Doc's Rocks! Gem Mine & Amusements

We thought it was an authentic gym mining experience, but it was Gems and sand put in a bucket. We did get to pan in the indoor little river like area and we all got some really pretty gyms. The female employee that helped us was very nice and knowledgeable about all the gyms. She took the time to go through every gym that we had and explain each one to us. All in all we did have a good time and got so cool Gems to take home as souvenirs.

My husband and I came here 11 Apr 2025 during our vacation and I can't say enough good things. Everyone that works there is very nice and will take time to answer questions and tell ya some history! We'd only gem mined once before at a different location but didn't find much so we decided to give gem mining another go at this location and we ended up getting a couple of buckets because it was so fun and it was exciting seeing what the earth can do and seeing what gems and/or fossils one can find, which we

My daughter and her friend loved this place! There are so many gem mining places in this area but we're glad we stopped here. All of the staff were friendly and helpful. Shout out to Nathan who sat patiently with us and identified any of the gems we had questions about, he was super knowledgeable and told us a lot of details about each one. They also have a small indoor mini golf course.

We went gem mining here today and it's a very neat set up. It's indoors and they have different size buckets. We found some good gemstones. There's also a little gift shop and games for kids. Definitely worth the visit.

We had an awesome time here, pricing is very fair and the staff were all nice and helpful. We found some really cool gems and loved that they have someone there to identify them for you and let you know have the potential to be cut for jewelry. The attached fossil museum was a lot of fun and super interesting!

Had a great time, took my 4 and 2 year old. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. We found our gems then spent time identifying them with a staff member. We only did the gem mining. Cool little spot to visit and spend some time..

Wow we had a great time here. My kids were able to comb through the big bucket of rocks and each of them got special treasures. They also went through the extensive museum and saw really fantastic specimens of fossils, rocks, etc. The attraction has varying levels of pricing so everyone can participate to some extent. Great place for a few hours of inside fun

We stopped at Doc's Rocks on the way back from our vacation. Kids had a blast. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. lots to do , look at and touch. Good prices. The dinosaur museum up stairs was nice and well stocked, and given with a guided tour. I definitely will go back.

We had so much fun! The youngest kid got the emerald strike, and we got the mother load. We got some amazing stones. It was a neat experience for the kiddos. The fossil museum was the best in my opinion. The guy Chris who was in there had to tons of stories and really super cool information. We enjoyed his guidance on what to look at and history information.

Visited last month with our kids. It has some nice displays but bottom line is that it is a lot more expensive for gem mining than other places for what you get. Mini golf course was an afterthought.

THIS PLACE IS SO SICK! Incredible collection in the museum and the gem mining was really cool. Zach gave us and incredible tour and he was so friendly and knowledgeable. Riley and Jacob were also so awesome, knowledgeable, and helpful. We were incredibly lucky to have this place to ourselves. Must stop at this place especially if you are into paleontology. I had to leave before I spent all my money. THANK YOU

This was the perfect rainy day activity for us. Nice spacious place inside where we panned for rocks and gems. Reasonably priced. My girls had a blast. The staff was really nice and someone sat and taught the girls about the stones and showed them all the things they had found. We had done a similar activity in the past and it wasn't nearly as nice or as informative. I would highly recommend!

We had a fantastic time doing everything. We started with gem mining and got some really cool fossils and gems. Then we played put put. Lastly the dinosaur museum. Highly recommend for kids.

Went with my 9 yr old and parents, fun for all ages! We did the mini golf, arcade games and the Virtual Reality game. Channing at the VR game was super helpful and made sure we had a great time!! The gem mining had mutliple options to choose from whether you are more interested in gems or fossils. Also nerf battles and VR laser tag were and option. We definitely recommend!!

