Moonta Mines | History, Tourist Train, Museum and Lollies | Review

The Moonta Mines area contains a number of sightseeing activities that are family friendly, and are ideal for an educational and fun family day out while visiting Moonta and the Copper Coast.

Review by Claire Davill

Moonta Mines are located just outside of the main township of Moonta, and contain a series of mines ruins, a tourist train, a museum housed in the old mines school building, a lolly shop housed in the old post office building, and numerous walking and riding trails. Many of the attractions are managed by the National Trust and staffed by volunteers.

Moonta Mines Tourist Railway

This narrow gauge mini train runs at regular intervals on weekends and public holidays, every day during school holidays and at 2pm on Wednesdays. At the time of writing (October 2025) tickets were $12 per adult and $5 per child. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or on the day from the ticket office at the train station.  Check their website for up to date schedules and costs.

The train ride takes 50 minutes and circles the mines area, passing through a tunnel under a tailings heap, passing through the walls of old mining infrastructure, and makes a brief stop at the precipitation tanks. At the stop you can wander through the building remains and learn how copper was extracted from the ore.

The train driver will explain a lot of the history, and there is a recording of the history as well, with speakers in each carriage so you can hear the commentary relevant to the points of interest that you pass. The train ride is a lot of fun, and you’ll learn a lot along the way!

Moonta Mines Museum

This museum is located right next to the tourist railway station, in the former Moonta Mines School building. It’s an impressive building to view from the outside, and inside, you’ll find displays on the mining history of the area including the Cornish heritage of the miners, schooling, local societies and activities. There are a number of interactive displays suitable for children, and a former classroom full of activities for children including crafts.

The museum is staffed by the National Trust and at the time of writing, entry costs are $10 for adults and $4 for children. The museum is open daily, refer to their website for opening hours and current entry costs.

Moonta Mines Sweet Shop

This old fashioned lolly shop is located across the road from the museum and tourist railway station, housed in the tiny former post office for Moonta Mines. It’s a gorgeous building with plenty of photo opportunities, and while very small (there is barely enough room for one family at a time!) it’s packed with a huge variety of old fashioned boiled lollies, fudge, soft drinks and chocolates. The shop is staffed entirely by volunteers and the cost of the lollies is therefore very reasonable.

Moonta Mines Walking Trails

There are multiple trails through the Moonta Mines area that allow you to more closely observe the remnants of the the mining operations. There is a handy sign next to the museum, and this is an ideal place to base your walk. The paths are flat and smooth, suitable for bikes and strollers.

The easiest loop to walk will take you around the back of the tourist train station, past an old powder magazine, Richmans Engine House and Richmans tailings heap. There is a series of wooden steps leading to the top of the tailings heap, and we recommend climbing up here – it’s the tallest point in Moonta! The view from the top is fantastic.

The path then passes several old shafts and passes by the Hughes Engine House, the remains of the large disused building and chimney.

The path then returns to the museum carpark, passing by some old mines office buildings and the sweet shop.

It’s also worth driving around the backstreets of the area, seeking out the former Methodist Church building and the Miner’s Cottage. The cottage is open to the public during limited hours, but outside of these hours you can explore the amazing restored cottage garden for free (during daylight hours).

Things to Consider:

• As this is a former mining area, there are some shafts and holes – keep an eye on small children
• The area is exposed and there is little shade. Take hats and sunscreen.
• It can get very windy on top of Richmans tailings heap – secure hats and hold on to your belongings.
• The car park for the museum and tourist railway is an ideal base for exploring the area, all the activities and sights surround this carpark.

Our favourite nearby coffee spots/cafes:

• The Nook and Nourish Cafe in the centre of Moonta is not far away, and is one of the few places open early in the morning on weekends.
• The Coffee Barn and Gelateria is also not too far away
• Consider cooling off after exploring the mines area at Moonta Splash Town (seasonal opening)

Location:

Verran Terrace, Moonta Mines, approximately 2km out of the centre of Moonta. The carpark is on the north side of Verran Terrace and is clearly signposted.

DISCOVER MORE PLACES TO VISIT IN MOONTA

For more information and all enquiries please visit the Moonta National Trust website

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go.

SUBSCRIBE

Follow Play & Go on Facebook and Instagram

Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?

Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out what’s on, where to go and what to do with the kids in and around Adelaide. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may even get the odd ‘special offer’ exclusively sent to our newsletter subscribers only!