Emerald Village — Attraction in Spruce Pine

"Emerald Village" is situated just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Little Switzerland, North Carolina. It is a definitely fantastic stop if you are traveling around this region and is a worthwhile destination should you be in the Asheville-Marion area of North Carolina.

Foremost, the site consists of two primary attractions: The North Carolina Mining Museum and the "Emerald Village" panning mine. Both are worth visiting and have enough to offer to keep even rowdy children entertained. The mining museum has two parts. First, there is a 3-floor barn-like structure that does a great job showcasing North Carolina's mining history and features a wide variety of artifacts including products produced from the minerals that were (and still are) mined here. I think this part of the museum may be free.

Outside of the structure are situated a display of a mine company store and several pieces of machinery, including old tractors and steam locomotives that'd power mining equipment in the early 20th century. For a small fee, one can tour the open ground portion of the museum, which is very much worth it. Here, you'll enjoy up close access to machinery that was used in the mines before they shut down. These include many circa 1900 to 1940s era mining carts, tractors, and drills. Many of these are unbarricaded, so you can get right up to them. You also get to enter part of the original mines here (watch for bats!). There are many informative, even poignant exhibits within the cavern, though much of the mine is flooded.

I recommend visiting the mining museum first to contextualize the minerals and history of this region. It'll take a good 1 to 2 hours to really appreciate all of the displays.

Thereafter, walk (or take a very short drive) down to the Emerald Village panning opportunity. Here, you can purchase a bucket of dirt and rocks that are loaded with gemstones and minerals that are predominantly native to this region's Appalachians. You then sit on benches alongside a water slough and pan for the gems. The quality of the gems and minerals increases with the bucket size, which range from small ones on up to large barrels. During two visits, I did this with 2-gallon and then 5-gallon buckets. It is definitely worth the money to go with the larger sizes (e.g. $125 for a 5-gallon bucket during my latest trip). For reference, a 5-gallon bucket provided 30 to 45-minutes of fun for 6 adults.

When sifting for minerals and gems, be sure to watch out for emeralds and garnets. These are really tiny - usually smaller than a pencil eraser. The garnets are easy to spot due to their dark red, almost black coloration. The emeralds can be deceptive since they tend to cling to tiny white/pale rocks.

After you pan for minerals, you can bring your finds to the front counters where one of the staff members will helpfully identify your new treasures. If you'd like, you can commission some of your finds to be cut and polished and even mounted as jewelry (for a price of course!).

Overall, Emerald Village is one of the most fun places to visit in my experiences, and that includes big Florida theme parks. During my latest visit, I had a great time with my family for an entire morning. If you enjoy history, gems and minerals, or are looking for something aside from hiking to keep kids entertained when visiting this beautiful part of the country, definitely stop by Emerald Village. You won't be...

Absolutely amazing. This place combines real mining history with hands-on fun, and the staff tie it all together with knowledge and kindness.

We started in the North Carolina Mining Museum and Discovery Mill complex, which are much bigger and better than we expected—historic equipment, photos, minerals, and clear explanations that make the local geology and mining story click. You can feel how important this area was (and still is) to gem and mineral history. The exhibits are well laid out, clean, and easy to follow, and the staff were happy to answer questions and point out details we would have missed.

The sluice mine was great for all ages. The setup is shaded, the water runs well, and the staff help identify finds on the spot. We pulled nice pieces of quartz and garnet and had a blast washing the gravel and sorting through our “treasure.” It’s the kind of activity that’s genuinely fun even if you’re not a hardcore rockhound.

The Black Light Mine Tour at night was a highlight. Under UV, the walls light up with fluorescent minerals—greens and purples glowing in a way you’ll never see in daylight. It’s unique, well organized, and the guide mixed science with storytelling in a way that kept everyone engaged. Pro tip: book ahead on busy weekends, arrive 30 minutes early, and bring a light jacket.

Another big plus is that Emerald Village is the permit hub for the Crabtree Emerald Mine. We picked up our permits here, got directions, safety info, and tool advice from staff who clearly know the site. Crabtree itself is rugged and authentic—no frills, real digging—so it was incredibly helpful to launch from Emerald Village with the right expectations. (Note: There are no facilities at Crabtree, so bring water, gloves, and sturdy shoes.)

Across the board, the staff were excellent —friendly, patient, and clearly passionate about the place. They helped with identification, shared bits of local history, and kept everything moving smoothly even with holiday crowds.

Practical tips: check hours and tour times in advance; wear closed-toe shoes; bring cash/card for buckets and the gift shop; and if you’re heading to Crabtree, pick up permits early in the day and allow time for the drive and the hike in. Parking was straightforward, signage is good, and there are restrooms on site at Emerald Village (not at Crabtree).

Bottom line: Emerald Village is a must-do —a rare mix of museum-quality history, memorable experiences (the blacklight tour is one-of-a-kind), and genuinely helpful staff. We left with great memories, a bag of finds, and a much deeper appreciation for the mountains’ “green fire.” Highly...

2022 UPDATE: They need to salt their buckets more! Our family bought 2 big $20 buckets and 1 mega bucket. Barely found anything! No good micro specimens of gemstones, no hunks of amethyst. Felt like it was a bad value, bought a bunch of dirt, and that sluices at a mining shop near Brevard has better buckets (I forget the name of the shop). I'm not affiliated with other shops but just a rock hound.

The museum and tour are still fantastic. Store has some great pieces at good prices. All the staff were friendly and sweet.

2017 REVIEW: Where to start... wait, quick review. Awesome day for the fam. Now, the caveat and long read is we are rock hounds.

So, rock hounds... keep sniffing for beta... The displays and brochure are fantastic. I'm a male, love museums and read most plaques so the novel idea of numbering the displays and putting cross ref description in the brochure was key. I can quickly take a photo and read at depth later!

My wife and 4 yo daughter loved the grounds, beauty, and waterfall. Feeding the rainbow trout kept the tot busy running for hours. To max tot tiredness, be sure to give only 1 fish pellet at a time and at great distance.

History photos of the mine kept my beautiful wife busy ready so I could geek out looking at the steam gear.

Unmanned museum had great displays and info.

We bought the smallest dirt bucket and stealthily fished out good micro specimens - emeralds and aquamarine included. But no way cutting these booger sized gems. One of the best things of kids filtering dirt is they don't care if the crystal point is an amethyst, quartz or a ruby! Great life lesson!

Downer: I feel bad for bad mouthing anyone but watch out for possible free loading biz Emerald Mines nearby enticing you to pull off the road. Might be legit but at glance looked like a ghost town tourist trap and poser.

Overall enjoy the journey of little Switzerland, the high views, and have a good map in case your...