west virginia mine tour

Pennies, Places, and Paws

Saving pennies to go places and spoil your paws

Visit Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. This site also contains affiliate links to products besides Amazon and we may also receive a commission for purchases made through those links too (at no additional cost to you).

Tour Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine

For a truly unique experience in West Virginia, make a point to visit Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine . Take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a guided cart tour into a real coal mine that is led by a veteran miner! Learn about the mining process and the day-to-day lives of those that worked and lived in the coal camps. This is an awesome way to learn about the vital role coal mining played in the region and see how it still affects the area today.  

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is in Beckley West Virginia. For only $22 per person, you will get a guided tour into a real coal mine, access to the coal museum and Youth Museum along with several buildings from the coal camp and Mountain Homestead . Depending on how much time you spend exploring the buildings and museums you can expect to spend anywhere between 2- 4 hours at this stop. The Exhibition Coal Mine is currently open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. They are closed during the winter months.

Places to Stay

Depending on what else you are planning to do in the area, you can easily find a place to pitch your tent because there is no shortage of gorgeous state parks and campgrounds in West Virginia. There is even a campground onsite ! There are 17 electric sites available and each costs around $30/night.  

If you would rather spend the night in a hotel room, please feel free to use our link below to find the perfect one for you.

Things to Do

There are plenty of things to do and see with your ticket to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. Your ticket will also get you into the Youth Museum and the Mountain Homestead. This means you will have access to the mine tour, restored buildings, museums, and interactive play and puzzle stations for plenty of fun!

The Company Store

When you first pull into the parking lot, the first building you will enter is called the Company Store. This is where you will buy your entrance ticket. The counter is just to your left when you walk into the main doors. Behind the ticket counter is the gift shop area, though some items do overflow into the main room. You will also find some smaller displays in the main room like a diagram of the coal mining camp and information about the mining tour and Youth Museum.

The gift shop is full of fun souvenirs and Knick-knacks. They have a nice selection of local crafts such as handmade soaps, jellies, and sauces. They also have gemstones, coal figures, blankets, clothing, books, and numerous other items for sale. We were able to find some great Christmas gifts for our family and friends!

Beckley Coal Mine Museum

The Beckley Coal Mine Museum is located on the top floor of the Company Store where you buy your tickets. You can either take the stairs or the elevator to the 2 nd floor. There have several displays that show the tools they used in the mines, and how they spent their few workfree hours. There are also a few features of different notable individual miners. This is a great place to learn about the lives of the miners and their families in the coal camps.

Coal Mine Tour

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine Tour is the main highlight of this attraction. The cart tour will last around 35 minutes depending on guest interactions and questions during the ride. You may want to bring a light jacket or sweatshirt for the tour because the mine typically stays around 58 degrees.  

Once you are seated inside the cart and go over the basic safety rules (stay seated and always keep your arms in!) you will start heading into the mine. Your guide will stop the cart at different spots to explain the different mining methods and types of equipment miners used. Each stop has a display or equipment set up to help you visualize what working in the mine was like.

This coal mine tour is different from others because you get to ride a cart into a real coal mine led by an actual veteran coal miner. This means that you will get to hear real-life stories and firsthand personal experiences while learning all about the history of coal mining. Our guide did a great job educating us on the day-to-day lives of coal miners and we would have loved to spend more time on the tour with him.

Tips: This tour may be a little difficult for small children to sit through so you may want to consider letting them skip the tour if they have short attention spans.

Tip: Try to sit towards the front of the cart as it can be difficult to hear the guide if the other guests are talking.

Coal Camp Exhibits

Just past the carts for the coal mine tours, a path will lead to several different restored buildings from the coal camp. The path does split giving you a choice between turning left or right. If you go to the left, you will pass by the short path to the Miner’s Shanty, allowing you to see how single miners lived.

Continue to travel down the main path in that direction to visit the Superintendent’s house and see the gigantic difference in living situations by status. Inside this house, you can see rooms set up to showcase how the coal families of Superintendent’s lived. There are also rooms set up to look like a barbershop or other offices that would have been needed in the camp.

The last building you will encounter before you will have to turn around is the schoolhouse.

 If you choose to go right at the original split in the path when you start, you will be able to see a miner’s family house and the church. Continuing past the church will take you to the Youth Museum and Mountain Homestead.  

Tip: When you reach the fork in the path, head to the left so you don’t have to backtrack too much to see all the buildings.

Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia

The Youth Museum is a smaller building that currently houses a Thomas the Train exhibit where kids can play at different interactive stations inside. This area is perfect for small children to play and get some of their energy out. If you are too old for Thomas the Train, don’t worry, there is something for you too! They have a room full of brain teasers waiting for you to solve. It took four of us adults over an hour to be able to solve each puzzle! There is another small gift shop along with bathrooms inside.

Mountain Homestead

Behind the Youth Museum are several buildings that make up the Mountain Homestead area. Take a trip back to the late 1800s and early 1900s while you visit this mountain settlement. They have interpretive guides on the property to explain how people use to live and they are full of some amazing facts. The one that stood out to us the most was that the people in the settlement used to use wet corn cobs as toilet paper!

In the log house, you can test out several toys that children used to play with. You can also visit a general store, a one-room schoolhouse, and a weaver’s shed. The guides do a great job bringing it all to life!

Nearby Attractions

West Virginia is an outdoor lover’s dream! Just a short drive away you can find countless parks such as Babcock State Park , New River Gorge National Park , and Monongahela National Forest . If you are looking for something more daring than hiking in the mountains or even rock climbing, I cannot recommend white water rafting with New & Gauley River Adventures enough for a wonderful and safe adrenaline rush.

Why You Should Visit:

If you love learning about the history and culture of different states in the U.S, you should visit Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. Take a cart tour into a mine with an ex-miner to hear firsthand what it took to be a coal miner and to live in the coal camps. Explore several restored buildings from a coal camp and then head next door to the Youth Museum and have some fun solving mind puzzles or playing with your kids with Thomas the Train. You can even learn about mountain settlers in the Mountain Homestead section behind the Youth Museum. This is a great spot to learn more about why West Virginians are so resilient and self-sufficient today.

Pin For Later:

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

Tiffany M. Smith is a retired zookeeper, passionate pet owner, and obsessive traveler who loves to show pet owners how to have happy, healthy pets and amazing adventures!

Similar Posts

Winter Activities in Toledo Ohio

Looking for fun winter activities in Toledo Ohio? Whether you are willing to brave the cold or prefer to remain indoors there are plenty of options available!

Adventure Mining Company: Where Adventure Begins

If you are looking for a unique copper mine tour then bring your dog to Adventure Mining Company! No dog? Book a tour that lets you rappel deeper into the mine.

