Gold panning tours, shops & clubs in Quebec
6 listings: 2 tourist panning, 1 prospecting supply, 1 club / association, 2 assay lab. Each names its source; verified ones were checked against the operator's own site or an official listing.
🎟️ Tourist panning
Centre d'interprétation de la mine d'or (CIMO)
Former Eastern Townships gold mine (1862–1960) turned interpretation centre at 200 route 257 Sud, near the New Hampshire border. Museum entry is free; $5 a person ($12 a family, cash) buys an initiation à la batée in Mining Creek, plus a suspension bridge and the old shaft. Late June–late August, Wednesday–Sunday 10–5.
Nearest public spot: Rivière Gilbert · ≈ 110 km
Source: Municipalité de Chartierville tourism page (season, prices, panning)
Cristal du Lac — Orpaillage
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean crystal-mining attraction (1840 route 169) with a guided gold-panning station: buy a bag with a set amount of real gold (from $16), pan it with a guide in 15–60 minutes and keep the gold and any stones. No reservation; all ages. Thursday–Sunday from mid-April, daily from late May.
Source: Official site — cristaldulac.com (orpaillage page)
🛒 Prospecting supply
Metalix
'Proudly Canadian' online detector store with a gold panning and prospecting section — pans, sluices, pumps, matting — plus Minelab, Garrett, Nokta and XP detectors.
Source: Official site — metalix.ca; Pincourt QC location per Canadian Treasure Seekers dealer list
🤝 Club / association
Association de l'exploration minière du Québec (AEMQ)
Quebec's mineral-exploration association, headquartered at 132 av. du Lac in Rouyn-Noranda in the heart of the Abitibi gold belt. Industry-facing (certification, annual Xplor convention), with a member directory that doubles as a who's-who of Abitibi prospectors and service firms.
Nearest public spot: Cité de l'Or · ≈ 94 km
Source: Official site — aemq.org (contact page)
🔬 Assay lab
Actlabs — Val-d'Or Assay Lab
Activation Laboratories' Abitibi assay lab at 150 rue Georges-Dumont: sample prep and fire assay for gold and precious metals with rapid turnaround.
Nearest public spot: Cité de l'Or · ≈ 1.3 km
Source: Official location page — actlabs.com
Laboratoire Expert
Family-owned Abitibi assay lab (750 rue Saguenay) since 2001: gold fire assay (geochem and gravimetric), metallic gold, base and critical metals. Rush results in 2 days, standard 3–7 days; custom quotes.
Nearest public spot: Cité de l'Or · ≈ 93 km
Source: Official site — labexpert.ca
Before you book or buy
Tourist panning operations run seasonally and many take bookings only by phone or email; supply shops in gold country often keep short winter hours. Assay labs quote per sample and want a proper submission form. Confirm on the operator's own site — the link on each card — before you drive.
New to Quebec? Read Gold Panning in Quebec first: it explains what a tourist pan lets you skip and what the rules are once you leave it.
Panned with one of these in Quebec?
Log the outing in LocalKarat. It starts private; share the story with your crew when you want.