Gold Dredge 8 Historic Tour
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Paper ticket
Experience the thrill of Alaska’s gold mining history at Gold Dredge 8! Start with an up-close look at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and discover the story behind its construction and operation. Then, climb aboard a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad and enjoy entertaining stories from the conductor about the thousands of prospectors who flocked to the gold fields during the gold rush. Your scenic train ride delivers you straight to Gold Camp, where you can explore the dredge and try your hand at gold panning—with gold guaranteed! Enjoy complimentary coffee and freshly baked cookies in the gift shop, and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and stories of Alaska’s gold rush before returning to the station.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
Join the Binkley family for a trip through Alaska’s gold mining history at Gold Dredge 8. Enjoy a close up view of the Trans Alaska Pipeline and a presentation about it’s construction and operation. Then take a seat aboard a replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad and hear the conductor tell tales of prospectors who arrived by the thousands during the gold rush. The train ride takes you to Gold Dredge 8 where you will see first-hand how the dredge worked the gold fields, then receive a brief but informative course on gold panning. Once the train arrives at the camp, you will try panning for yourself! You will find gold- we guarantee it! Finally, explore the dredge camp and enjoy complimentary coffee and freshly baked cookies in the gift shop as your gold is weighed, then hop aboard the train and return to the station.
Options
Gold Dredge 8 Tour
What‘s Included
Freshly Baked Cookies
Explore Gold Dredge 8 - National Engineering Monument
Coffee and/or Tea
Gold Panning - Guaranteed Gold!
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Reviews
975 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
I thought this was a great tour. Especially for families with young ones. Large. Groups are a breeze.
Chuck R,Jun 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Better bathrooms at the beginning of the tour would be good.
Certainly worth the trip out of town
Robert H,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fun time panning for gold, very informative narrative and the support staff is awesome. If you want to touch the pipeline and learn about it and the gold rush. this is a must while in Fairbanks
Great morning and very educational
Rosanne S,Jun 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent tour guide, very sociable and accommodating staff, clean, well run, just a perfect couple of hours of learning about the pipeline and panning for gold.
Just ok
kohkoh,Sep 5, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Just ok. My partner dredged. I found it boring but there were other couples who were having a good time. Some nice shops inside.
The last tour may have been the best.
F3528CEjeffw,Sep 22, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The day was chilly but that didn't discourage your excellent team of young guides and associates. As we moved through the tour it was as if we were your first guests and welcomed with the excitement of the gold rush. The narration from Tim was wonderful as was the help from the crew panning for gold only to us strike it rich. I was amazed by the venue itself and the historic site and living history. Most of all I was impressed by the flowers and hanging baskets. Never on my jouneys this summer have I seen such amazing beauty. evidence of hard work and horticultural skill. Great way to wrap up my summer in style.
Surprisingly Fun!
cindycollie,Sep 22, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was included with our Princess Land tour and was the second part included in the day with the Discovery Paddlewheel trip. It sounded kind of cheesy, panning for gold, but it was actually a fun experience. Also interesting to see and hear about the Gold Dredging of the past as you rode on a train past displays of equipment and guides giving explanations. Guides were all excellent and very helpful. Turns out, everyone had gold in their pan, they even had a weighing station where you could see "how much" you had panned. Fun time and well worth your time to experience this Alaskan tour.
Surprisingly Interesting!
BluMangoKiki,Sep 21, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had already planned on the Riverboat Discovery tour plus lunch so I kinda just tacked this on since we had the time. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. We learned a lot about the Gold Dredge and how it operated. Our tour guide was informative but made it fun to learn about as well. At the end, we were able to disembark the train and try our hand in gold panning as well as tour the actual gold dredge building. If you have a full day, would recommend doing both Gold Dredge 8 & the Riverboat Discover (the lunch you can also tack on was very good as well).
Great start to our Alaska Trip
jrb42d,Sep 18, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was our first stop on our 2-week Alaska trip and we had a great time. We learned quite a bit about the gold rush Alaska and the Fairbanks area. The tour kept our party of 6 (all over 25) very engaged. Highly recommend for those visiting the Fairbanks area.
Informative and Fun
A93274,Sep 17, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It began with a talk about the pipeline, how it was built, how it is maintained and the impact it has had on the animals. That was followed by a train ride out to the dredge. Along the way we were given the history of the area and particularly the history of gold mining. Along the route there were various demonstrations of old mining equipment. We were given a demonstration on panning for gold. It’s a lot of work! The dredge operation was explained and also why it is no longer in operation. We were each able to pan for gold and keep what we found. They had cookies and drinks which was a nice surprise. They had a lovely gift shop along with antique mining equipment, fossils and pelts. It was all very interesting. Everything was well maintained and clean.
Panning for gold
Outlandabout13,Sep 16, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A brief explanation of the aleyska pipe line, then we boarded a cute little train for a short ride to the Gold dredge. Once off we got to pan our own gold. That was exciting. The suspension was real. Then we got to have a wonder through the gift shop and around the dredge. Then boared the train back to our starting point. All the staff were informative and helpful. Great look back in history.
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Operated by Gold Dredge 8