Eldorado Gold Panning & Gift Shop
Your visit to Gold Country would not be complete without a stop at Eldorado Gold Panning & Gift Shop. Here, Barkerville guests young and old, big and small can try their hand at panning for real gold the old-fashioned way. Barkerville’s resident gold miners will teach you the right techniques and might even tell you tales of their own mining adventures. If you’re lucky, you’ll come away with your very own claim to take home, or you might want to spend your new fortune inside the gift shop.
Here, novice and skilled miners alike will find a stunning array of gifts, including gold pans, gold items, jewellery and souvenirs, plus Barkerville hats and clothing, books, old-fashioned sweets, drinks, sundries, umbrella rentals and many more treasures worth their weight in gold.
Meet William, Robert & Douglas Rummel
Meet William, Robert & Douglas Rummel
"El Dorado" means "the golden one," and the shop is a tribute to the miners of old who came to seek their fortunes in Cariboo country in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The owners of El Dorado, brothers William Rummel, Robert Rummel and Douglas Rummel, go to great lengths to see that Barkerville's guests get an authentic experience when they visit. It is why they invite visitors to try gold panning for themselves. Though the "creek" in which they pan is simulated, the gold is real, that is, for those who are lucky enough (or skilled enough) to find it.
The Rummels are so passionate about Cariboo Gold Rush history, they actually own several Barkerville businesses, including Mason and Daly General Merchants, C. Strouss and Company, A. McPherson WatchMaker and Jeweller and McMahon's Confectionery. One of their main goals is to give visitors a taste of gold rush history and to educate them in a way that is fun and memorable. What better way to do that than to offer visitors the chance to try their hand at the very activity that helped to establish Barkerville in the first place?
The Rummels work hard all summer long while Barkerville is open, seven days per week for the most part. When things slow down in the off season, they enjoy reconnecting with their fellow Wells community members and relaxing in the solitude of this remote town.
Barkerville, BC V0K 1B0
Hours
May 1 to June 15
9:30 am - 4:30 pm
June 16 to Labour Day
9:30 am - 6:00 pm
After Labour Day to Last Sunday In September
9:30 am - 4:30 pm
