Gold Reef City

Crown Mines' No.14 shaft

Useful Information

Location:	South of central Johannesburg. M1 Bloemfontein lane, Booysens exit. Signposted.
Open:	Gold Reef City Theme Park: All year Tue-Sun 9:30-17, last entry 16. Gauteng School Holidays daily 9:30-17, last entry 16. Underground Mine Tours: All year Tue-Sun 10, 10:30, 11, 11:30, 12, 12:20, 14, 14:30, 15, 15:30, 16, 16:20. Gauteng School Holidays daily 10, 10:30, 11, 11:30, 12, 12:20, 14, 14:30, 15, 15:30, 16, 16:20. Closed 25-DEC. [2006]
Fee:	Gold Reef City Theme Park: Weekdays out of School Holidays and Public Holidays: Adults ZAR 70, Seniors ZAR 20, Children (-1.20m) free, Family (2+2) 280 Weekends, School Holidays and Public Holidays: Adults ZAR 90, Seniors ZAR 45, Children (-1.20m) free, Family (2+2) 280 Underground Mine Tours: Adults ZAR 60 [2006]
Classification:	Gold Mine
Light:	electric.
Dimension:
Guided tours:	VR=3,293m.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	VR=220m.
Address:	Gold Reef City, Underground Mine Tours, Johannesburg, Tel: (011) 248-6857, Fax: (011) 248-6863. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1886	George Harrison and George Walker discovered the Main Reef.
1897	mine opened.
1890s	begin of deep-level mining.
1916	mine holds the record for the deepest mine shaft.
1977	mine closed.

Description

Gold Reef City is a theme park about the gold fields and their history. It includes an open-air museum with many historic buildings of a 19th century mining town. Obviously there are also a lot of rides, restaurants, and even some casinos. Unfortunately it is necessary to pay the park fee plus the underground mine tour fee to see the mine This makes it very expensive if you just want to see the mine.

Gold Reef City was built on the grounds of the former Crown Mines. The buildings and part of the mine, mine shaft no 14 to be exact, is included into the park. Actually it was the 13th shaft but they skipped this number due to superstition. Visitors are equipped with a helmet and a miners lamp with its big battery pack. Then the tour goes down the shaft with a cage, a mine elevator, to the 220 meters level. This is the top level of the mine, which once reached a depth of 3,293m.

The Crown Mines are among the earliest and most important workings along the Main Reef of Johannesburg.