Kentucky’s Puppy Paradise: Exploring Red River Gorge’s Dog-Friendly Trails with Your Pup

Red River Gorge is a beautiful area for outdoor enthusiasts. Admire the natural arches and other outdoor activities. As an added bonus, the park is dog friendly!

Is the Seminary Ridge Museum Worth a Trip?

Find out what to expect when you are visiting the Seminary Ridge Museum. Learn about the type of exhibits, activities available, & how long it takes to visit.

Visit Louisville’s Thomas Edison House

Thomas Edison House is a small historic building where you can take a private, personalized tour to learn about Thomas Edison and his more famous inventions.

Celebrate International Polar Bear Day

Why celebrate International Polar Bear Day? It’s to help people learn and care about the bears so they will want to help save them through conservation efforts.

Explore An Old Coal Mine 1500-Feet Into The Mountain On This Train Ride In West Virginia

If she isn't writing, hiking, teaching, or gardening, Cristy is probably busy enjoying a good book and a big bowl of ice cream.

More by this Author

What do you think of when you think of West Virginia? Maybe it’s country roads. Maybe it’s deep gorges, wild rivers, and rugged mountain slopes. Maybe it’s your childhood. Maybe it’s pepperoni rolls. Maybe it’s coal.

Related Stories

This West Virginia Train Ride Is The Most Breathtaking Way To Chase A Waterfall

Journey Through West Virginia's Stunning Fall Colors On The Autumn Colors Express Train

Walk Straight Through A Mountain On This West Virginia Cavern Tour

With thousands of visitors each year, this coal mine merits a spot on the bucket list! But bring a light jacket – the mine stays a cool 58 degrees year-round. For more information, visit the City of Beckley’s website . If you love the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, you’ll also love West Virginia’s Boone County Coal Heritage Museum .

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Want more West Virginia in your inbox?

Get the latest on things to see, do, and eat around West Virginia!

Thank you! You will receive your first email soon.

An error occured.

Related Articles

• The Sweet Story Behind The Massive, WWII-Era French Oak Trees Growing In West Virginia
• The Scenic Train Ride In West Virginia That Runs Year-Round
• The One Fall Foliage Train Ride Through West Virginia You'll Want To Take Each And Every Year
• Not Many Know About The Donations-Only Train Ride You Can Take In West Virginia
• The Entire Marshall University Campus Tour Can Now Be Taken From Your Couch
• Take A Vintage Train Ride To This Remote Waterfall In West Virginia
• The West Virginia Cave Tour In The Greenbrier Valley That Belongs On Your Bucket List
• Take An Epic Tour Of Snowshoe Mountain On Horseback With Autumn Breeze Stables In West Virginia

Explore West Virginia

• Arts & Entertainment
• Farms & Wildlife
• Fun Adventures
• Shops & Boutiques
• Sights & Landmarks

Featured Addresses

Appalachian Arts & Crafts Fair – August 2 – 3, 2024

Meet your 2024 Appalachian Festival Queen

Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine Tours

• Add to Timely Calendar
• Add to Google
• Add to Outlook
• Add to Apple Calendar
• Add to other calendar
• Export to XML

Tour underground, visit the Coal Camp, the Museum and the Gift Shop stocked with West Virginia items & freshly made fudge in a variety of flavors. The hands-on exhibitions and underground coal mining tour offer wonderful opportunities for our visitors to learn, explore, interact and share.

As the focal points of the City’s lovely New River Park, the Exhibition Coal Mine and the Youth Museum draw thousands of people to the area annually.  The unique underground mine, the recreated coal camp, the Youth Museum and the Mountain Homestead are surrounded by inviting lawns, colorful flowers, picnic areas, an imposing coal miner statue and a whimsical 20 ft. “Peace Totem”.

At the Exhibition Coal Mine, one can ride through the dark passages of a vintage coal mine. The guides are veteran miners and provide firsthand accounts of the daily responsibilities and travail of past and present day miners.

In addition to the Mine, one can tour the period coal camp buildings situated throughout the grounds.  Lovingly restored, the Coal Company House, Superintendent’s Home, Pemberton Coal Camp Church, and the Helen Coal Camp School, give visitors a true representation of early 20 th century coal camp life.

Visit during the Appalachian Festival and receive a Discount Admission Ticket Price

© Appalachian Festival | Website by Cucumber & Company | Privacy Policy | Sitemap

Search Website:

• 1-800-847-4898
• Get Your Free Travel Guide
• Cabin & Vacation Rentals
• Hotels & Motels
• Bed and Breakfasts
• Campgrounds
• Conference Facilities
• Retreat Center
• Fairs and Festivals
• Wine, Beer & Spirits
• Performing Arts
• History / Heritage
• State Attractions
• Whitewater Rafting
• Unique Shopping
• Dining In Southern West Virginia
• Spas and Massage
• Farms and Farmers Market
• Group Tour Planner
• Transportation
• Meeting Planner
• Plan Your West Virginia Wedding
• Brochures and Guides
• Motorcycle Touring
• Relocation / Education
• Visitor Services
• Business Services
• Fayette County
• Raleigh County
• McDowell County
• Mercer County
• Summers County
• Monroe County
• Nicholas County
• Greenbrier County
• Wyoming County
• West Virginia Travel Planner

Coal Mining Heritage

Southern West Virginia is rich in coal and railroad history. We invite you to take a walk down our “heritage lane,” where you’ll learn about coal mining and visit a town that was once only reachable by rail.

• Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine
• Nuttallburg
• Discover History Deep in the Mines, or among Abandoned Ghost Town Ruins

The Phillips-Sprague Mine opened in 1889, was commercially developed in 1905, and shipped out its first load of coal in January 1906. Operation ceased in 1953 and the mine was sold to the City of Beckley. The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine opened in 1962; it then began offering a history lesson on mining coal in Appalachia. This was the first historic site dedicated to educating the public on coal mining.

Today, the Beckley Exhibition Mine takes you 1,500 feet underground in “man trips” operated by veteran miners. You will learn how coal was mined in the 1800’s and how it is mined today.

This historic town was once the largest commercial center of the New River Coal Fields. The Mount Hope Historic District and the New River Company General Office Building are on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1910, Mount Hope was almost completely destroyed by fire; the town lost 40 businesses and 150 dwellings. The town was rebuilt quickly, rising from the ashes, and was popularly known as ‘The Phoenix City’ for decades. A walking tour of the town will show many examples of grand structures built by coal barons and coal companies. There are interpretive kiosks, a mural, coal monument and a display of ‘Famous New River Smokeless Coal.’

