World Art Utopia

The Big Hole

The Big Hole in Kimberley, South Africa: a huge round pit with sheer rock walls and a turquoise lake at the bottom, ringed by green bushes
Artwork FileSouth Africa

The Big Hole

StandingAug 2026

No artist: dug by thousands of miners with picks and shovels, 1871–1914 · Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa

Photo: Rudolph Botha / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), as also published in Street Art Utopia.

The Big Hole is the open pit of the old Kimberley Mine in Kimberley, South Africa. Miners dug it with picks and shovels from 1871 until mining ended on 14 August 1914. It is 463 meters wide and was dug to 240 meters; debris later cut the depth to about 215 meters, and about 40 meters of water now fills the bottom. Source Source Source Source Checked

Standing Aug 2026: NovaNews reported that a De Beers stabilization and infrastructure upgrade program was under way at the Big Hole precinct. Some areas stay closed to the public, and completion is expected in 2028 or 2029. Source Checked

More photos

Old black-and-white panorama of the early Kimberley Mine at Colesberg Kopje: blocks of dug claims, small figures of diggers and hundreds of haulage ropes running to wooden staging on the rim.
1873 The mine in 1873, during the diamond rushPhoto: Unknown photographer (British Library scan from an 1873 book) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Tall stitched view down into the Big Hole: steep gray rock walls with little plant growth, a turquoise lake at the bottom and Kimberley's buildings on the rim.
1986 Bare walls and the lakePhoto: Gustav Neuenschwander (stitching: Pechristener) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Big Hole seen from the viewing platform: slopes covered in green bushes, an orange rock face on the right, a strip of green water at lower left and city towers on the skyline.
2025 Green, overgrown slopesPhoto: Ymblanter / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

đź’ˇ 4 things to know

  1. Dug with picks and shovelsDigging began in 1871, and thousands of prospectors arrived with only picks and shovels. Mining in the open pit ended on 14 August 1914. Source Source Source Checked
  2. Deep hole, green lakeThe pit was dug to 240 meters. Debris later filled it to about 215 meters, and about 40 meters of water has collected, so about 175 meters of the hole is visible. Source Source Checked
  3. Tons of rock, kilos of diamondsAbout 22.5 million tons of earth came out of the hole. It yielded 2,722 kilograms of diamonds. Source Source Source Checked
  4. Shoring up the slopesIn 2026 De Beers began large earthworks and engineering work to make the ground around the Big Hole more stable. It said the work would finish in 2028 or 2029. Source Checked

đź“Ť Where it is

The Big Hole visitor site is on Tucker Street in Kimberley. A viewing platform looks out over the pit, and there is a visitor center and an open-air Old Town. The official site lists hours of Monday to Sunday, 8:00 to 17:00 (closed Christmas Day), with guided tours every hour from 9:00 to 16:00. Adult entry was R160 as of March 2026. During the 2026 stabilization work, some parts of the precinct are closed. Source Source Source Source Checked

Open in Maps

Opens a Google Maps search for the coordinates (-28.73889, 24.75889); no Street View panorama was checked for this file.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1871

    Digging begins at the Kimberley Mine site · official site

  2. 1873

    Claims and haulage ropes at Colesberg Kopje, the early Kimberley Mine · photo from an 1873 book

  3. 191414 Aug

    Mining at the Big Hole ends · official site

  4. 1986

    Bare rock walls and the lake from the viewing area · camera date Feb 1986

  5. 200520 Mar

    The flooded pit, photographed by Rudolph Botha · camera date

  6. 200625 Nov

    New museum and viewing platform open · Showcaves

  7. 20255 Apr

    Green, overgrown slopes seen from the viewing platform · camera date

  8. 20266 Aug

    De Beers stabilization work under way · news

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark dated records and reports. Publication dates are not camera dates.

🗞️ In the sources

NovaNews (Noordkaap Bulletin)News, 6 Aug 2026

De Beers begins major stabilisation of Kimberley’s Big Hole

“Its history dates back 150 years to when thousands of prospectors arrived with only picks and shovels, eventually creating a massive cavity that reached a depth of 240 m.”

Read the source →

Showcaves.comGuide, info dated 2023

The Big Hole

“Today the Big Hole is about 215 m deep, but 40 m of groundwater leave only 175 m visible.”

Read the source →

âś… The facts

Location
Tucker Street, Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa Source Source Source Checked
Dug
1871 – 14 August 1914 Source Source Source Checked
Size
463 m (1,519 ft) wide; surface area 17 hectares Source Source Source Checked
Depth
Dug to 240 m; about 215 m after infill (official site: 214 m) Source Source Source Source Checked
Water
About 40 m deep, leaving about 175 m visible Source Source Checked
Yield
2,722 kg of diamonds from 22.5 million tons of earth Source Source Source Checked
Biggest hand-dug hole?
Long claimed; Jagersfontein Mine may be larger (lean: claim is contested) Source Source Source Conflicting
Status today
Museum and tourist site; De Beers stabilization work 2026 to 2028/2029 Source Source Checked

đź”— Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 5 November 2026. How we verify art