Reviews of Princess Sodalite Mine (Painter)

David Woods

Great fun and reasonably priced!

Robert Gillelan

Great rockhound experience. Lot's of different minerals.

Hannah Myrabo

This place is the best and has some amazing rocks and minerals. The sodalite deposited is gorgeous. The owners are super nice, great place!

Matt Ridley

I have been here a few times, once to collect with my kids and other times to shop. Excellent place for kids to collect. Wide variety of minerals salted in a reasonably sized boulder field. Andy and Sonya are both very knowledgeable and friendly. No wonder it's been busy each time I've gone.

Allison Harford

Wow wow wow! My mom and I decided to visit this little shop with the intentions of going into the pit and maybe finding something cool. The lady at the front desk was super informative. I told her I was hoping to find rose quartz and she told me I would have to dig but it's there. Well I found rose quartz, a ton of it. It was such a great experience! Some tips - bring water to wash your rocks at the pit to see what you found, gardening gloves so you don't cut your hands, shovels and closed toe shoes are a must.

Linda Reid

Found some nice red quartz etc

Tiny Gems

A fun place to take the kids. The owner brings in rock from all over to pick thru and buy by the pound.

Jenn Celtic

Made the best of a pile of rocks dumped from the back of a truck ????

Putin Rex

Great place to bring kids for something to do. Keep in mind it can get crowded any minute and the whole place is the size of a playground. Not very big but can be fun and you get to keep what you find for $2 a pound which makes it a cheap outdoor activity.

Robert Fleming

Being closed toe shoes, and enjoy mining for your own rocks. Great selection of fossils, minerals, and interesting pieces of geologic history

Jeff Lohr

We had researched the area for interesting places to visit before we arrived, and this was on our list. The shop had a large quantity of interesting items, and ended up purchasing a few. The family enjoyed looking through the rock garden for treasures as well. Fun place with a friendly knowledgeable staff.

Ed Jakopic

First time visiting and it was well worth the visit. My daughter had a blast searching for rocks and minerals in the rock pit. We will try and be back before the end of the season.

Stefan P

Had a fun experience here. GF dragged me along. Thought it'd be boring. Turned out to be the highlight of our trip to Bancroft. The lady working was friendly. Loved the dog! Great selection of rocks and gems inside. Prices are super reasonable! Lots of fun out back looking for our own rocks. Great place for couples or families. Will definitely be back in the future!

Chris Styve

Interesting minerals and gifts

Jeremy Laliberte

Lots of amazing specimens. Rock farm is very cool for the kids... Make sure you wear closed toed shoes! They are very strict on this and will turn you away if you don't have completely closed shoes. My son found some great rocks in the farm and the prices for specimens in the shop are reasonable.

Gabrielle Gidley

It was a cool place but very exspensive

Greg B

My son loved rock hounding. He is excited to go back

D. deOort

The collection of stones is amazing! Stop here if you happen to drive by

Konstantin Zavgorodniy

Cool place, bring your own tools!

Al Gray

Interesting

Lori Jean Rowsell

Neat little place. Go early to avoid a line up. We collected lots of nice stones ????

jordan leal

If you have kids this is a great place! If you have a rock loving friend or lover, this is also a great place to go!

bailey allard

They are always dumping new material here. You can find some amazing specimens. Great bang for your buck.

Ahmad Mazhar

Amazing fun for the young ones. Bring a chisel and proper hammer!

Michel Lachaine

We drove 6 hours one way to visit the mine. It was definitely worth it. We loved digging through the mine rocks and finding a variety of beautiful stones and crystals. The gift shop has a great variety of polished stones and hand crafted items. The staff were super friendly and helpful.

B M

The whole family went to Princess Sodalite Mine. The set up wasn't quite what we expected, but we had a great time. My only concern is the pet policy. I would like to see that policy changed, since dogs have no way to protect themselves from flying rock chips. Please make this place "no pets allowed".

Zeyu Wang

i am excited to go to there i am a rock collector

Stacey Di Dionisio

Can't wait to go back in the new season

Drake Edward

Always a fun stop for the family. The rock garden is a fun and affordable experience for those who don't want to trek out into the wilderness. The store is a tad pricey but you get what you pay for...