In its heyday, Thurmond boasted a population of over 700 people (now less than a dozen), had the richest bank, and had the highest revenue in the state. The now restored Depot, which serves as a National Park Service Visitors Center, once serviced 95,000 people a year. “Matewan” was also filmed in Thurmond.

Nuttallburg was a mining camp developed to establish the New River Coalfield by John Nuttall. Mr. Nuttall, anticipating that the C & O Railroad would be built through the New River Gorge, bought this property in 1870. By the time the railroad came through in 1873 he had already built 100 houses, 80 coke ovens and a coal tipple. The Nuttall family sold the mine and town to Henry Ford in 1920, who then ran the operation until 1928 under the name Fordson Coal Company. The last operator of the Nuttallburg mine was the Maryland New River Coal Co. They closed the mine around 1950, though a few contractors tried to keep the mine open until around 1952. The post office, opened in 1893, closed in 1955, and the train depot in 1962. The town was abandoned shortly thereafter. Nuttallburg is directly across the river from Kaymoor – another abandoned mining town with ruins to be explored.

The National Park Service completed a restoration project in Nuttallburg in September 2011. Today, the abandoned coke ovens, ruins of the company store and other structures can be visited. Signage and park ranger tours are available.

Travel Guide

Outdoor thrills. Southern-style eats. Cozy hospitality. Unique tradition. Rich heritage. …and kind folks eager to share it all with you. Discover the heartland of “Almost Heaven.”

Mining Museums and Tours

Date: August 29, 2016

Last Updated on November 17, 2023

There are opportunities all over the country to visit mines and mining museums and learn more about U.S. mining. The following lists information on mining tours and museums in the United States and Canada.

If you have information on a mining tour, museum or other educational resource that you would like to share contact: Ashley Burke, (202) 463-2642, [email protected]

Usibelli Coal Mine Healy, Alaska

Tours are available during summer months by appointment. For tour information, call 907-683-2226.

This giant mine along the Nenana River feeds six power plants in Interior Alaska and ships 750,000 tons of coal down the Alaska Railroad to Seward.

Information on Mining Tours in Alaska

This page lists many of the exciting tours offered in Alaska. It also includes phone numbers for more information and admission costs.

Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum 1502 W. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 602-255-3791

Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm., Sat, 11am-4pm.

Free Admission Extensive collection of mineral specimens. Historic headframe and mine train.

Asarco Mineral Discovery Center  1421 W Pima Mine Road Sahuarita, AZ 85629 (520) 625-7513

Tues-Sat, 9am-5pm

Open Pit Mine & mill tour rates: Adults $6; Children $4

No charge to the Mineral Discovery Center exhibits & theater. Open-pit mine & mill tours available, exhibits on geology, mining & uses of minerals; historic & present-day mining equipment, view videos, gift shop.

Copper Queen Mine Underground Tour 118 Arizona Street Bisbee, AZ 85603 (520) 432-2071 1-866-432-2071

Daily tours: 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 2:00, 3:30, Adults: $8.00 Youth (7-11): $3.50 Children (3-6) : $2.00 Children under 3 : free

Explore one of the oldest copper mines in Arizona. Former miners show how turn-of-the-century mines were operated. Avg. temperature in mine 47 degrees.

Copper Queen Mine Tours B  (Historic District and Surface Mine Tours) 118 Arizona Street Bisbee, AZ 85603 (520) 432-2071 1-866-432-2071

Daily tours: 10:30am, noon, 2pm, 3:30 pm Tour Price: $7.00, children under 3 are free.

This is a narrated van tour that takes you to the leaching plant, mine shafts, atop dumps, around the perimeter of the pit, and through the city as turn-of-the-century architecture.

Phelps Dodge Bagdad Contact: Bob Delgado at 928-633-3490

Phelps Dodge arranges tours for individuals and groups.

U.S. Borax 14486 Borax Road Boron, CA 93516 (760) 762-7588

U.S. Borax has a Visitor Center that overlooks its active boron mine, the largest open pit mine in California. The visitor center is free and open seven days a week (excluding major holidays) from 9-5. Parking is also free and accessible to RVs.

Estevan Mine For more information contact: Estevan Tourism (306) 634-6044

Free tour, please call 306-643-6044 for more information. The Shand Power Plant provides a free guided mine / power plant tour. The mine runs two tours daily, in the morning and the afternoon. The tours can accommodate groups of twelve.

The #2 Mine Tour and Museum

Bell Island #2 Mine and Community Museum, 13 Compressor Hill, Bell Island, NL A0A 4H0

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, June 1 to September 30

Tel: 709-488-2880 Toll Free: 1-888-338-2880

Lebanon Mine 1106 Rost St. Georgetown, CO

1-800-691-4FUN 303-569-2403 (Accessible only aboard the Georgetown Loop Railroad)

9:20-4pm Daily Adults $6 for mine tour plus $14.40 for train. Children 3-15 are $4 plus $9.50 for train. The mine tour is available via the Georgetown Loop Railroad except the last departure of the day.

National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum   120 W. 9th St. Leadville, CO 719-486-1229

Summer (May-October): 9-5, daily Winter (November-April): 9-5pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Adults: $10 Seniors (65+): $9 Students (6+, college students included): $8 Children under six: Free.

Converted school offers 12 rooms of displays, models, mine replicas, historic photographs and other mining treasures. Spectacular mineral collection.

Old Hundred Mine  PO Box 430 Silverton, CO 81433 1-800-872-3009

Daily tours: 10am-4pm. Adults: $13.95 Children (5-12): $6.95 Under 5 (held on lap): Free Seniors (60+): $12.95

Children on tour can pan free for silver and gold in Old Hundred sluice box. Tours run about 55 minutes. Picnic area, snacks and gift shop.

Western Museum of Mining & Industry  225 North Gate Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80921 (719) 488-0880

Mon-Sat: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults: $9 Military/AAA: $8 Students: $7 Children (4-12): $5 3 and under: free with paid adult Museum Members: free

Museum collects, restores and display mining artifacts. Actual operation of steam engines, drills, pumps and other mining equipment. Four museum buildings and outdoor displays.

Dahlonega Gold Museum 1 Public Square, Dahlonega, GA (706) 864-2257

Mon-Sat: 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Adults: $8.50 Seniors:$8 Youth (7-17): $6 Children (6 & under): Free

See the collection of artifacts from the U.S.’s first gold rush, twenty years prior to the California gold rush.

Pine Mountain Gold Museum 1881 Stockmar Road, Villa Rica, GA (678) 840-1445

Tues-Sat: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adult: $5 Senior: $4 Children (3-12): $4 Military/First-Responders: $4 Student $4, Children (2 & under): Free

Sitting on an actual gold mine with gold panning on site, this museum houses gold mining and regional artifacts dating as far back as 12,000 BC.

