Thames School of Mines is open under ORANGE in the traffic light system. If you are visiting us, you will need to wear a mask and follow our Covid-19 requirements. At this time, we do not require Vaccine Passes for entry to our visitor sites, cafes and shops, however this may be reviewed in line with our Covid-19 policy settings. You can check our website on the day of your visit for the most up-to-date information and please stay home if you’re unwell. For the latest on Covid-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand visit the official government website.
Opening Hours
Wednesday - Sunday
10.00am - 4.00pm
Daily Guided Tours
10.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm
Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day
Entry
Member Free
Adult Guided Tour $10.00
Under 18 years Free
* Surcharges may apply for special events
To step into the school is to get a vivid sense of how practical science and technology was taught in our pioneering past. You’ll see authentic period equipment and classic gold rush machinery, classrooms, labs, microscopes and maps of the gold fields, a model of a whole stamper battery system and an actual small-scale stamper battery, mining documents and historic photos. The original furnace room, where gold was laboriously extracted and then assayed, is well worth a look.
Ngā Kōrero
Stories
Photo: John Fields, 1974
