At Sovereign Hill, experience a trip back in time and immerse yourself in the passion of Australia’s gold rush era. This award-winning outdoor museum is located on a former gold mining site, and recreates the bustling and prosperous life of the 1850s in many details. Here, there is so much you can do and see that you will never want to leave.
Panning for Gold at Sovereign Hill
In the mining area, you can pan for real gold! In the Sovereign Hill’s Goldpour tour, you can witness the process of melting gold into ingots that are worth up to $50,000 AUD.
Enter the Red Hill Mine, 13 meters underground, where life-sized holograms recreate the Cornwall miner Richard Jeffrey who accidentally discovered the largest gold nugget of the time, the “Welcome Nugget”, weighing 69 kilograms, which is still the largest gold nugget in the world today.
What to Do at Sovereign Hill
Sovereign Hill’s Main Street is bustling with people in brightly coloured clothing and horse-drawn carriages. Skilled artisans are busy working throughout the town, and there are various industries and shops selling all kinds of goods, including grocers, candle makers, blacksmiths, and jewellers.
At the Hope Bakery, buttery croissants and fresh bread are baked daily in a wood-fired brick oven. You can also go bowling, dress up in Victorian-era clothing for photos, enjoy live street performances, or take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage.
Across the street from Sovereign Hill is the Gold Museum, which displays a variety of valuable collections, including gold nuggets, gold dust, gold jewellery, and gold coins.
In addition to the gold rush journey, you can also visit several art galleries featuring new exhibitions from the rich collection of the Gold Museum as well as many touring exhibitions, making it a fascinating destination.
Opening hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Address: Bradshaw Street, Ballarat, Victoria, 3350
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