Consolidated Gold Mine Tour 185 Consolidated Gold Mine Road, Dahlonega, GA (706) 864-8473

Offers a tour of a gold mine and gold panning on site.

Georgia Marble Museum 1985 Kennesaw Ave., Nelson, GA (770) 735-2211

Mon-Fri: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Open Pit Mining Tours available only in early October.

Once a year during the Georgia Marble Festival, the museum offers a tour of the world’s largest open pit marble quarry at Polycor Georgia Marble Company’s Tate operation.

Crystal Gold Mine  51931 Silver Valley Road Kellog, ID (208) 783-GOLD

9-6pm daily. Seniors: $8.50 Adults: $10

Tour an authentic 1880s underground gold mine. See crystal and stalactite formations; mining artifacts.

Sierra Silver Mine Underground Tour 420 5th St. Wallace, ID (208) 752-5151

Daily every 30 minutes, 9-4. (July & August until 6 p.m.) (No Children Under 4) 1 hour 15 minutes Adults,$8; Seniors,$7; Children, 4-16, $6.50. Children (6-11): $2 Children under six: Free

Trolley takes you to the minesite. An experienced miner guides you as you witness exhibits, methods & techniques for hard-rock silver mining.

Western Wallace District Mining Museum 509 Bank St. Wallace, ID (208) 556-1592

(July-August) 8-8, daily. Adults, $2; Seniors $1.50; Children $.50 See artifacts from historic silver and mining era.

Museum of Science and Industry 57th and Lake Shore Dr Chicago, IL (773) 684-1414

May 30-Sept 4- 9:30-5:50 daily. Adults: $9 Seniors: $7.50 Children (3-11): $5

Visit the Old Ben #17 Coal mine shaft and learn about the development, and history of coal and coal mining.

Kansas Underground Salt Museum Hutchinson, Kansas (620) 662-1425, Toll Free: 866-755-3450

Email:  [email protected]

Winter Hours: Tuesday-Friday Open 9-5 Tours for General Public at 10:00, 11:40, 1:00, 3:00 Additional times offered as demand requires. Please check the web site for Summer hours $13.50 – Regular Ticket $8.50 – Children 4 – 12 Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the mine.

Visitors who bring a Cosmosphere ticket stub from the past 30 days receive a discount to the Kansas Underground Salt Musuem. Visitors can also redeem their ticket from the Salt Museum at the Cosmosphere for a discounted admission.

Kentucky Coal Mining Museum Benham, KY and Lynch, KY (606) 848-1530

Mon-Sat: 10-5 Sun: 1-4pm Adults: $5 Children: $2.50 Seniors: $4

Guided or self-guided tours available; you’ll get a feel for what it was like to live, work, and play at these unique camps in Benham and Lynch.

A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum  Michigan Tech 1400 Townsend Dr. 5th Floor EERC Bldg. Houghton, MI

Mon – Fri: 9-4:30 Sat: noon-4

Free admission, donations accepted. Famous for world-class collection of Lake Superior copper and iron district minerals. 60,000 specimens from around the world.

Michigan Iron Industry Museum 73 Forge Road Negaunee, MI 49866

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum highlights the state’s iron mining industry, which has flourished for more than 125 years. The museum tells the story of the industry and the people who worked in it.

Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area  PO Box 404 Ironton, MN 56455 (218) 546-5926

Daily 8am-4pm Check website for further details.

Tour the Croft Mine historical park, with its historic buildings, underground iron mine tour, museum and gift shop, as well as other recreational activities such as fishing, and canoeing.

Hill Annex Mine State Park  PO Box 376 Calumet, MN 55716 (218) 247-7215

Daily 9am-5pm Check website for further details.

Tour of iron ore mine and facilities (museum, historic site, picnic area, scenic overlook, fossil hunt, and gift shop).

Iron World Discovery Center  Highway 169 West Chisolm, MN

Daily 9:30-5pm Adults: $8 Seniors: $7 Students: $6 Family Pass: $30 Children under 7: Free

Dramatic glass and steel museum perched on open pit iron mine. Relates iron mining history through lifelike displays and audio, including living history tapes.

Minnesota Museum of Mining   900 Lake Street West Chisolm, MN 55719 (218) 254-5543

Memorial Day-Labor Day: 9am-6pm Adults: $3 Family: $8.00 Students: $2 Special requests and tours available Group reservations call: 218-254-7158

View the museum’s historic mining equipment, simulated underground mine, gift shop and event grounds.

Soudan Underground Mine State Park  P.O. Box 335 Soudan, MN 55782 Phone (218) 753-2245 Fax (218) 753-2246

Please see website for more information. We offer an underground tour of the mine, which takes visitors 2341 feet below the surface, and then 3/4 of a mile to the stope area.

Taconite Mine Tours  Hibbing, Taconite is located near Chisolm on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range.

Wed. & Thur: noon. Advance reservations are encouraged. Contact Ironworld Discovery Center. Children must be 10 years or older and accompanied by an adult. Admission: $6 per person. Please see website for more information.

You’ll visit the mine, the concentrator & the agglomerator. Slacks & comfortable shoes are recommended. Hard hats, safety glasses and earplugs will be furnished.

Missouri Mines State Historic Site  St. Joe State Park in Old Lead Belt, Southeast Missouri (573) 431-6226

Mon-Sat: 10-4 Sun: 12-7pm Adults: $2 Children 6-12: $1.25 Under 6: Free Groups of 15+: Adults: $1; Children: $.50. Check website for more information.

On weekends, a miner–retired from the property–is present for tours. 12-minute film from St. Joe Lead Co., which had operated the site.

Tri-State Mineral Museum  Schifferdecker Park corner of 7th and Chifferdecker Ave. Joplin, MI (417) 623-2341

Open year round Mon-Sat: 10-5 Sun: 2-5pm Adults: $2 Family rate: $5 Group rates available Free admission on Tuesdays For more information or to schedule a group tour, please contact the Museum at 417-623-2341.

Mineral specimens and memorabilia focusing on mining and minerals in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

World Museum of Mining 155 Museum Way P.O. Box 33 Butte, MT 59703 406-723-7211 (April 1 – October 31)

9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4:30) $8.50 adults, $5 children 5-17 years old, $7.50 Seniors over 65 Please call for school groups.

Guides for tours of the museum can be arranged at $25 plus admission. One-day mining history and geology trips, escorted by a geologist, available summer 2004.