2nd visit 6/25 updated Found a ruby and garnet They suggested might be good to get facet cut and that they could be shipped home to me. They suggested McCoy Minerals made the process professional, friendly and easy. After they were cut I decided to get them set for necklaces. I explained what I was looking for and got multiple options. From mining to my mailbox in Fl took 2 weeks for affordable quality workmanship! Thank you so much! Absolutely beautiful ?? 1st visit 9/24 Had a great time found lots of g

The kids had a good time and honestly so did we. We learned a ton about the stones and gems. Then went and played nerf war, that was a lot of fun. I wish that would've been around when I was young.

Was looking for a short trip before the kids went back to school. Doc?s rocks was an awesome choice. Prices are fair and the staff is super knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend this place.

After discovering this diamond in the rough, I knew that I had to leave a review and not take this hidden gem for "granite." For her 11th birthday, our daughter Scarlett requested gem mining. What an awesome surprise to find Doc's Rocks. There's not a chance of boredom at this gem mine?it's all "ore" nothing! Lucas and Daniel were both extremely knowledgeable about the gemstones and fossils that were found in our $40 bucket of treasures. The two of them helped to make our day a special day and taught us som

Good experience, girls had lot of fun! Learned a lot about different gems and stones. My 2 year old was exploring the entire store but they were okay with that and they even gifted her a few gems, that was so nice of them. It's easy to access from Boone. My 9 year old got many gems and fossils from $12 small bucket and a Halloween themed stuff too! Very nice place a must visit if you have kids. They do cut the gems if you like to.

They moved to their own location now. It was a great experience. Staff was kind and patient to explain to gems and fossils to my variety of aged kids (18, 5 and 3).

Man did this bring back childhood memories for me. My friend and I stopped by with the intent of going to the museum and got sidetracked by the gem mine. I got the mega bag and my friend got the bucket. We both went to our sifting stations and got to sifting. It was so much fun to sift through and see what gems you could find. I use to do this with my mom with I was younger and it's just as much fun today as it was back then. This is an absurdly incredible fun experience for all age ranges.

Expected a super tourist trap, but actually ended up loving it. Took our two boys for both gem mining and put-put. We got the $40 bucket which had ruby, saphire, amazonite, quartz and quite a few others. All the workers were so nice and informative. Really felt less ?tourist trap? more ?field trip?. The boys learned a lot about their different treasures and we all had a blast. My husband and I even thought about coming back just us sometime soon. This will for sure be a new camping tradition for us.

Awesome guided tour thru the dinosaur exhibit. So many cool things. Then we got some dirt and found some gems and fossils. Very cool place. We will definitely be returning.

Our granddaughters, ages 6 & 4, had a wonderful time sifting through their buckets of sand. Each found numerous rocks and gems. The 6-year-old found an especially interesting amethyst that attracted the attention of all of the staff. Daniel told the girls about the different gems and rocks they found and although I know they didn't fully understand what he shared, they listened intently. It was an awesome and fun educational experience at a reasonable price. The girls left happy with their finds.

Fun place to take the kids gem mining. A teensy bit pricey but the buckets are not salted and were rather large, so I can understand the pricing. We had a terrific experience with the staff taking time to review our treasures and explain what each gem is and how they are commonly used. Very interesting. Be sure to stop in at the coffee shop next door; they had some yummy banana bread for sale.

Absolutely love coming here. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and make the experience. We make jewerly using local stones we mine and try using the local mines. Docs Rocks is our favorite. You get a bang for you buck. Great buckets in all prices and you will leave smiling. Thank you guys!

Really great. Great prices. Just a very neat place to go, especially a family. Panning through dirts for rocks and gems. Large variety of collectible rocks to buy and browse through. Great Coffee shop built in next door.

My family and I spent a rainy morning in Doc's Rocks gem mining, shopping, mini-golfing, and playing virtual laser tag! The staff was extremely professional and friendly, the prices were affordable, and the place was simple yet clean. It was good for all ages...our family ranges from kids aged 22 down to 4 months old :). I would not hesitate to take my family back!

We spent a couple of days in Blowing Rock for Tweetsie / Thomas the Train. We visited Doc?s based on the other reviews and it was a really fun experience for our kids. Everyone was really friendly and helpful and our kids really enjoyed it. Would definitely visit again if we are back in the area. We did do our mining inside - I see in other photos it looks like they might also offer it outside which I would have preferred since it was a beautiful day! Highly recommend this experience for your family.

