Johannesburg Travel Guide

Gold Reef City

This entertainment complex is essentially a theme park full of thrill rides, but was designed to be a re-creation of Victorian Johannesburg during the gold-rush era. The park, four miles (6km) south of the city centre via the M1 motorway, was built around the No.14 Crown mineshaft that began operations in 1887 and closed in 1975. During its production years 1,400 tons of gold came out of the shaft. Visitors can now descend into the old mine shaft to experience life at the rock face, and watch gold being poured and minted. Gold Reef City also houses a number of museums, and offers performances by traditional gumboot dancers. Youngsters particularly enjoy the rides like the Anaconda roller coaster and Thunder Mountain River Rapids. There are also plenty of restaurants, bars, a massive casino, and a Victorian hotel for those wanting to stay the night.