Jeremy Nagy

Fantastic shop! I loved searching the rock field! Found some terrific stones ????

Ann Nemec

Interesting time there. No bathroom facilities other than outhouse. Walking in rock "farm" area is tricky, should have some clear paths. Found some nice stuff but not as much as I hoped. Sodalite is their mainstay.

C Ng

Nice little side adventure rockhounding. Found some interesting specimens. All in all good fun.

Allison Day

Love It! I bring the kids every year :)

MJ

Decent experience for a good price

Matthea Schumpelt

Interesting little stop featuring many types of rocks, minerals and fossils. The sodalite mine seemed interesting but we didn't have close-toed shoes so we didn't do it. Kids loved the shop though

Kevin Wells

Neat place and prices are very reasonable.

Sean Montgomery

Really worth the drive, such a cool experience! The staff is lovely and friendly and we found some really cool pieces. I’d recommend bringing along a rock hammer for breaking off chunks as you pay per pound.

Lewelyn Lee

What a fantastic adventure! We took our kids (12,9,5) here for the first time to rock hound. We found so many amazing rocks and minerals. Even if you came without any tools, you could just find a spot and turn over rocks until you came across smaller pieces that were chipped off larger ones. It is a must to wear closed toed and heeled shoes - ie no crocs! Otherwise you will be turned away. A hat and water is also a must as it can get very hot under the sun! There are some shady spots as well that you can work in. The best part is that you don’t have any admission fees to pay and only pay $2/lb for what you find. We were careful not to take large chunks and paid only $6 for our haul. Great way to introduce kids to rocks and minerals. We found socialite, appatite, amethyst (brought in from Thunder Bay), lots of quarts, mica and pyrite. I’m addition, there’s also a shop where you can buy all sorts of things like, rocks of course, smudge sticks, etc.

Tunde Nemeth - AKA Dee

Fun. Nice selection of geodes of amethyst and other semi precious stones. Also some nice little tumbled stones, jewellery, etc., at reasonable prices. Friendly!

Calum Christie (calumcmt)

Shop has a great selection and the staff are very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable of what they have on display. Rock farm is also a great little adventure. Fun for all the family.

Lori Cook

Wonderful day gem hunting..

Andy Fyon

Always worth a visit to see what is available in the store. Friendly owner. Did not participate in the digging area, but colleagues speak highly of the experience.

Simon Larkin

Awesome shop. By the pound Rockhounding in the back with lots of selections.

Kyle T

Lineups can be crazy on weekends and a bit disorganized but the gift shop is dope and fair prices

Jon Pike

Very unique place

Ashley Saunders

What a great place. I love going into the rock yard it's absolutely packed with treasures!!!

Harri Persaud

Awesome place for any type of rock or crystal you might need. Great prices!

Aaron Evans

Great place to stop with the kids while on a road trip!

Rich Susik

bring back childhood memory, no bad selection, especially option of fossils

susan reid

A good selection of great gemstone specimens. Nice silver jewelry as well.

Mahad S

I didn't know how much I would enjoy mining rocks until I went here. My fiancee and I were there for almost 3 hours ???? The staff were super friendly and other people were respecting physical distancing at the mine. Highly recommend!!

FB Girl

We came a long way to visit. Met Sonja who was very nice and her puppy.. Beautiful gift shop and a fun experience digging for gems. Wear boots and glasses. Great for kids too. A must when visiting or driving thru area.❤

Muriah U

Wear closed toe shoes and go into the rock farm. Great prices here!

Trevor Greve

Our kids and I enjoyed learning about and seeing the different minerals found in the area, and from around the world. Prices were reasonable I think. We enjoyed spending an hour or more searching for cool rocks in the rock farm. Good idea. Overall well worth the visit, and somewhat educational. The owner knows a lot about minerals and the mines in the area, if you ask. Perhaps he could work on giving more information to visitors to add to the educational value. Take a look!