This place was Amazing!! Isaac's level of customer service made our whole trip there worth it, as well as the gem mining team!! Just an all around amazing place to go, will definitely be going back soon ?? Thank You!!

This was no joke the most fun we had in the Blowing Rock area. The staff was knowledgeable and my seven year old would come everyday if he could.

Nice place to take the young ones. Staff supper friendly and welcoming. Plenty for kids to do inside.

Everyone was very nice and went above and beyond to help us and teach us about what my two girls found! Will definitely be back

I loved how the employees took the time to talk to us, to educate my grandchild on the stones and fossils that she found. It was wonderful! I found a huge garnet and had a 2.75 carat ring made from it. I highly recommend it to those with young kids who are interested in rocks and fossils.

Took some family and friends here. The kids sure enjoyed it. $36 for a bucket. Very clean and enjoyed the ac. Will definitely consider returning.

This place is AMAZING!! So many options for mining and the kids love it! They have arcade machines, indoor putt putt and so much more. If you're visiting and would like some gemstones then this is the place to go. Would definitely Come back

Really neat place! The guide was very intelligent and made the museum tour lots of fun. Panning for gems was also great! Very nice selection in the ore bucket. Loved it

Very fun place but it's totally geared towards children.

Great selection. Really cool fossils. Brought home a gem bag for the boys to sift =) Definitely worth a stop.

What a wondrous place! A DRGM (Doc's Rocks Gem Mine) visit delivers a fantastic learning journey into the historical geology of the Appalachian Mountains with a delightful time travel adventure back into our great dinosaur days . It's a dazzling educational experience for any age visitor. We were lucky enough to get a personalized tour from Randy ?Doc? McCoy himself. He's has a stunning knowledge of precious stones and earthly things that's a true GEM not to be missed!

Doc is an awesome guy, and the store is so much fun! We just had my birthday party for our seven year old son, and the kids absolutely loved it. We did the nerf room which was a huge hit, and we did the mini golf course as well. They have a party room we used, and they had gem mining and a Virtual reality room and lots of rocks and fossil's to look at and buy! The staff was friendly and helpful, and I'm sure we will be taking the kids back soon.

Last minute stop on the way out of town and it was so fun! We got the Appalachian ore mining bucket and had so much fun we got another. My youngest and husband had lots to explore and check out while my oldest and I did the buckets. All the guys there were super friendly and patient with my children, even when they were busy at the start! They answered all our questions, packaged our finds nicely, and helped in picking our two best to get cut and mailed to us. If we're in the area again, we will defini

It's been a bit since we've been to Doc's been my kids & I love it! Doc & Trina have made it more than just a fun place to go. It's a learning experience for everyone! We've had some great stones cut & turned into beautiful pieces of jewelry! I've recently been bragging about Doc's on a gem sub reddit & everyone wants to go now! I told them, I didn't know Doc & Trina personally. But they're good people that make a wonderful business!

Can not believe they fit everything in the space.. gems, fossils, put put, game room, all inside We got the mother lode and I believe that's the best deal, they have displays You can even buy fossils from them

We took our 4 grandchildren here today and they had a great time. We bought 2 $40 buckets and an arrow head bag. They found lots of good gems. We were able to have some ruby earrings made. The earrings were very reasonably priced. The employees were very friendly and knowledgeable. A great place to mine for gems.

The new location at Tanger outlet in Blowing rock is back and better than ever!! You won't find a more educational experience than here. They go above and beyond to instill the love of mining in kids.

Special thanks to Jacob! He was so thorough with identifying stones and explaining how they were made. We enjoyed it so much!

This was such a fun experience! I was amongst adults but we were having as much fun as the kids sifting for gems & minerals. The staff is super passionate & knowledgeable about everything we found! They were genuinely excited to explain what each mineral was. Definitely recommend the $40 bucket! We also did the emerald bag for $18 because we had so much fun. Highly recommend for anyone at any age :)

Great place for kids lots of treasures to be found. Friendly staff. See Chris for a tour.

