Kimberlite pipe "Big Hole" (Big Hall) - an open diamond mine in Kimberley last years. The first diamonds were found here on the hill of the members of the "party of the red hats" from the farm Kolesberga Vooruitzigt, owned by De Beers brothers. The ensuing diamond rush led to the creation of a small mining town Rush, later renamed to Kimberley. Since mid-July 1871 to 1914, 50 000 workers have dug a large pit hand picks and shovels, and produced 2720 kg of diamonds. Big Hole width of 463 m was excavated to a depth of 240 m, but then partially filled with debris, reducing the depth of 215 m. Since then he has collected about 40 meters of water, resulting in a visible left 175 meters of the pit. After ground operations have become too dangerous and unproductive, the company «De Beers» became mine kimberlite rocks in a closed mine at a depth of 1097 m.

In 1872, a year after the start of work, the camp population miners rose to 50 000 .  Many miners were killed in accidents in the mines, as well as due to diseases and unsanitary conditions at deficiency of water, fresh food and the intense summer heat .  March 13, 1888 the leaders of the various mines decided to merge the separate sites in one large pit and a great company known as «De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited» under control of Cecil John Rhodes, Alfred Beit and Barney Barnato .  This large company has worked on the Big Hole until it had reached a depth of 215 m with a surface area of ​​about 17 hectares and the perimeter 1, 6 km .  By August 14, 1914, when more than 22 million tons of earth were excavated and received almost 3000 kg of diamonds, the work at the mine has been stopped .  Currently, it is considered the largest mines in the ground dug by hand .  In 2005, researchers counted and found that hand-dug diamond mines Jagersfontein and Bultfontein, also found in South Africa, deeper and more Big Hole mine, but they were created with the use of earth-moving equipment, rather than purely manual labor .

Diamond mining in the Big Hall was closed in 1914. Over time, more and more tourists came to Kimberley to see the quarry that became tourist attraction. In 1960 it was decided to gather in one place the old buildings and organize the museum. In 1965 the company «De Beers» Basil Humphreys appointed consultant "Museum under the open sky early Kimberly" - with urban landscape, dioramas, exhibits of mining equipment and transport. The official opening of the museum took place during the celebration of a century of Kimberley in 1971.

The museum's collection is constantly updated with new exhibits since the diamond rush. Between 2002 and 2005 the company «De Beers» invested 50 million. To recreate the mining town, which once flourished around the "big holes" Kimberly, to attract tourists from around the world.