One of very few mining museums on the site of an underground metal mine. Extensive collection of artifacts in outdoor mine yard, including original 100-foot-high headframe of Orphan Girl mine; museum in Orphan Girl hoist room. Lecture Series in summer and fall. Thousands of period artifacts in Hellroaring Gulch, 1890’s mining town with 50 buildings; Garrett mineral collection. Special Events, educational programs, and outreach available.

Bannack State Park 4200 Bannack Rd Dillon, MT 59725 (406) 834-3413

The best preserved ghost town west of the Mississippi, Bannack State Park is the site of the first major gold rush in Montana. Over 60 Historic structures still stand and are open for you to explore. During the summer months they offer free town tours every day, and gold panning. On the weekends, they offer the same free tours and a tour of our mill for $4 a person. Just stop by the visitors center for more information, or give them a call at (406) 834-3413.

North Dakota

Beulah Mine Beulah, ND

Tours available by appointment. Call Dakota Westmoreland Corporation in Beulah at (701) 873-4333

Owned and operated by the Dakota Westmoreland Corporation, Beulah, ND. Supplies lignite to the Coyote Station and Heskett Station. Domestic lignite also available.

Center Mine Center, ND

Tours available by appointment Monday through Friday. Contact the mine at (701) 794-8734.

Owned and operated by BNI Coal, Ltd., Center, ND (a subsidiary of Minnesota Power, Duluth, MN). Supplies lignite to the Milton R. Young Station, Center, ND.

Falkirk Mine Underwood, ND

Tours available by appointment Monday through Friday (24-hour notice required). Contact Falkirk at (701) 442-5751.

Operated by The Falkirk Mining Company (a subsidiary of The North American Coal Corporation, Dallas, TX), Underwood, ND. Supplies lignite to the Coal Creek Station.

Freedom Mine Beulah, ND

Tours available Monday-Friday by appointment (24-hour notice required). Call Coteau at (701) 873-2281.

Supplies lignite to the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, Antelope Valley Station, Leland Olds Station and Stanton Station. The largest lignite mine in the United States, operating two 120-cubic-yard draglines and a fleet of 200-ton overburden trucks.

W.M. Keck Museum Mackay School of Mines University of Nevada, Reno (775) 784-4528

Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed weekends and university holidays. Group tours available – please call for appointments. Admission is free.

Founded in 1908, this museum hosts a spectacular collection of minerals, rocks, fossils and mining artifacts. Exhibits span three floors.

Barrick Gold of North America Community Relations [email protected] (775) 748-1000

Group tour requests are accommodated when possible. Reservations are required; please give 6-8 weeks advance notice. Inquire via email or phone.

Tours are arranged by inquiry and site visited and areas toured will be determined by the topic(s) of interest for the inquiring group.

McCaw School of Mines Henderson, NV 703-779-8930

Call 702-779-8930 for further information, or visit their website.

4,500 sq. ft. structure portrays the history & importance of mining in Nevada. Includes a simulated tunnel connecting 4 interior alcoves that depict: historical mining, mining in Nevada, geology & minerals and modern day mining. The McCaw School of Mines is an introduction to mining for elementary school students.

Newmont Mining Corporation Elko, Nevada 702-635-4302

Second Tuesday of the month throughout the season Depart 9 a.m. from museum; returns to museum at noon. 12 & up only. Call 702-635-4302 for information. Reservations required 24 hours in advance.

Tour the Newmont Mining Corporation, the largest gold producer in North America and second largest in the world.

Newmont Mining Corporation Winnemucca, Nevada (775) 635-4302

Tours offered on the third Thursday of each month. Tours depart from the Lone Tree mine at 9:00 a.m. and return at noon. 12 & up only.

Reservations required at least 48 hours in advance. Long pants and closed-toe shoes required. Call (775) 635-4302 for reservations or more information.

Newmont Mining Corporation Elko, Nevada (775) 778-4068

Tours offered on the second Tuesday of the month, April through October. Tours depart from the Northeastern Nevada Museum at 9:00 a.m. and return at noon. 12 & up only.

Reservations required at least 48 hours in advance. Closed-toe shoes required. Call (775) 778-4068 for reservations or more information.

Tonopah Historic Mining Park Located on a hillside above Tonopah, NV (775) 482-9274

Walking tours conducted on weekends and by appointment. Call 1-775-482-9274 for information and reservations.

Visit 80 acres of century-old mining works; many of the buildings house original equipment. Tour the Visitors Center which is filled with mining info. Gold and silver deposit started the first great mining camp of 20th century.

Sterling Hill Mine and Mining Museum 20 Plant St. Ogdensburg, NJ 973-209-7212

Apr-Now: Daily tours, 11am July-Aug: Daily tours at 1 pm & 3pm. Adults: $9, Seniors: $8, Children: $6

Extensive and interesting mining memorabilia in museum; mine displays beautiful fluorescent minerals for which the mine is famous.

Grants Mining Museum 100 N. Iron Ave. Grants, NM 1-800-748-2142 505-287-4802

Mon-Sat: 9-4, closed Sun Adults: $3, Children 7-18: $2, Under 7: Free

Groups and tour guides by appointment. Please call 1-800-748-2142 or 505-287-4802, or visit their website for more information. Tour the only uranium mining museum in the world. Underground conditions are recreated and domed in white stone and glass museum. Gems & minerals displayed from around the world.

Pennsylvania

Windber Coal Heritage Center 501 15th Street Windber, PA 15963-0115 Phone: (814) 467-6680 Toll-free: (877) 826-3933 Email:  [email protected]

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm. Operating Season: Wednesday, May 1 – Wednesday, October 31 (often extended through Dec. 31st)

The Windber Coal Heritage Center tells the story of a unique kind of community in our country – a community which was created and maintained by industry, devoted to serving that industry and the people it employed.

Pennsylvania State Univ. Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery 112 Steidle Bldg. Pollock Rd State College, PA 814-865-6427

Free admission. Mon-Fri: 9-5pm, Sat-Sun: 1-5pm. Tour the museum’s fine display of minerals, fossils & artifacts. A most extensive collection of paintings and sculpture depicting mining and related industries.

South Dakota

Black Hills Mining Museum 323 W. Main St. Lead, SD 57754 (605) 584-1605

Seasonal Hours-

Summer Schedule: Open mid-May until mid-October, Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00. Closed Sunday.

Off-season by appointment only

The museum, gold panning, and tour are fee based.

The Black Hills Mining Museum was designated by the South Dakota State Legislature in 2014 as the official mining museum of South Dakota.  The museum offers a gift shop, gold panning, 5,000 sq. ft. museum with a theater, and its signature feature of a guided tour through a recreated underground level of the legendary Homestake gold mine that ran in Lead for 125 years.  Allow one hour for the tour.  Last tour leaves at 4:00 pm.