Took our grandson to play putt putt. They also have gem mining and some other kid related things to do with a nice gift shop. Staff was very pleasant

The location picture is not their new location. They offer many different activities. It's pricey, particularly if you have a large family. Laser tag is virtual and is fun. Employees are nice and patient with newbies.

We were super excited to come and do gem mining. My husband?s friend suggested Foggy Mountain but I wanted to try Doc?s. Wish I didn't. My kids liked it which is what matters. But we went in the morning and they were sold out of most bucket options, we had to get a more expensive one than planned. From start to bagged gems/completely done was 16 minutes! That was 10 min for mining and 6 min at the ID table. Unfortunately we got the guy who is young, peculiar personality, tall, skinny, maybe blonde/light bro

My daughter had fun. The museum they had was nice and had a place for her to "excavate" for bones ??. They had a neon light mini golf course inside and that was cool, nothing fancy, can get through it in 5- 10 minutes. I think they had 8 or 10 holes in total. The gem mining and gift shop was really the highlight. They had lots of gems to pick from in the shop, and the gem mining was fun and we got some cool looking things out of them, including fossils. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Prices were ok.

We absolutely loved our visit! We purchased a small bucket of regional ore to split between two kids, and they both found plenty of gems, shark, teeth, and fossils! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and helped us identifying everything at the end of the dig.

The gem mining was so much fun for the kids. They even bring you to a table afterwards to explain everything they found. Also have mini golf and video games

We had a great time as a family. It wasn't overly busy at the time. The fossil museum has quite a bit of stuff for its size. Riley is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what he does. He gladly answered any of my child?s questions and was considerate enough not to get into any explicit details about the effects of certain minerals and chemicals without our permission. The panning for gems and minerals was so fun for my son. He loves rocks so much. I like that they have various options depending on how

Went there today and spent over $80 (including tax) on a mega strike bucket to sift through. Between two kids it lasted 12 minutes. We waited longer to talk to the guy about what we "found" than it took to actually go through that small amount of sand surrounding seeded stones and arrowhead replicas. He did get one large stone... which is cool but maybe worth $25 if bought outright. I was hoping for something that would keep them entertained for about an hour... that was crazy fast. Everybody there was

My 10 year old son loved this place. We have come here 2 times and both times have been such an enjoyable experience. He loved doing the panning. The staff tells you what minerals you have found and help identify them and give facts about what they are used for.

We took our 6 kids here for a fun filled day of gem mining and dinosaur fossil museum was wonderful they all had a blast. The general manager chris was very helpful he took his time to give our family with all 6 kids a very detailed tour and answered all of our questions. We would definitely recommend this to anyone with children of any age even our grandmother had a great time. We will definitely be returning on our next vacation. Thank you for the wonderful experience.

Kids had fun with everything, but especially the nerf war area. Reasonably priced and lots to do! The putt putt is 9 holes which to me is perfect with younger kids, but just something to note. Arcade is very small, but really not needed with everything else there is to do. We did gem mining and it was nice being indoors!

Buckets are pricey. Staff are nice and knowledgeable. They recycle the material you've used into new buckets for other paying patrons. We came up with the usual gems.

Very fun went on a date with my girlfriend here, and she loved it. Found a ruby that the owner cut at his gem store. It is also good for its side attractions as well. Like mini golf. Highly recommend for dates or kids.

I have visited Doc's Rocks several times in the last few months and it was a pleasurable experience each time. Big kids and little kids alike have a wonderful time. They get so excited when they find just the smallest of gems. It is well worth the cost. You can find large gems and small gems in every bucket.

My kids had fun here and really enjoyed the museum. The vibe was a little touristy. Everyone was very pleasant but the man showing us our gems went through them very quickly. We gem mine every year in this area and usually go to a different place. We tried this one this year to change it up and it was decent but the experience at others has been better and seems more authentic.

