In the 1880s, thirty Schools of Mines were opened around the country to provide practical instruction to gold miners. The Thames School of Mines was the largest and one of the longest-surviving.

Our tours, with no fixed schedules mean you can simply walk in, and embark on an adventure through Thames incredible gold history. Explore our historic mining school and mineral museum, full of geological wonders.

Visit one of the hubs of the country’s gold industry. The schools original classrooms, laboratories and assay rooms are frozen in time. Walk in the steps of those being taught advanced mining techniques, geology and management to maximise their returns. Working with explosives, dangerous gases, cyanide and massive machinery all in the pursuit of gold, it was a career fraught with dangers and the harsh reality of an early death.

Visit the exceptional Mineralogical Museum, housed in a ‘museum within a museum’ and view one of the most significant mineralogical collections in the southern hemisphere that showcases stunning minerals and rocks from New Zealand and around the world, including a sample of the Pink and White Terraces.

The Thames School of Mines is an excellent venue for your school or group tours, and a great place to start your experience of the historic Hauraki gold fields.

Cost
Tour of Historic school and Mineralogical museum $10 per adult.
Under 17 years admission free.
HNZPT Members and reciprocal members free

Opening Hours
Wednesday – Sunday
10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day.

Gold Panning
Gold panning instruction and panning $10. *Subject to availability.
Extra gold panning bags $10.