Mining Heritage Exhibit at the Chihuahua Desert Research Institute and Nature Preserve (432) 364-2499

Open all year; admission is free. Guides can be arranged by calling the CDRI at 505-364-2499.

Constructed by a group of Mining Engineers and Geologists who were classmates at Texas Western College (now UTEP) 1957-1961, the idea is to show how small-scale mining would have been carried out in the Chihuahua Desert, which includes West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico in the old days.

In addition to an 18-ft. high head frame and 50 ft. of track for small ore cars, a pavilion houses many exhibits like drills, carbide lamps, old mine maps and photos, and relics used with explosives. There are also piles of boulders of several ores which have been mined in the region.

It is a great education exhibit for school children and senior groups, and admission is free.

Washington, D.C.

Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology Gems and Minerals Smithonian National Museum of Natural History Washington DC 202-357-2700

Free Admission. Open 10am-5:30 daily. From the Hope Diamond to the walk-through mine (funded by members of National Mining Association), experience the finest gem and mineral collection and interactive, educational exhibits.

West Virginia

Exhibition Coal Mine New River Park Beckley, WV 304-256-1747

Tours 10am-5:30pm. Adults: $8, Seniors: $7, Children 4-12: $5, Children under 4: Free Includes underground mine tour and surface buildings. Shows low-seam coal mine from its earliest manual stages to modern mechanized operation.

West Virginia Mine Wars Museum 336 Mate Street Matewan, WV 25678 304-546-8473

The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, in the heart of Historic Matewan, preserves and interprets artifacts and historical records of the local communities affected by the West Virginia Mine Wars, exploring historical events from multiple perspective through the lives of ordinary people.

Scotts Run Museum and Trail P0 Box 264 Osage, WV 26543 304-599-1931

This Museum and History Trail is a project of the nonprofit Scott’s Run Park and Recreation, Inc, for the purpose of preserving the legacy and oral history of the coal boom in the nine communities that make up Scott’s Run, and to encourage development of the park, gardens, music row, and businesses in the area.

National Coal Heritage Area – Bramwell Depot 100 Simmons St Bramwell, WV 24715 1-866-858-5959

The Historic Bramwell Depot construction project is a part of the Heritage Park that was developed in Bramwell, WV. The depot is officially known as the Southern Interpretive Center of the Coal Heritage Trail, a National Historic Byway. The original train station was demolished in the 1950s. It was rebuilt by a federal government grant. Groundbreaking for rebuilding the depot was held on August 2,1996. the Depot now houses interpretive exibits that offer insight into the rich heritage of the Poachontas Coalfields. Depot serves as a welcome center for tourist visiting the Home of the Bramwell Millionaires. It was completed in 2003 and is now open seven days a week.

Bituminous Coal Heritage Foundation Museum 347 Main Street Boone County Madison, WV 25130 304-369-0316 or 304-369-9118

The Bituminous Coal Heritage Foundation Museum was created by the Boone County Development Corporation and chartered by the State of West Virginia. The growth of the West Virginia Coal Festival and area historic attractions encouraged Foundation members and the Development Authority to develop a museum. The downtown coal museum showcases the history of coal and its people. The museum was and remains an educational place visited by schoolchildren, out of area visitors, and former coal miners and their decedents.

Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum 401 Evansdale Dr Morgantown, WV 26505 304-293-4609

The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the social, cultural, and technological history of West Virginia’s coal and petroleum industries through the collection, preservation, research and exhibition of historical objects and archival materials.

The Watts Museum is housed in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University.

The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums

405 East Main Street Platteville, WI 53818 608-348-3301

Your underground adventure awaits! Tour the 1845 Bevans Lead-Zinc Mine, ride in a 1931 mine train (weather permitting), and discover the local history of the Upper Mississippi Valley mining district. The Museums trace the development of lead and zinc mining in the Upper Mississippi Valley using models, dioramas, artifacts, and photographs. A guided tour includes a walk down into the 1845 Bevans Lead Mine, a tour of the headframe building and hoist house, and an above-ground outdoor train ride pulled by a 1931 mine locomotive. The Rollo Jamison Collection exhibits include artifacts, stories and music of home, farm and family life and nostalgic local cultural history.

Black Thunder Mine

Call for more information; please call to determine if a group tour can be scheduled in June, July or August 2009.

Near Gillette, WY. Call for tour information: (307) 464-2201

Foundation Coal West, Inc. For more information, contact:

Gillette Convention and Visitors Bureau 1810 S. Douglas Highway, #A Gillette, WY 82718 307-686-0040

Call for more information, or visit the website. Learn about the coal mining industry in Campbell County (Gillette, WY) which provides over 30% of the United States coal for electrical power generation.

© 2022, National Mining Association

RoadsideAmerica.com Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions

Attraction:

Exhibition Coal Mine

Beckley, West Virginia

Coal is the lumpy, black foundation upon which West Virginia rests, both physically and economically. A recent flap of mine explosions and cave-ins reminded us that West Virginia is still chock full of deadly holes where men toil to heat our homes. There really is no attraction better suited to this statethan a coal mine.

Don't let the "Exhibition" in the name of this place fool you. Beckley's isn't a phony, like the fake factory at Hershey's Chocolate World in Pennsylvania. This once served as a working coal mine. It closed in 1910, the city grew up around its entrance, and the area surrounding it became a city park. In 1960 the mine was re-opened as a tourist attraction. We've been on plenty of underground tours, but never one where the main thrust is to tell you how toblast a bigger and deeper hole in the ground.

You're seated in mine cars and driven in what is essentially a big loop under a hillside, with plenty of stops so that your guide -- an ex-coal miner -- can point out displays in the murky darkness and fill your skull with mine arcana.

Beckley was a low seam coal mine. "Low seam" means a low ceiling -- a fact that you need to remember when you visit. The ceiling is only an inch or two above your head in your mine car. If you stand up while the train is in motion, you will die. This is a grungy tour -- full of arcane facts and with nothing really attractive to see. It's not really geared for kids or the ladies, though our tour includes a mix of family units. You never get out of your seat, and it's cold and damp in a coal mine, so bringa sweatshirt.

Our guide, Charles, peppers the tour with a well worn set of jokes that don't seem so bad when they're delivered by an authentic coal miner. For example, he tells us about "the fire boss" -- the guy whose job was to check for methane gas and then try to burn it offbefore it exploded and killed him. "We went through a lot of fire bosses," Charles says. "A pretty good job for a mother-in-law!"

"Or a brother-in-law," he adds, quickly realizing that our train probably includes several mothers-in-law.