Dave Ellis

Searching for and smashing your own rocks and crystals is a lot of fun. And very dangerous. Eye protection should not be optional. It was a good value and worth the drive from Ottawa for a day.

Roberta Rubin

So much fun and quite a bit to find. Shop owners are very friendly and the prices are very reasonable.

Ansara Narine

Great place for outdoor hunting of crystals . The staff is very accommodating and great host and hostess that took the time to educate us! The kids would love this place and definitely adults as well

Mike Armstrong

Amazing

Dave Ross

awesome spot - just wish it was open more hours during the winter!

Mani Purdy

Really lovely little shop! Enjoyed stopping there on the way to Halliburton from Ottawa!

Pavan Patel

Very unique stone shopping experience

Miko Yu

It's a great experience. It's satisfying to dig your own raw crystal rock. They have some good fine crystal in store ????????but you can also enjoy the process of digging rocks. (it's a unique way to destress as well. ????????‍♀️⚒️????????????) PS. They only provide you a bucket, you need to bring your own hammer and safety goggles. The most important requirement is footwear. COMPLETELY ENCLOSED FOOTWEAR IS REQUIRED. No sandals, flip-flops, crocks or any footwear that is not completely enclosed will be allowed. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Catherine L

Great stones, and jewelry from wonderful artists. You can even "pick your own" rocks.

megha choudhary

Great place for a unique weekend get away . Awesome host and very beautiful place

Adelle Knopf

Fun but not much assortment of rocks to be found.

Tony Kwan

Was a fun visit. I enjoyed looking at all the minerals and rocks there. Great place to pick up a couple of special rocks for the garden.

Moose on the Loose

Super friendly and knowledge staff. The most fun and crystal energy grounded place in Ontario I loved every single moment of it! You get to pick you own treaures!

Bill V

Great selection and comfortable prices

Cindy Marcuz

Always has unique pieces.

Kevin Watson

Fun place. Worth a stop if you are in the area.

Ghyth Al Baldawi

Very interesting They need more staff and organizing

Nicole Mclaughlin

Fun experience long waits

Jessica Neil

Bring closed shoes! Crocks don't count. And eye protection if you're going to smash rocks (being your own hammer/chisel). Neat gift shop with jewellery and many types and sizes of rocks from their own move as well as global products

Sean VA3HD

A very cool place to find unique rocks and gems in the Bancroft area

miranda barber

This place is AMAZING!! The staff is super friendly, the gift shop selection is fantastic and the overall experience is priceless. Highly recommend going!

Kamila s

We didnt bring any equipment with us, but we found a lot of cool stuff just sifting through the rocks! The shop keeper is very friendly and helpful, which made the experience so much better

Melody Macdonald

Great place for your young aspiring geologist!!!!

TKO Collectibles

Busy place. Great variety of crystals and minerals!

Justin Baxter

Interesting spot, well worth a stop for a break from the beautiful country side, quite a storied and historic mine.

Addie Wilson

BRING CLOSE TOED SHOES AND A HAMMER! EXPECT TO WORK HARD FOR YOUR CRYSTALS We got some really awesome crystals from the mine! We didn't know we had bring closed toe shoes or our own hammer. I borrowed shoes from the shop and my partner drove to the RONA to get me a hammer and a pick- bless his heart. We drove from Ottawa, ON and had a lovely day. You do REALLLLLLY have to work for the crystals and break the rocks to get good finds though; my boyfriend loved smashing the rocks and I loved telling him what to do. I attached everything we got for around 30 dollars from the mine.

Virginia Ervin

Closed for the season now but when I visit during open hrs it's always amazing!

Cori

What a neat little spot to stop. Never had the chance to do so during previous travels. Finally had the opportunity when PSM was a pick up spot for a friend, so I intentionally arrived early. So glad I did. Lots of interesting nik naks and discovering things I didn't know I needed... and next time i will make sure to have proper footwear. Even though i didn't get to go digging, fawning over the resident dog was still worth it. ♥️

Bruce Renton

A great place for a souvenir collector or advanced specimen collector. Andy the owner knows his stuff, is generous, takes time to give personal service.

