Gold Dredge 8 Tour

Strike it rich in the gold fields of Alaska! Your tour will take you into the heart of the gold fields of the Tanana Valley where you will feel the history come alive! * Historic Gold Dredge 8 Gold Dredge 8 operated in the Goldstream Valley of Fairbanks from 1928 to 1959 and extracted millions of ounces of gold from the frozen Alaskan Ground. Today, Gold Dredge 8 is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and the site is a U.S. Historic District. The dredge serves as a monument to the hard working miners who built Fairbanks. You will have the opportunity to be guided through the entire dredge as you see, touch and learn about the history that it contains and the dredge’s importance to the development of Fairbanks. * Living Mining Museum After you’ve experienced the Gold Dredge 8 up close, walk into our Main Camp and through our Mining Museum. Packed with history and artifacts from the early 1900’s, you’ll learn more about the entire gold mining process from cleaning the land, to thawing the frozen ground, to the final recovery of the gold. You’ll also learn the history of the hearty sourdoughs that first prospected in the area and the hundreds of workers that operated the dredges during their heyday. Finally, you’ll get a chance to see an array of ice age fossils that were found on these very grounds during the mining process. * Tanana Valley Railroad Your adventure begins at Gold Dredge 8 with a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad near some of the original rail routes. Once aboard our narrow gauge railroad, you will enjoy a short narrated journey to the dredge. Your regular conductor and commentator is Earl Hughes, who provides festive music along your journey. You will also learn from actual working hands at sites along the way. * Gold Panning As part of your tour, Alaskan miners will show you how to pan for gold, and you will receive your own poke filled with pay dirt. Friendly guides are on hand to help you uncover the gold in your pan. Comfortable benches and warm water make this an easy and enjoyable experience. Everyone will share your excitement when you strike it rich— and nothing beats the thrill of taking home real Alaskan gold!