The coal seam in Beckley is 180 feet underground and 40 inches high. There are plenty of places where it can still be seen, which makes one wonder whythe mine was closed -- except maybe because the place was so dangerous.

Charles shows us an example of a "widowmaker" -- a petrified tree stump uncovered in the ceiling, surrounded by a thin ring of coal where the bark was. Widowmakers had a habit of falling and crushing miners. "If this roof collapses," Charles adds in another well-rehearsed line, "we'll at least know there's nowhere around here we could be buried deeper orcheaper."

The mine has a weird smell -- like bad oil, we hope, not methane. Charles is oblivious to it as he does his best to entertain the group. He turns off the lights to give us the obligatory "moment of total darkness." He gets on the floor to demonstrate how miners would use "rail scooters" instead of crawling. He tells us that miners would discourage water theft by putting their false teeth in their water pails. He shows us the world's first mechanical coal scoop, invented in 1963 by a miner, and promptly stolen andpatented by somebody else. "Probably a Yankee," Charles cracks.

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is a gritty change of pace from the typical sanitized commercial cave. It's occasionally used as a set for independent features and cable TV movies. Tour guides like Charles work as extras, eitheras miners or as corpses.

New River City Park

More on Exhibition Coal Mine

Nearby Offbeat Places

More Quirky Attractions in West Virginia

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in West Virginia .

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here . Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! ... Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

West Virginia Latest Tips and Stories

• Pink and Green Giraffe , Huntington, West Virginia
• George Washington Cliff Sculpture , Fairplain, West Virginia
• Slack Plaza Musician Sculptures , Charleston, West Virginia
• Only Lighthouse in West Virginia , Mount Nebo, West Virginia
• Sea Monster, Scrap Art Creatures , New Cumberland, West Virginia

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Diamond Caverns , Park City, Kentucky (Jun 24-30, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

• Cubist Buffalo , Buffalo, Wyoming
• Recycled Roadrunner , Las Cruces, New Mexico
• Old Perpetual: Man-Made Geyser , Lakeview, Oregon
• World's Largest Chile Pepper , Las Cruces, New Mexico
• Building Shaped like a Longhorn Skull , Amado, Arizona

More Sightings

Miscellaneous

• Submit a Tip
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Trip Planning Caution : RoadsideAmerica.com offers maps, directions and attraction details as a convenience, providing all information as is. Attraction status, hours and prices change without notice; call ahead!

Credits, Media/Business Inquiries © Copyright 1996-2024 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, copied or revised without written permission of the authors.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine packed for West Virginia Day

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Workers and visitors at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine spent West Virginia day celebrating the Mountain State with tons of activities everyone could enjoy!

The oldest river in North America flows through West Virginia

With discounted tickets for mine tours, cupcakes, and West Virginia vendors, the Coal Mine was packed with people.

Michael Galloway came all the way from Dover, Arkansas to take the mine tour. He said this is his second time visiting the Mountain State.

“We fell in love with the state and we wanted to see other parts of it, so we decided to come here this summer. We knew that we wanted to go to the coal mine and looked up information on it and we’re here.” said Galloway.

Galloway feels a special connection with the mine as his grandfather was a miner killed on the job back in Arkansas.

He said that it was pure coincidence that he and his wife visited on West Virginia Day, but that they’ll continue to visit the state as often as they can.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.

Recommended Stories

How did trump and biden do in the debate 3 takeaways from 2024's 1st big clash..

A live, televised debate is one of the last moments with the power to actually change anyone’s vote. So how did Trump and Biden do? Here are three takeaways from the presidential debate.

Bluesky 'starter packs' help new users find their way

Bluesky introduced “starter packs,” which aim to address that initial discovery problem by allow existing users to build lists of accounts and custom feeds oriented around specific interests or themes.

USMNT denounces racist comments toward players after brutal Copa America loss to Panama

"U.S. Soccer stands firmly against racism in all forms and will continue to support our players."

USMNT's Tim Weah apologizes after red card for striking Panama player in disastrous Copa América loss

"Today, I let my team and my country down."

Former N.C. State star DJ Burns goes undrafted, joins Cavaliers for Summer League after losing 45 pounds

The Cavaliers Summer League team just got a lot more fun.

NFL loses 'Sunday Ticket' trial, ordered to pay $4 billion by federal jury

The NFL must pay $4 billion, a federal jury ruled in a class action lawsuit alleging that the league violated antitrust law to suppress competition.

This early Prime Day deal gets you up to 50% off Ring doorbells and cameras

Step up your home security with a range of top-rated surveillance bundles to keep you safe and sound.

UFC 303: Alex Pereira denies Jiří Procházka's request to not use 'magic' for light heavyweight title bout

The UFC remains a very serious place.

Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best early Prime Day deals to shop ahead of the summer sale

Amazon Prime Day 2024 was just confirmed to run July 16-17. Here's all the info we have so far, along with early deals you can shop early.

Scoop up Oprah's favorite bamboo sheet set for way less with our exclusive code

Made of soft, cooling viscose, this luxurious bedding can help keep night sweats at bay and feels like a dream.

NHRA legend John Force moved to neurological intensive care after fiery crash

Force has been in a trauma ICU since his crash on Sunday.

This 'soft and cozy' Hanes sweatshirt is a steal at $9 — that's 50% off

'The quality is superb': 41,000+ shoppers give this classic top five stars, praising the construction, fit and price.

Fast food chains lean into value this summer. Will it be enough to boost their lagging stocks?

Value is on the menu this summer as fast food restaurants attempt to turn around the narrative that their food is too expensive.

7 ways to save money on a tight budget

Finding ways to save money on a tight budget can be challenging, but these seven strategies can help you find extra savings to sock away.

FCC rule would make carriers unlock all phones after 60 days

The FCC wants to make it significantly easier for consumers to unlock their phones from their carriers, proposing that all devices must be unlockable just 60 days after purchase. Mobile phones purchased from a carrier are generally locked to that carrier until either the contract is up or the phone is paid off. To be clear, this is not about opening up your phone using a face, fingerprint or password, but changing settings in its software to allow it to work with different mobile networks.

Jobless claims data show 'warning sign' for the US labor market

The number of continuing applications for unemployment benefits just hit its highest level in more than two years, concerning economists that the labor market's softening may accelerate.

I'm a former pro baker, and this cleaner used in 'The Bear' is what keeps my crusty pans looking shiny

The restaurant industry essential can make appliances, cookware and grout look like new.

Meta starts testing user-created AI chatbots on Instagram

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that the company will begin to surface AI characters made by creators through Meta AI studio on Instagram. The social media company's announcement comes on the same day as a16z-backed chatbot company Character.AI is rolling out the ability for users to talk with AI avatars over a call. In a post on his broadcast channel, Zuckerberg noted that these chatbots will be clearly marked as AI so users are aware.