Haley

Super cool and fun place, I thought it would be more like a quarry but it was more of a pit with rocks dumped in it for everyone to look through! Worth a visit!

Mike Geiss

Awesome place . Very friendly

Ken Kellar

First visit. Lots of interesting gems and crystals in the store. Staff were accomodating by willing to answer questions.

Scott Stevenson

Wife and I had a great time hunting for crystal's

Stessa The Fox

It's a really nice store with beautiful variety.

x bill

Great family fun. The best part is mining for rocks where you can dig and it is weighted by the pound.

Alex Mock

Great rocks great prices.

Tracey Clingen

Loved it! If you are a crystal or a rock enthusiast this is a great way to spend some time. Great selection of stones of the world inside the store and find your own rocks outdoors. Friendly staff!

Dean Winchester

Awesome place to hunt for rocks. Free entry, just have to pay for the rocks you collect. They provide a bucket. Bringing a hammer would help to break up the bigger rocks.

ethereal moon

We had a very fun experience here with the WSU geology program. Beautiful rocks and minerals for sale. Friendly people.

Dal Dakota

It's great if you're already going through Bancroft, we drove 3 hours to go and sadly it was nothing like we expected. They go through the shipments of rocks and take the nice ones to sell. It's fun though if you live close or are already passing by!

Brittany Eisert

Beautiful rocks I wanted them all!

Nicole Laurin

Super fun place! Good deal for the enjoyment!

amberlee connell

Beautiful and exciting stones and gems

Sergei T

I visited a Sodalite mine Rock Farm on 14 May 2018. If you are after sodalite whether it is smaller rock or a boulder this is a place to go. The rock farm is of decent size. The beginner rock hound will find a variety of rocks like sodalite, magnetite, pyrite, quartz. The friendly staff will answer your questions about the rocks you found. It will cost you nothing to enter, but will cost you a $1.50 per pond to take rocks home. It is very affordable and fair price. An intermediate lapidary enthusiast will definitely find a material for his/her hobby in a variety of shapes and sizes. Experience rockhound will be bored (there is no adventure of finding cool staff and digging it out). I found this place to be very conveniently located (just 4 km east of Bancroft). I would recommend this place for those who love rocks. Just a small edit: I visited this place again lately, and, again it was my pleasure to be there. Andy, the owner is a wonderful host! Thank you

J Murray

The owner of the mine was such a nice person. From the moment we walked in the building to the moment we left he made the experience inviting. We arrived at 10am and headed right for the pit with buckets in hand. The owner left two surprises down at the pit which we found by visiting the "less common" area. When we arrived back at the building to check out our goods, he informed us he placed those two there this morning and he had hoped they would come back in one piece. (Which they did of course)! If you're looking for an experience near Bancroft, this one is worth it. Thanks again for the beautiful morning!

Tara Colgan

Very cool

Aaron Sambey

Unique experience. Hands on. Fun.

Norma A. Mendoza

Great time!! Awesome experience!!

Jessiesholisticfarmlife

Drove 4 hrs to get here. Worth the drive!! Staff was so kind and knowledgeable and hunting for stones was a great experience for all ages. Planning to go back this summer!

C J

We recently moved from vancouver island and had this on our list to check out. We went early and had a blast! We wish we had known to bring tools but we still found lots. The little store had a ton of cool items and we were thrilled to even get to see some of the owners work shop gems. The owner was amazing and so friendly! We will be going back!

Joe DM

Super cool spot, they bring in small shipments from quarries across Canada and basically just pile it up. You get to look through the pile and see what you can find. There's no telling what you'll get but a there's wide variety of beautiful stones. Kind of a grab-bag equivalent of mining

Teresa Kemp

Absolute gem of a place. My husband and I spent over and hour browsing the amazing selection of crystals, rocks, minerals and so much more. Thank you Andy for your hospitality and helping me identify a stone I have.

Larry Dong

Nice place no towel heads

Rob Nesbit

This is a cool place if you love rocks or if you want something different to do. We took our 2 year old daughter to hunt for cool rocks and walked out with a whole bunch of them. The prices are great and the staff are friendly. We will definitely be back again. Us rock hunters are hooked!

