KENNEDY MINE

The Kennedy Mine is a gold mine located in Jackson, California, in the Mother Lode region. It was one of the deepest mines in the world, with its East Shaft reaching a depth of 5,912 feet (1,792 m). The mine was opened in 1860 and operated until 1942.

The Kennedy Mine was named for Andrew Kennedy, an Irish immigrant who discovered a quartz outcropping on the property in the late 1850s. Kennedy and three partners began digging shafts near the outcropping, and the mine soon became one of the most productive gold mines in the Mother Lode.

In 1886, a group of investors formed the Kennedy Mining and Milling Company and reopened the mine. The company invested heavily in new equipment and mining methods, and the mine's production increased dramatically. In 1898, the company began sinking the East Shaft, which eventually became the deepest gold mine in North America.

The Kennedy Mine produced over $34.3 million in gold (in 1940s dollars) during its lifetime.

The Kennedy Mine closed in 1942 due to the war effort. It was reopened as a tourist attraction in 1965. Today, visitors can tour the mine and learn about its history.

Here are some interesting facts about the Kennedy Mine:

• It was the second richest mine in the most productive twenty miles of the Mother Lode.
• It helped small Amador produce more bullion and dividends than any county except Nevada.
• It became known world-wide in 1922 when rescue teams tunneled from its depths trying to reach 47 miners trapped in its neighbor, the Argonaut Mine.
• The mine also had one of the largest stamp mills in the Mother Lode, moving tailings by means of huge wooden wheels, some of which are still standing.

 The Kennedy Mine, will be open every Saturday, Sunday and Holiday from 10 AM to 3:30 PM, every weekend through October. FREE Admission. We have tours to fit your budget.

On the Kennedy Gold Mine surface tours, visitors see the mine office building where gold flakes were melted into large bricks to ship by Wells Fargo to San Francisco. This is also where ore samples were processed to see if a particular underground area was worthy of further investigation. See the stamp and gold recovery mill, tailing wheels, a steam boiler and the huge steel head frame whose pulleys guided the miners into the bowels of the earth. You will also see the building where the men changed into their mining garb before dropping nearly a mile underground to work. You will view a historic video of the men working circa 1914, and much more. Visit the Kennedy Gold Mine and gain new insight into the complications and hardships of the miner's way of life!
 
Guided Surface Tours: Guided Tours are recommended for an interesting, in-depth, and educational tour of the museums and grounds. Tours are available at 10 AM, 12 PM and 2 PM. The 90 minute tour includes the Change House Museum and Gift Shop, the theater showing actual 1914 footage of of the mine in operation over 100 years ago, and our new Mine Tunnel Experience! Tour the Steam Boiler Building, Head Frame/Shaft area, Stamp Mill Overlook, Underground Foreman’s Office, and the fascinating inside tour of the 1907 Mine Office Museum including the Paymaster's office, the large walk-in safe where gold bars and important records were kept, the Gold Retort Furnace and Assay Rooms, the Guest Bedrooms on the top floor for dignitaries that visited the famous mine, plus many other Points of Interest. Guided Tours:  Adults $15.00. Kids (6-12) $7.00. Group Guided tours are also available, by reservation, all year.

Self-Guided Tours Available:
Tour #1
Includes the Change House Museum and Gift Shop, the theater showing actual 1914 footage of of the mine in operation over 100 years ago, our new Mine Tunnel Experience, and public areas including the Steam Boiler Building, Stamp Mill Overlook, Underground Foreman’s Office, exterior only views of the Mine Office Museum, plus other Points of Interest. Tour#1: Adults: $7.00, Kids (6-12) $3.00.

Tour #2
Access to the Change House Museum and Gift Shop areas (not including the theater and Mine Tunnel Experience) and access to our outdoor public areas including the Steam Boiler Building, Stamp Mill Overlook, Underground Foreman’s Office, exterior only views of the Mine Office Museum, plus other Points of Interest. Tour #2: Free of charge.

Souvenir Self-Guided Tour Book: $5.00. Available in the Gift Shop.
Gold Panning: $12 (see Gift Shop for more information and tickets, or use BOOK NOW on website)

You may prefer to bring a picnic lunch and just soak in the ambiance of this historic spot. Plan a Kennedy Mine Tour now! Satellite Map For the Kennedy Gold Mine