Crater of Diamonds State Park, Public diamond mine in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.
Crater of Diamonds State Park is a public gemstone mine in the state of Arkansas where visitors dig for diamonds. The surface consists of volcanic rock and eroded soil scattered across roughly 37 acres.
Farmer John Huddleston found the first diamonds here in 1906 after noticing shiny crystals lying on his land. The site changed hands several times until Arkansas acquired it as a public park in 1972.
Visitors kneel on the ground and sift through shovel after shovel to find gemstones they can keep. The place becomes a destination for families who want to make a discovery together.
The field is open daily and admission allows unlimited searching through the soil with basic tools. Most visitors rent equipment on site or bring shovels and screens to improve their chances.
The place is the only mine in the world where anyone can dig for diamonds without special permission and keep their finds. Since opening as a park, over 75,000 diamonds have been discovered here, including stones in yellow, brown, and rarely white.
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