst. Plus, plenty of good, cold water is available throughout the day for those who work up a sweat!

While you may have to come to California is search of riches, remember to have fun while you are here! Race a friend as you Rope Climb to mineshaft #2. Play Games, Throw tomahawks in competition or Square Dance and practice good manners.

Before going, have your gold finds Assayed and discover their purity. Test your gold's weight, hardness, luster, and melting point to make an accurate determination. Use mathematics to figure it's value--and remember to calculate what Rowdy Ryan's share will be!

Details:

$14 Per person for Groups of 25 or more with 1 adult free for every 20 students.
A Miner's Ration of: Whole-Wheat Bread, Cheese, Fruit, and Jerky is included in the price.
This tour usually begins at 10:00 AM and concludes around 2:00 PM
Note to Schools: parents are encouraged to attend; adults in excess of the 1 per 20 ratio pay the normal admission price of $14 per person. (Families or individuals may join a tour in progress for $16 per person; See Map for driving directions).

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