Best local rock shop, gem mine, nurf gun battle zone, museum, gift shop and on and on in the high country. Locally owned friendly, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to amaze their eyeballs with some amazing items.

Docs rocks was wonderful! We grabbed a large bucket and did gem mining ourselves and found all kinds of stuff. The best part of the entire experience is how knowledgeable the staff is. I believe his name was Riley, this guy was super smart, very kind and you could tell he loves what he does. There was a twinkle in his eyes when he was explaining the scientific properties of the rocks to us. 10000/10 would recommend going anything you're in blowing rock/boone!

We came here for my daughter's birthday. I went into it expecting to "dig up" some small cheap gemstones. However, we ended up with a garnet that was large enough to have cut into something that could be put into jewelry. After we had that done, we learned we had a flawless, nearly 2 carat garnet that we had mounted into a necklace! Awesome birthday present for her! The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. The kids and adults all had a great time! Highly recommended!

We were told this was the best gem mine around. It was great for the kids and the adults. We bought a regular bag and a guaranteed bag. We all got beautiful specimens. The young woman who told us all about our treasures was so knowledgeable. The GM was such a personality and answered our questions. We all enjoyed our visit.

Doc?s Rocks Gem Mine was an incredible experience. I have to say I was hesitant about gem mining but I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting and fun the attraction was! I recommend the Regional Iron Ore Bucket. It's around $30 which was plenty enough to share for my partner and I. We found countless beautiful and large gems, shark teeth and rocks. We were able to facet rubies, amethyst and garnet! Chris, the general manager took special care of our group and made this experience so amazing and educati

Fantastic place!!!! We went for the museum first since we knew the small child would freak out with gem mining. The collection is amazing. Our guide Issac was so knowledgeable, funny and knew how to interact at a 6 year old level as well as to myself, a somewhat knowledgeable adult in stones, etc. The whole experience was so much fun!!!! we spent about 3 hours there and didn't even play putput because above mentioned 6 year old wanted to go back to the hotel and play with the gems he found!!! Overall, So

There was a lot to do at Doc's. Mining for rocks was fun and they even had knowledgeable staff that would sit with you and identify any stones you found. I think mini golf was also an option, but we were also impressed with the additional option of a VR game room. I was totally not expecting that!

This is the most interesting place! They sell a huge variety of rocks and gemstones, some unpolished and others finished, along with a lot of stuff for kids. There's an indoor sluice set up and several families were "mining" for gems on this Saturday afternoon. I bought several items. On my way home, I grabbed a "High Country" magazine at a nearby grocery store, and discovered a story about this shop. The owner is an actual doctor who left his medical practice to become a geologist and open this store! Thi

We had an absolute blast at Doc?s. The process is so much fun and the people that work there are awesome, brilliant human beings that are great with kids! I was so impressed with their entire operation and with the staff especially. They are trustworthy and honest and really know their stuff. The first time my son and I went and found a 3.2 carat ruby. We loved it so much that we went a second time. The second time my husband and son found 2 huge rubies and 2 huge sapphires! Don't skip this place if you are

What a great experience!!! So many options for gem mining and fun for the kids plus so many gems you get! Then they sit down and go through them to break down what you have discovered. Staff was 100% amazing! So friendly, helpful, professional, & well presented. Cody was so happy to be doing his job and it showed. We will definitely visit again and again! The gift shop aspect has so many unique and affordable options. GO!!!

All of the staff were so knowledgeable and willing to answer all of our questions. Especially Riley, who gave us the best tour of the Dino museum. His knowledge of all things Dino and rock was worth every penny. He was so patient with my 7 year old who had lots to say and ask about dinosaurs. We could not have asked for a better guide. Thanks to Doc's Rocks and all the staff for giving us some really special memories. ***** On a separate note, the question below regarding the cost of entry, to enter Doc's

What a great spot. My son didn't want to go to one of the other gem mining places because it looked like it was ?for kids.? We then initially planned to stop at a gem mine farther away but they were closed. My wife and I were hesitant about Docs initially for the ?for kids? feel we saw in pictures. BUT this place was awesome. My 9 and 6 year old kiddos had a BLAST and are super excited to be sending some of their gems away to be cut into gemstones. Couldn't be more pleased that we stopped.

