We spent the day here and had loads of fun while experiencing and learning about the history of Ballarat. The kids enjoyed the hands on experiences and had a great time. Expect to pay more than the entry fee to have the most fun. Food was expensive ($15 for 2 scones and a tea) and quite a long wait. Part of the park was shut due to upgrades. Definitely a must-do once in your life as it’s a one of a kind experience!

I’ve been to Ballarat in the 90’s. I honestly do not remember much of what I I did, saw or ate that time. There were two people in our group who had not been there so we decided to give it another go. It was a beautiful day after all for such a tour. We were not disappointed. We did a few of the events and were very impressed with the tour event guides who were well versed with the history, well spoken and funny too. They even had some acting thrown in it. We had lunch at the New York Bakery and Restaurant and had very tasty corned beef and Peter Rowlands’ famous chicken sandwiches plus freshly baked scones for afternoon tea. For the rest of the day, we just leisurely strolled through Sovereign Hill snd found many fascinating places within the area. We did not give the gold panning a go. We reckon everyone who came before us from decades back found them already. 🤣 We unfortunately missed the light show which we heard was fantastic.

I remember how good this place was when I used to visit. It was alive! There were actors and horses and donkeys. It truely felt like stepping into a portal back in time. The buildings are still good but the reduced actors and animals sees the ambience drop significantly. Pity.

Lack luster don't waste your money. At $49 a ticket you expect a whole day experience. We watch nearly all of the demonstrations but were only there for 3hrs. Once inside you are expected to pay for half of the experiences and it is one big commercial Trap. Lacking historic value, beyond the buildings.