The Jeremiah Brown Mining Company is the zoo’s gem mine, named for the Quaker miller who built the gristmill on this ground in 1734. Buy a bag of mining rough, tip it into a screen tray, and wash it through the sluice to see what you have found. Every bag has gemstones or fossils in it, and everything you uncover is yours to keep.
How it works
Pick a bag — they come in several sizes at different prices — and carry it to the sluice. Pour a little at a time into the screen tray, dip the tray into the running water and rock it gently. The sand washes away and the stones stay behind. An identification chart at the sluice helps you name what you find.
Small children can do it with a hand from a grown-up, and it works in any weather the zoo is open.
Planning your visit
Gemstone mining is available every day the zoo is open and is priced by the bag, on top of regular admission. Check hours and buy tickets, or see the visitor FAQ. While you are here: the miniature golf course, the giraffe feeding station at 12:00 noon on weekdays and 11:00am and 1:00pm on weekends (11:00am and 1:00pm daily in summer), and the snack bar and gift shop at admissions.