Mineral World & Scratch Patch
9891 Seaport Place, Sidney, BC, V8L 4X3
250-655-4367 | Website
Looking for an alternative to your average sightseeing opportunity? Try Mineral World & Scratch Patch for a unique experience that will fill your head with facts and your pockets with gemstones!
Category:
Recreation Location
What:
| Payment | | Interac, MasterCard, American Express, Visa, Cash |
Where:
| Neighbourhood | | Victoria |
| Getting There | | 25 km north of Victoria, down highway 17, in Sidney-by-the-sea. |
| Cross Street | | Beacon Avenue |
When:
| Monday to Saturday 9:30AM to 6PM, Sunday 11AM to 5PM |
Profile Last Updated: May 12, 2008
Call it the Klondike of the South
The Scratch Patch is an outdoor amusement park for the geologically obsessed. This 1800-square foot seaside garden contains two gold-panning pools, a pond filled with tropical shells, and eighty different varieties of gemstones including jasper, malachite, aquamarine, and fire agate! Admission is free, and for a nominal fee you can buy a collector’s bag that’s yours to fill with as many gems as you can cram in.
For the Inquisitive Excavator…
The onsite Interpretive Centre also offers free admission. Inside you’ll find an assortment of hands-on activities that will teach you all about the Earth, minerals, meteorites, and the gems you’ve uncovered. You can test the weight of a gold bar, or see fossilized bugs trapped in amber. There are more than 30 amazing exhibits. Don’t miss the summer Dino Digs, where you can dig up and keep real fossils –some of which are over 400 million years old!
Extra-Special Souvenirs
On your way home don’t forget to check out the Scratch Patch jewellery store. It sells stone art, gifts, and a huge variety of gemstones and fossils from around the world. Pick up a soapstone carving from Zimbabwe, beautifully embroidered clothing, or a kids science kit. There’s something for everyone.
The Scratch Patch is an outdoor amusement park for the geologically obsessed. This 1800-square foot seaside garden contains two gold-panning pools, a pond filled with tropical shells, and eighty different varieties of gemstones including jasper, malachite, aquamarine, and fire agate! Admission is free, and for a nominal fee you can buy a collector’s bag that’s yours to fill with as many gems as you can cram in.
For the Inquisitive Excavator…
The onsite Interpretive Centre also offers free admission. Inside you’ll find an assortment of hands-on activities that will teach you all about the Earth, minerals, meteorites, and the gems you’ve uncovered. You can test the weight of a gold bar, or see fossilized bugs trapped in amber. There are more than 30 amazing exhibits. Don’t miss the summer Dino Digs, where you can dig up and keep real fossils –some of which are over 400 million years old!
Extra-Special Souvenirs
On your way home don’t forget to check out the Scratch Patch jewellery store. It sells stone art, gifts, and a huge variety of gemstones and fossils from around the world. Pick up a soapstone carving from Zimbabwe, beautifully embroidered clothing, or a kids science kit. There’s something for everyone.
Details
Shopping: Onsite store sells a variety of jewelry, art and clothing.
