Mogo boasted 38 Shanty Pubs during the height of the gold-rush, ranging from shanties to sly grog tents.
The Original Gold Rush Colony's Mogo Inn is reconstructed from the Majors Creek Hotel, when the timbers were donated by then owner Hugh McLaren. Shanties were the centre of social activities during the gold-rush, partly as a result of the wealth of the miners  and loneliness of the men who outnumbered women by about six to one.

Fossikers completed most of their transactions using gold dust or "mustard". Publicans would heavily discount the gold price because the responsibility of handing over the gold, in accordance with the law, then rested on his shoulders.
The possession of quantities of gold also meant that a publican could become a target for bushrangers, such as the notorious Clarke Brothers.The publicans were not averse to "shaking down" their customers and often placed mats along the front of the bar to pick up any dust inadvertently spilt. Many diggers were of the belief that the gold was never going to run out and therefore were quite profligate with their wealth.

The more sophisticated shanties were often the best place to get a bath, which were said to have been refilled after every tenth bather.

Multiple choice menus would have been just a figment of the imagination when one walked into a Mogo tavern in 1855. All that would have been available was a stew, often called "Potluck". Stews were standard fare because the expense and shortage of food meant that nothing was wasted. The best way to present food that was well past its use by date was to put it in a large pot along with lots of salt and flavouring and leave it simmering.

The Mogo Inn Shanty pub has a picture of a waterwheel driven pit saw, and a pit saw in perfect condition as part of the display tribute to the logging industry.