Skip the Line: Shantytown Heritage Park Experience Ticket

Overview

Available languages

German

Chinese (Taiwan)

Korean

Japanese

English

Italian

French

Danish

Spanish

Dutch

Mobile ticket

Step back in time and discover a replica gold-rush village set in the late 1800’s. . Discover legendary stories through a fascinating mix of experience and display. Ride the Steam Train through native rain forest, experience the sights and sounds of a working sawmill, watch the sluice gun blast gold bearing rock and soil from the earth, then follow the races to the gold claim and pan for your own gold, a strike is guaranteed! There are over 30 shops and buildings to explore!

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

GST (Goods and Services Tax)

Gold Panning

Old Time Photos

All Food and Beverages

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Shantytown Heritage Park

316 Rutherglen Rd, Paroa Greymouth New Zealand

End points

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Shantytown Heritage Park

Shantytown is conveniently located between the West Coast's major towns Greymouth and Hokitika - just 3kms off the main highway (SH6) Open Daily 10am - 3pm (expect Christmas Day) We recommend you allow at least 90 minutes for the full Shantytown experience. On arrival you will be provided with a self-guide visitors map - we offer these in 10 different languages so please ask at the ticketing office if we can provide one in your preferred language. To make the most of your visit please note the heritage train departure times and plan your time at Shantytown around this. Trains leave at 11:00am, 12:30pm & 2:00pm. Our highly experience gold claim staff can show you the techniques and tips on how to pan for gold. The gold panning experience is $7.00 per pan and can be purchased at the Shantytown Gold Claim. Onsite facilities include: • Cafe • Public Toilets • Licensed Bar • Post Office Services • Playground • Full conference, Weddings and Event Facilities

Admission Not Applicable

Options

Skip the Line: Shantytown Heritage Park Experience Ticket

Reviews

4.09

55 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Excellent
Ferreira C,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Really nice to do Especially the tour with the steam train And the explanations by the staff...
Visit to the past
sharoncA1741KL,
Sep 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Was great to revisit this quant historical place. Last visited when I was 9 or 10. So that’s a good 42 years ago. Charlie at the gold mining was great to chat with and now my daughter and I have our little bit of gold to remember, I still have one from way back. Yes place is dated but that’s the history of it. Make it a point to visit and keep this place going. Absolutely yum feed at the Cafe best tasting burger, nachos and loaded wedges and we’ll priced Lovely chatty staff also
Falsely advertised by Tripadvisor
FrequentFlier495887,
Aug 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
The Tripadvisor tickets indicated that the gold panning was included. It is not! That’s an additional charge. Then the advertised steam train is actually a diesel engine. The train engineers were very friendly and helpful. However the place was more like a ghost town. Absolutely dead. There was no vibe and the girl in the cafe was so unhelpful even though there was no queue. Don’t waste your money.
Best Avoided on a Rainy Day
juliebenjamin1954,
Jun 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
We visited Shantytown on a Thursday around 2 30pm in June. A friendly welcome at the reception area. Once inside Shantytown we chatted to the engine driver, who had just finished doing the final run of the day in his steam train. Not a lot of folk around, so we were often on our own. We went up to the sawmill site first, which means walking along a path through some lovely bush - but in our case, in rain. (We got pretty wet exploring the whole township - and we had grunty raincoats.) The sawmill at least offered shelter, and was interesting. It made you think about the tough lives Coasters led in the 1800s. We did not try gold panning as it cost an extra $10 each. We also did not visit the sluicing area, because it was further up the hill, and it was still raining. Back down in the main village we enjoyed visiting the various shops and community organisations. However by 3 pm it was so overcast that in some buildings we could not read the information provided about an exhibit - there were no lights. Not all buildings had electricity. We went from shop to shop fairly swiftly, as the site was closing at 4pm. We missed a couple of exhibits, like the train terminus. However there was no real urgency. The few staff we saw appeared to be pretty relaxed about us leaving. Our advice would be to visit Shantytown on a fine or cloudy day. The West Coast rainfall may add atmosphere but it makes exploring the village more of a mission.
Not to be missed great day out
658dees,
Mar 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Absolutely loved this place, amazing history, wonderfully restored buildings full of artifacts. Hubby loved the train ride. Nice little cafe, great tea & orange muffin. Staff were professional, knowledgeable & enthusiastic about the place. Highly recommend
Spectacular
Nomad10733330424,
Mar 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Shanty town is an amazing experience. I loved the ability to step back in time and experience what it would have been like. From clothes, tinned items, vehicles, steam trains, postal service and much more.
I'll be back:)
alexandragE696UZ,
Feb 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I thought this little town was so magical. If you are interested in the Gold Rush theme in general, you should definitely stop here. Also for children a great excursion destination. I was here alone and saw and read so much, it wasn't crowded and you could really make time for everything. All the staff are very friendly and I really enjoyed the afternoon here.
A beautiful moment of history and recreation
Catherine C,
Feb 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The small coal train, a village reconstituted but kept unmodernized, signs delaying the arrival of gold miners, miners and Europeans!!!
Manuka track a must
brittashley3711,
Jan 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great family day out, spent longer there than we thought we would. The heritage buildings were really cool, Children loved the train, highlight would have to be the beautiful Manuka track round the back of Shantytown through the bush.
Charming experience
Pernilla P,
Jan 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
The kids loved the gold panning and getting to bring keepsake goldflakes. Mom was fascinating by the locomotive and dad the coal operated steam engine. At 24 degrees and sunny, it was very nice.