The Big Hole

Digging commenced at the Kimberley mine site in 1871. By the time mining ended on 14 August 1914, the mine had yielded 2722 kilograms of diamonds, extracted from 22,5 million tons of excavated earth. Today what remains is a massive crater 214 meters deep with a surface area of 17 hectares and a perimeter of 1,6 km. It is surrounded by original buildings from the heyday of the mine, relocated from earlier sites to form an unforgettable open air visitor experience.

The Kimberley Mine Museum is located at the rim of this hole, and is an open air museum, a small village showing the history of diamond mining at Kimberley.
On display is the largest uncut diamond in the world, the "616". Its name is its weight: 616 carats. Even better known because of its history is the "Eureka", the first diamond discovered in South Africa.

In 2006 De Beers invested R50 million (about USD 7.7 million) for the renovation of the Big Hole heritage site. The museum is modernized, with an audiovisual theatre and a cantilevered platform above the rim of the Big Hole that allows visitors a vertical view down into the hole, as its end is across the rim.