The buckets here had actual gemstones in them and we found two fairly good rubies that were worth keeping. I like the educational aspect this family owned business brought to the adventure of searching for gems. Another plus is the close proximity to the American Indian Arrowhead Museum, a private collection Fossil Museum, and Mystery Hill (which was hokey but tons of fun).

Super pricey. We had a good time but wish we had done more research first. First the positives: excellent customer service. Everyone working or volunteering there is super prompt, kind, and knowledgeable. The fossil museum is what makes it worth it for adults. They have so much to look at and we spent majority of our time checking it all out. They offer a guided tour or you can self guide and ask questions. While we as adults loved it, it's probably not the best for Littles to be entertained. The indoor gem

These guys and gals were great! They offered assistance whenever we needed it and were very informative. The staff were genuinely excited about the the rocks we found in our bucket and bag. The little museum attached to the place was a real treat for the price. Would definitely recommend this as a must stop on a lazy vacation day.

We came here about 2 days ago. We did the combo package for the museum, putt putt and the emerald strike mining package. For myself, my husband and my 5 year old daughter it was about $61. I honestly thought it was going to be a big rip off. I was incredibly wrong. We did the mining first. It took my daughter 20 to 30 minutes to get through the bag and she had a blast. Afterwards they gave us a lot of information about a few of the gems/rocks we mined. We all learned a few new things. Then we went on the to

Wow! I haven't had this much fun in a while. The staff was super nice especially Savanah who was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. She right away was able to identify a few gems we definitely needed to get cut. Definitely go here for a wonderful and fun experience!

We took our 5 year old son while visiting Boone. It was his first time gem mining. I can't say enough good things about how friendly and helpful the staff was. They explained everything to our son and even helped identify his treasures. Our son had a great time and we are thankful how nice these folks were. We would definitely go again when we visit. Thanks, Doc's Rocks.

Small spot located in front of some outlet stores. Got greeted by a friendly knowledgeable staff. Came here for our daughter and she was thrilled to swift through dirt to find hidden gems or shark teeth. Enjoyed the exhibit afterwards so I was very pleased with the place. Highly recommend for small children..

My husband and I had a great time here. The gem mining was the best one I've ever been to. After you're done mining, they take time to tell you about the gems and fossils you've found. The museum was also very cool. The staff is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the gems/fossils you find, as well as the museum artifacts. Our museum tour guide, Joel, was absolutely fantastic!

Really disappointing. Indoor stop mall with salted bags of the cleanest Sand on earth. Nothing is random or genuine. It is not cheap either. New staff member been there a week telling us about the rocks, that did not come from here. Little Kids had fun, but no chance of anything of real value.

Come here !!! We brought nine people, everyone over the age of 15 except our baby and this was the perfect way to spend time together without being so far apart! Everyone could find something to do and still check in on each other. Thank you staff for being so catering and answering all questions, I learned a lot! I would visit again and recommend to friends. We got so many stones more than I thought. Well run place !!

First time visiting here...and WOW! By far the best gem mining experience we've ever had. The staff here is amazing! So friendly, extremely knowledgeable about the gems and fossils, very very helpful...just the best! We found some amazing gems and stones. I mean really really nice "pulls" from our bucket. Enjoyed mini golf afterwards. Just really enjoyed our time here! Parents...if you are ever in the Blowing Rock area...this is a Must Stop for the family! Highly recommend!! Thank you to Doc's Rocks!!

A fantastic Covid safe kids activity! I took my seven-year-old and two-year-old to do some gem mining, and they absolutely loved it! The facility is very clean, and is very large. They require masks so we felt very safe while we were in there because it's so big there's plenty of room for people to spread out and stay 6 feet apart. My kids split a bucket of dirt ($30 ish) and found a ton of little treasures! Chris, the manager, was super nice and very knowledgeable about all the different rocks and gemstone