Mrs. Smith

I have been going for a very long time. If you go, the gift shop is quite reasonable and has a variety of prices and forms. Don't forget your mask. Please wear solid shoes in the field. It's not an easy trek. Don't worry what they are. Gather and enjoy!

Clarissa Lafonte

Love the variety and off course the rock pit!

Sriram Jagan

Good for day trip.

sabrina beardmore

Awesome, could have stayed all day.

brian staden

Really cool place! Lots of pretty rocks and crystals. Affordable pricing and you can also find some really nice stuff mining your own rocks in the pit too. Owners very knowledgeable. Very Pagan friendly!

Amber Gee

Love this place we look forward to going every year while on holidays- usually at least twice!!

Brian Howe

Very neat place to check out all the different minerals in the Bancroft area

Norma Riley

Love thevist

Zachary

On my modest option the best rock shop in Canada ????!

Mike Sutherland

Fun for the kids. Great staff with large selections of stones and it won't break the bank. Check it out.

Cindy O'Brien

Found lots of good information about collecting rocks plus you can buy them in jewelry or if you are looking for Indian smug and herbs you can get them there also

R G

Took my boys here age 13 and ten again this year. They have been asking to go for quite a while. We went last year and they went to the rock Park out in the back which is a bunch of boulders and stones and rock chips of various types of minerals. Kids really seem to enjoy going through the rock farm trying to identify different types of minerals. Staff are friendly. My boys spent 3 hours last year in 2 hours this year there and that was about the right amount of time for them. There are a number of adults would also like to go and collect Rock samples. You pay by the pound at $2 a pound. You need closed toe shoes and I would recommend eye wear and a hammer. The store has a number of different fossils to purchase polished stones and various related things to do with stones.

Brandon Ross

Awesome crystal hunting and AWESOMER prices. Wow love it.

Chad Campbell

Awesome

tabby goodall

Great place to bring to look for pretty rocks

Patrick Armstrong

Very interesting stop on our travels. Prices seemed very reasonable.

Wendy Peart

Plan to come early to visit the mine and rockhound.

Joanna Radaczynska

Great place, great people ????????. Lovely owner ????????. Thank you for everything. I wish you all the best. Love ❤ - Joanna P.S. See you soon ????????

Emma Stewart

Went for my boyfriend's birthday and had and awesome time finding some cool minerals. It was both if our first time 'rock hounding'. The shop itself is so much fun to explore and the prices are very reasonable!

Ruth Dasilva

We drove a long way for granite stones it was very disappointing. People were very friendly but I told the gentleman behind desk to make two lines one for sign in and one for purchases to make it less then 40 minutes Wait and he said he was working alone. I felt bad he really needed two more people. We wanted to purchase stones but it was over a hour wait so we left after being disappointed with to two minutes walk to granite rocks only !

Sandra Hartleib

I was a wonderful day and we got lots of beautiful rocks. Staff was very friendly and helpful the told some of the rocks we picked

Michael Tower

Great shop and the rock farm is lots of fun.

Leo Jordan

Excellent

Robert Williams

Nice place will be returning in 2021

Deborah Small

My husband and I enjoyed this unique experience. If you're looking to dabble a little bit into the gems, semi-precious stones and mineral world, this is a good place to visit. There's something for everyone here and the items in the shop are absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, it is very popular and very busy. I felt somewhat uncomfortable especially during covid. The gentleman who runs the place definitely needs some more help.

Sheri Gillespie

Great place! Worth the drive!!!

Maria D-CASTRO

It was nice time with the kids. They don't supply you with hammers or safety goggles. You must buy your own from a home depot or something.

kels t

I love this place will definitley be back

Ali L

Lots of non soldalite here, not much decent stuff, paying for a lot of granite vs what they suggest, not even any decent one in the store area to buy. Do the drive and go to beryl pit, way better.

Steve Young

Cool shop with a knowledgeable owner.

Belinda Bendell

My family and I had fun looking for different rocks.. we been talking about going back again ????

g k

They weren't enforcing covid guidelines, must of been 30 people in the place not practicing social distancing. Very unorganized. There needed someone at the door . Didn't bother registering. Will come back again to try to change my opinion about this place.

