Reed Gold Mine

Historical place museum · Cabarrus County

Reed Gold Mine

Historical place museum · Cabarrus County

9621 Reed Mine Rd, Midland, NC 28107

Highlights

19th-century mine with a visitor center, panning for gold & tours through restored tunnels.

9621 Reed Mine Rd, Midland, NC 28107 Get directions

historicsites.nc.gov

@reedgoldmine

@cntraveler

"You might be surprised to learn that the first gold discovered in the United States was found just east of Charlotte in 1799 on John Reed's farm. His son plucked a 17-pound nugget out of a creek on the property, and the rush was on. Located away from tall buildings and bustling traffic, the Reed Gold Mine is where creeks still bubble; it's also where you can explore how gold was mined from white quartz, and view historical mining records and equipment. If you feel lucky, you can even scour the property for gold flakes and tiny shards. As a plus, the mine grounds are free; just be sure to allow for plenty of time to venture out of the city." - Stephanie Burt

8 Best Museums in Charlotte

View Postcard for Reed Gold Mine

Joseph Tallent

Google

Great place to spend a few hours. The only charge is for the optional gold panning. The visitor center offers a 10 minute video about the site and the discovery of gold in North Carolina. The exhibits are extensive and educational. The underground tour is an easy level walk though it ends with stairs. The stairs lead up to additional points of interest on the grounds. There are also some trails on the extensive grounds. On the downside the entrance road is in bad condition.

J R

Google

What an adventure to be had. The staff were all wonderful. Plenty of parking. If you rush you can do this all in about an hour. The stamp mill was closed. The museum is perfect. Short, sweet, an to the point. Walking the mine was pretty cool. I do wish it had maybe more info on the maps so I knew what I was looking at an when. We walked around after. Panned for gold too. Staff was fun, knowledgeable, an energetic. We are so happy we stopped here while we were in NC. It’s about 40 mins from Charlotte. You only pay for the gold panning. There is stairs to come out. Our 4yr old loved it.

Jennifer Newhouse

Google

It was a fun historical place to see. Unfortunately we had a little thunderstorm roll through so panning for gold was closed for a bit. Still worth the short, beautiful drive in off the main highway to see.

Stan Stan

Google

Fun excursion - everything is free except for the $3 to pan for gold. They give you a pan full of dirt and then show you how to sift through it in search of gold. Nice quiet area and on a hot day would be a great trip if you want to cool down inside the mine.

Crazy Seabass

Google

Pretty cool to see the history of gold, walking in the Mine shaft, and wven panning for gold. My daughter found a flake on her pan!

Lukas Pestalozzi

Google

Boomtown bash! Going to this event that included historical reenactments + retelling of the history of Reed Gold Mine was a great experience. Follow Gorgeous trails as you explore the mine, panning area, and stamping mill. Prepare to learn about a piece of Charlottes history dating back nearly 200+ years that May still be relatively unknown. Thanks to all at Reed + NC Historic Sites who continue to tell these stories and maintain the living history of this site!!

Stephanie Mitchell

Google

We were lucky to pick a day where they had a historical event planned. A lot of reenactors with loads of information. The kiddos loved it!

Tonya Cruz

Google

Enjoyed this a lot. Most of the museum is free. You have to pay for gold panning. The employee who taught us how to pan was very nice as was the front desk staff. There are a lot of picnic tables. The trails are nice and well maintained as is the mine and museum. The only thing that could be improved is that the bathrooms could use some maintenance/cleaning.