amethyst mine panorama

TheMariasMA

We were tight on time and did not have the chance to really tour the grounds properly which is unfortunate now that I have seen some of the lovely shots others got. We only had time to run into the little house where we met the elderly lady running the place. She seemed strictly business and was eager to get us to sign up for the tour though it was obvious we couldn't have done the tour and made it to our meeting in time. Nonetheless, we marvelled at the amethysts and purchased a thing or two. I have to say I was surprised by some of the prices. I am sure we could have gotten a better deal had we gone mining ourselves but again, no time. A suggestion would be for them to sell smaller raw pieces in the store so that there is a bigger variety and price range for visitors hoping to take home a souvenir or two! Also, take care what car you decide to take up there, the dirt road up is rough!

TeacherEngineer

We really enjoyed hearing about the mine and some information about amethyst. It was fun to wash the dirt for our own stones as well as pick our favorites from their supply. This mine is quite a ways from the main highway on a dirt road.

641elsieh

I have been to the Panorama mine before and was very pleased with the informative tour. This time we went near the end of September and I was not pleased at all. The guide was obviously bored and in a hurry. She could hardly get through the tour fast enough. $8.00 was far too much for the experience. The digging field was great and we found several nice pieces. I would go back and hope for a better tour guide!

cmuskoka

I love going to this mine and learning a little more about amethyst. We were there about 2 hours and dug up some nice stones to bring home. The people working there are very nice. I would recommend going to this mine if you like this sort of excursion.

BrianRGardner

Unfriendly guides, had a script that they kept to. Tour took 10 mins. Everything cost. Not worth it.

TheresaAJ

Great place to spend a couple hours either alone or with family/friends. Their shop items are super pricey however. If you're in the GTA wait for the Gem shows to come around and buy your amethyst. If you mine the amethyst yourself, prices aren't too bad however. Got myself a lot of beauts!

jordans926

We had a great time looking for the perfect pieces of amethyst. The kids had a blast. It's worth the drive for sure. Nice knowledgeable staff.

63TatianaK63

I love geology and gemology, so this place was excellent choice to spend a couple of hours on the way across Canada. We arrived there at 10 am and were the only ones at that time, so one of the owners of the mine spent a bit more time with us than usually and gave us lots of facts about the mine and amethyst. Then we had so much fun mining our own rocks that were in abundance there in all shapes and sizes ( nothing very high quality, but still pretty). The cost was $3 per pound so a nice garden rock came up to $25, which is really good deal considering the size and beauty of the rock. This place turned out to be a highlight of that day.

CdnMink

Location was a long drive off the highway, but the experience was different and fun for an hour or so. Interesting geological history and beautiful rock samples and polished rock works.

988maureenf

Our family really enjoyed our trip to the mine! The owner was helpful and informative, and we left with a nice collection of "treasures". Great time, fair price.

Pamehla

We followed some advice and came here second, after we went to the "other" amethyst mine. We recommend doing the same. We paid our $8 each to get past the gift shop and out back to the mine. There was an interesting 10 minute tour with explanation of how amethyst is formed and why there are different colours. For 3.50 a pound, about a handful of rock, you can pick rocks up from several tables and go through the piles of discards behind them. We found about 4 pounds to take home for our garden and a few really nice small pieces for my "gem" bowl. I wasn't impressed with any of the items in the gift store. There was little variety and they seemed priced too high. I saved my souvenir buying for "The Fish Shop" later on.

oakdale6884

Based on past experiences with Wall Drug, I should have known that a place with a lot of road-side advertising would turn out to be a big tourist trap.It was interesting, but certainly not worth $8CAD to take a 5-minute "tour" of the mine only to be sent over to the mine's discard pile to dig through low-quality stones that you can buy (you pay per pound).Once off highway 17, it will take you some time to get to the mine - think twice.

Jazz234

We have been to the mine before and were not disappointed to return again. Always seems to be improving and more to see and learn. The gift shop has some amazing natural pieces of amethyst and a wide range of souvenirs all made locally with amethyst from the mine. Very hard to find true Canadian products but here it is! The digging area does not really require any digging if you don't want to - we just walked through it and had a pail full of beautiful rocks within a short time. Dog friendly which was so nice as the dogs had been in the vehicle for a while. Staff was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful - they were able to recommend a good restaurant in Thunder Bay which we enjoyed. We will be back next time we are in the area.

BarefootBrowns

Lots of fun and very informative.The President of the company gave us the tour, he was sweet but passionate seeming to have seen the operation through since the 40's. We then enjoyed hunting for our own favorite pieces. The price was fair especially for a one of a kind experienceSeems to be a family run place. I would suggest this place to anyone who'd enjoy the outdoor treasure hunt :)

ready2fish

Great place to take the whole family and very different from other tourist places. Road off highway has some great photo spots and is well signed - great views! Kids and adults get hooked on digging for gems - and the more you uncover the harder it is to choose your favourites as no two are alike. Nice selection in the gift shop. The carvings are very unique. Learned a lot and had a great time, and would definitely return.