Sovereign Hill is a living museum presenting the story of Ballarat as a gold rush boomtown. Gold was discovered here in 1851, triggering the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever known. The sleepy pastoral settlement of Ballarat grew rapidly into a fine provincial city built on the wealth derived from its gold.
Covering 15 hectares of a former gold mining site, Sovereign Hill's Outdoor Museum brings the gold rush to life through a living township with over 18 scheduled activities happening throughout the day, you can find yourself panning for real gold, witness musket firing, see boiled lollies, wheels, and candles being made all before your very eyes.
The Outdoor Museum enjoys international renown as a living museum featuring rare trades, working machinery, exhibits, and costumed interpreters.
Note
- This product is not currently available during VIC school holidays.
Inclusions
- Admission to Sovereign Hill
- 40 Minute guided underground mine tour.
Exclusions
- Meals
- Additional paid activities
- Transfers
Highlights
- The Diggings Tour: Explore Life on the early Goldfields hosted by a costumed interpreter
- The Red Hill Mine Tour: Discover the dark, dangerous world of deep lead mining and witness the discovery of the famous “Welcome Nugget”
- Gold panning: There’s real gold to be found in The Diggings and it’s yours to keep! Make sure you stop by the Waterloo store and purchase a gold bottle to protect your precious find
- Musket Firing: Our Troopers will tell you about law and order on the goldfields and demonstrate you how to load and fire a musket
- Sweet Making: Discover how boiled lollies are made in the traditional way and enjoy a sample at the end of the demonstration
- Gold Pour: Pure gold is melted to 1,000 degrees Celsius and poured into a mould to create a pure Gold Ingot
- Candlemaking: Be mesmerised with the enticing scents of our 19th century candle factory and watch our candle makers in action
- Bowling: Set up the skittles and try your hand at 9 pin bowling
- Wheelwrighting: Watch our skilled craftsmen create hubs, spokes and assemble coach wheels using traditional 19th century methods
Time
- Sovereign Hill is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Sovereign Hill is closed to visitors on Christmas Day and every Monday
Location
- Sovereign Hill is a comfortable 90 minute drive from the Melbourne CBD along the Western Highway (or only an hour from Melbourne Airport). Sovereign Hill is located on Bradshaw Street, Ballarat
Additional Information
Standard Conditions of Entry:
- Tickets issued by Sovereign Hill are subject to the following conditions and the Sovereign Hill Regulations, which shall be made available upon request:
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- Tickets are sold on behalf of Sovereign Hill. A ticket is a receipt and is not transferable.
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- Sovereign Hill reserves the right to refuse admission or to request a visitor to leave Sovereign Hill’s facilities. Sovereign Hill’s Refund/Cancellation Policy will apply.
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- Proof of age and concession identification is required.
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- General Admission & AURA ticket purchases are non-refundable.
- In the event that you cannot attend on the booked date and advise us at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival, a change of date may be offered subject to the discretion of Sovereign Hill.
- No more than one date change will be processed per booking. Date changes must be within 6 months of the initial booking.
- No- shows (failure to attend on the day without prior contact) will result in forfeiture of the booking.
- Tickets cannot be exchanged for credit or cash, transferred into another name or sold to another party.
- If the museum is unable to open due to conditions restricting our ability to operate, then a full refund will be processed.
Booking Information
- Confirmation in the form of a tour voucher will be received at time of booking
- Upon completion of purchase, please print the voucher and present on day of the experience
- Availability was accurate at the time of booking however, is subject to change due to circumstances out of our control
- Offers and inclusions are subject to change without notice
- We strongly suggest reconfirming your booking with the tour operator within 48 hours of making your booking and prior to making other travel arrangements
- For your information, complete Tour Operator Information including contact details is included on your tour voucher
- The price for this product may change upon date selection due to seasonal or weekend rates