Jacquie Ridout

Great little spot to find some nice rocks (gems). Make sure you wear your running shoes/closed shoe or you won't be allowed to rock hunt in the rock field.

glen mcdonald

Had a fun time picking through the fillings. The shop was great many great finds. Recommend for a different type of adventure.

Robert Boneschansker

Very friendly helpful staff, great experience, you really have to like rocks, found some real special crystals!

Melissa & Phoenix Hart

Spent 2 hours there with the family and spent $21 for a very generous amount (3/4 of a yellow bucket filled) A few spots of shade but be prepared. BRING HAMMER and CHISEL and glasses, they supply bucket. Keep in mind there are flying rocks so be prepared clothing wise and space between others ( even in your group) Staff was amazing, outhouse on site! Great time, we will be back!!!! And we live 2 hours away ????

J Droz

100% worth the trip. The Staff are amazing and very Friendly, especially the cute puppy. The rock field is amazing with awesome finds. The Shop has so much variety in gems, rocks and fossils. Definitely made our Bancroft Holiday that much more enjoyable by stopping in here!

Amamda Fraser

Great gift ideas, unique stones.

McLean Trott

Great fun for the rockhounds out there. Don't bother if you aren't patient or aren't sure what to look for. If you like unusual and pretty minerals though you'll have a great time. Much cheaper than amethyst at the panorama amethyst mine in the Thunder Bay area but a lot harder to find good pieces. Bring a rock hammer and closed toe shoes.

lloyd dawson

Fantastic jewelry and minerals for sale.

Rebecca Ware

Really knowledgeable staff, the owner is a sweet man. Great experience for people of all ages. Bring your close-toed shoes and get rock hunting! The store is beautiful with lots of great finds as well. Thank you! ????????

ChristineM West Coast Munch

Great selection of rough and polished stones. Can even go hunting for you own stones if you a wearing closed toed shoes (no flip flops). A little bit of everything for people. Kids love coming here to hunt for a treasure stone.

wayne remus

Granddaughter loved it.

Allan Marion

Nice little stop. Be sure to bring hammer and rock chisel to maximize your experience harvesting stones. Kids enjoyed learning about the different types of rocks.

Cindy Fugaccia

Awesome collection of gorgeous coloured rocks right from their own mines! Also sell handmade jewellery made from stones/polished rocks

Chris Fouts

Open Victoria Day to Thanksgiving.

Jayne Lacroix

Very friendly, had a blast. :)

George Heitman

We've spent many hours with our kids digging around in the rocks out back and bringing home treasures.

n a

A little expensive for some rocks in a fenced in yard

matt oliver

Nice little store, large selection of imported stones that seem priced okay. (I'm not a geologist/gemologist but I spent $80). Friendly staff worth the 2 min drive our of Bancroft. Kids loved looking and talking about the different items.

Ronald LeBlanc

Great little gift shop with very friendly staff. Good selection for rock hobbyists and the more serious collector. Digging around in the tailings area was fun and my wife got a few nice specimins to add to her collection. Recommend this side trip if visiting Bancroft.

Brinley Arnou

Such a great selection went we visited this week! Didn’t expect to find the cool rocks we found.

Mike Dixon

great prices and fun for everyone

Luci Fer

The rock digging is a very fun activity for the family. For those looking to purchase rocks, the prices are extremely reasonable. Staff is awesome, very friendly and passionate about rocks; ready to answer any questions you have. I highly recommend ????????

Mark Deonauth

Great experience and friendly staff

P P

fun

Aubrey Hollen

I visited here every year as a child on vacation. I enjoyed taking a pale back every year to see what I could find. Nice place to visit.

Suzie kane

great! Some things are overpriced but that comes with the territory ;)

Andrew Parry

Always a great place to stop in and look around for fantastic finds!!! Staff are very interesting to talk to when answering any questions you may have.

Sarah Coleman

We loved it had a ton of fun and found some really pretty rocks including some amethyst and crystal clear quartz.