Family Day Trip to Central City
School’s out for summer, meaning days full of Rocky Mountain sunshine are in store! If you’re looking for something to do with the kids, we recommend taking a trip to Central City, where Colorado’s history began. Just 40 minutes outside of Denver, it’s a short drive to experience hands-on activities like panning for gold. Your kids will have a blast – and it’s educational! Check out this list below of family-friendly activities you can do with your kids in Central City.
1. Pan for Gold at Hidee Gold Mine
It might sound cliché, but Hidee Gold Mine is truly fun for the whole family! Tour the still-operating gold mine and hear from mining experts as you walk through the tunnels that put Central City on the map. (Don’t forget your hard hats and headlamps!) Inside, you’ll have the opportunity to mine for gold yourself.
After the mine tour, come back outside to pan for gold and keep what you find! The ticket price includes hands-on instruction. With nearly 300 five-star reviews on Trip Advisor, this is a “can’t miss” attraction in Central City. Walk-ins are welcome, but it helps to make your reservation ahead of time online.
2. Go Fishin’ with Earth Treasure Tours
Learn all about gold mining and trout fishing from professional miner and tour guide, Suellen Barnhard, at Earth Treasures Tours. Kids 15 years old and younger can fish in Colorado without a license. Earth Treasures also offers ghost town and haunted cemetery tours, underground mine tours, and more! Make your reservation online.
3. Discover a Treasure at Hawley Mercantile
Given the town’s rich history, it’s no surprise that many retail shops in downtown Central City have unique reclaimed goods, thrifted items, and antiques. There’s no telling what you’ll uncover after just 15 minutes in Hawley Mercantile. It can be very fun sifting through trinkets, jewelry, sports memorabilia, and items crafted by local artists.
4. See the Old-Fashioned Schoolhouse at Gilpin History Museum
The Gilpin History Museum is open for the season beginning May 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The museum now occupies what once was the two-story schoolhouse: Central City’s school from 1870 until the last graduating class in 1966. It has incredible displays about the Mountain Submarine, a recreated Main Street complete with shops to explore, a mining room with photos and tools, a school room that looks like a real-life schoolhouse, special rotating exhibits, and so much more! This year, the exhibit What Nice Licenses! The History of Colorado License Plates will be on display, showcasing a complete run of license plates from 1913 to today. Admission is $7 per person; children 12 and under are free.
5. Play Outside at William C. Russell City Park
While the attractions and history are fun, sometimes kids just need to get outside! Head west on Eureka Street (it will turn into Upper Apex Road) and then make a left at King Flats Road to find William C. Russell Park. It is perfect for a picnic lunch and even has a playground for the kids to burn off some energy.
6. Make it a Two-Day Trip! Camp at Cold Springs or Columbine Campground
If you want to extend the Central City adventure (and who wouldn’t?), consider tent camping nearby. Cold Springs Campground has lots of nearby hiking and fishing opportunities. Columbine Campground is great if your family loves going off-roading or Jeeping. Reservations and more facility information can be found at recreation.gov.
Not big on tent camping? Bring your RV or book a private cabin at Denver West/Central City KOA.