In the late 1800s, there was a brief gold rush in the Black Hills of South Dakota. As soon as someone found even the hint of gold somewhere, entire towns popped up and mines were constructed to hunt the shiny element. Most of the time they came up short and abandoned the mines and towns as quickly as they founded them. But there were, on occasion, mines that successfully ran for a while longer and are still standing today.

The Broken Boot Gold Mine is one that remains today and allows you to head into the dark mine shafts to experience what it was like to be an actual gold miner there over a century ago. You can walk in their footsteps and follow the tracks of the ore carts right here, right now:

The mine was constructed in 1878 after the discovery of gold in Deadwood, South Dakota

The original name of the mine was not Broken Boot, that came later when an actual damaged boot was found in the mind when the businessmen who wanted to open the mine as a tourist attraction were renovating it. The actual name was Seim's Mine, after the person who originally constructed it, Olaf Seim.

The mine produced about 1.5 ounces of gold per day over a 26 year period which was not enough to sustain the mine. The real money came through fool's gold, or iron pyrite, which could be used to make sulfuric acid - an important material used in mining real gold. This business lasted until the mine closed in 1918.

The eerie tunnels are full of history and everything is pretty much exactly as it was left - tools and all

The mine shafts stay a constant temperature of around 50 to 60 degrees no matter the time of year. More completed tunnels wind through the mine, but many new beginnings of tunnels in search of the precious ore are all over the place as well. The original tools and items that the miners brought down there are still there today, over a century later.

The original miners used not only their picks but also a lot of dynamite to blast holes into the rock

When you tour the Broken Boot, you will follow the exact path of the mine carts that ran down and back up through the mine to carry tons of ore up to the surface.

Back then everything was lit by lamplight, and when it was among all of the dynamite and black powder, you can imagine that would be terrifying. Even today, some of the tunnels are kind of creepy, yet still fascinating.

After you've explored the history of the mine, you can experience exactly what the original miners did and pan for gold

Now you are guaranteed to see the glistening stones appear in the sediment, but back then it was all based on hope. Spotting just a hint of that metallic yellow rock sent hundreds to this place, hoping to get rich by finding more.

The Broken Boot Gold Mine is located at Upper Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota. Tours are only $5 for an adult and $3 for children, so if you haven't been to this place when you've visited Deadwood, definitely check it out next time. It is a fascinating, easy way to catch a glimpse into the history of our state's gold rush.

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