How long can your pasta salad stay out? Here's what food safety experts say

From serving to storing summer faves, keep these pro tips in mind for your next cookout to avoid potential illness.

Get a Blink Outdoor 4 system with a Blink Mini 2 for $50 in an early Prime Day deal

Get the Blink Outdoor 4 and Blink Mini 2 bundle for 64 percent off.

Things to Do

• Places to Stay
• Places to Go

Travel Responsibly

Places to stay, places to go, adventure & recreation.

• Aerial Excursions
• ATV & Off-roading
• Horseback Riding
• Motorsports
• Rock Climbing
• Scenic Trains
• Skiing & Winter Sports
• Watersports
• Whitewater Rafting

Luxury & Relaxation

• Natural Springs
• Off the Grid

Culture and Lifestyle

• Dining & Drinks
• Farm-To-Table
• History & Heritage
• Nightlife & Entertainment

Events Calendar

Discover fall in almost heaven.

Featured Destinations

From ATV excursions in small towns to scenic drives across the state, West Virginia is made for everyone. Rest and relax at a world-class resort or head out for a waterfall hike. It’s all waiting for you this summer in Almost Heaven.

Chase stunning fall foliage this season aboard a scenic train ride or ATV excursion. Reconnect with friends and family in a cozy cabin. From charming small towns to flavorful farm-to-table dishes, an autumn adventure awaits in Almost Heaven.

Featured Road Trip

Get a true taste of west virginia along this memorable route.

Less than three hours outside Roanoke, this stretch of West Virginia is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Shaped by the famous New River Gorge, you’ll find plenty of riverside activities, outdoor adventures and some of the most extraordinary views. Pair that with the region’s compelling historical past and vibrant small towns, and you’ve got one very memorable trip....

Explore Road Trips

Culture & Lifestyle

Check Out These Charming Small Towns in Almost Heaven

Get a true taste of west virginia along this memorable route, a memorable trip through the potomac highlands.

Defined by its rivers and lush forests, this region in southern West Virginia has some of the most spectacular outdoor recreation.

Explore Some of West Virginia's Most Stunning Sights

Just a short drive outside of the Washington and Baltimore metro areas, this loop through West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle is both a relaxing and enlightening weekend getaway.

You Can Take a Drive and a Dip Along This Historic Loop

Travel regions, parks and public lands.

Public Waters

National Parks

State Parks

Wildlife Management Areas

National Forests

Mountain Towns

Cabins & Vacation Rentals

Bed & Breakfasts

Hotels & Motels

Vacation Homes & Rentals

Explore lodging.

Whether you prefer a luxury retreat at a world-class resort or a rustic campsite stay under starry night skies, West Virginia has accommodations for every type of traveler. As you plan your mountain road trip, explore one-of-a-kind stays and traditional comforts along the way. The peace and solitude of Almost Heaven is just an overnight stay away.

Current Season

Escape the churn and burn of the daily routine and hit the road this summer. Explore wide open spaces with plenty of room to roam.

Nature works her magic every autumn in West Virginia. As the third most forested state, our country roads are vibrant with color and a sight to behold in the fall.

The wonder of winter in West Virginia is filled with untouched fallen snow, scrapes of skates along fresh ice and snow-capped mountain views you have to see to believe.

Blooming rhododendrons. Wildflower hikes. Rushing waterfalls. Welcome to spring in West Virginia. It's the season where Almost Heaven comes alive.

Coal Heritage Trail

The Coal Heritage Trail is a driving trail that  winds through more than (13 counties) 187 rugged miles of scenic industrial heritage, where thousands of hard-working miners labored to produce the coal which created modern America.

The story of the southern West Virginia “smokeless” coalfields is a remarkable legacy of working-class culture, industrial might, racial and ethnic diversity, and the creation of a unique and distinctive culture of national significance. As you journey along  the Coal Heritage Trail you will pass through National Historic Districts and see many of the physical remnants of the coal boom such as coal miners' homes, company stores, company offices, railroad yards and other structures that defined life in the "smokeless coal fields”.

You may want to visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine or stop in one of the many towns for a relaxing lunch and chat with some of the locals.   The trail takes about 4.5 hours to drive and can be broken down into a two day travel experience. The Trail begins on RT. 52 in Bluefield and travels to Welch, the takes RT. 16 North to Ansted. No tolls.  The Coal Heritage Trail Is part of the National Coal Heritage Area.

Nearby Attractions:

Mountain Top Fudge Factory

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott - Beckley WV

New River Outfitters & Guide Service

Theatre West Virginia Outdoor Dramas

King Tut Drive-In. Inc.

RALEIGH County

Nearby Events:

10/19/24 | Fayetteville, WV

Trip Inspiration

A Summer Guide to Charleston, West Virginia

Charleston is full of life year-round, but the summer months are truly when it begins to show off. Check out this Summer Guide to Charlesto...

Your 1-Week Vacation in Southern West Virginia Awaits

Almost Heaven is full of perfect week-long getaway adventures. From world-class whitewater rafting to cozy cabin rentals, Southern West Vir...

New Happenings in Almost Heaven, West Virginia

From unique and delicious dining spots to one-of-a-kind, stellar lodging options, there is an endless array of exciting happenings taking p...

Dive into Adventure at the Mossy Oak Pavilion at Whizzbangers Ball

Get ready to embark on a wild adventure at Whizzbangers Ball, a vibrant celebration of the great outdoors and live music. Taking place on J...

Your Off-Road Trail Guide to Hatfield-McCoy Trails

With 10 diverse trail systems and counting, Hatfield-McCoy Trail System in southern West Virginia is heaven for avid off-roaders. The combi...

Make a Few Charming Stops in the Hatfield-McCoy Mountains

West Virginia is brimming with endless adventure off the beaten path. As the days get longer and the evenings get warmer, it is the perfect...

4 Reasons Why The Hatfield-McCoy Mountains Region is Worth a Trip

The Hatfield-McCoy Mountains region is rooted in history and has the perfect blend of adventures. From the ATV-friendly towns to the mounta...

A sweet activity: the West Virginia Honey Trail

Looking for a fun and unique activity? Set out on the West Virginia Honey Trail! Meet passionate beekeepers and learn more about the roles ...

Head for the Mountains This Memorial Day Weekend

The end of May is what marks the unofficial start to the summer season in West Virginia. From chasing charming waterfalls to pumping your h...

Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine

Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine 513 Ewart Ave P.O. Box 2514 Beckley WV 25801 Phone: (304) 256-1747 www.beckleymine.com Open first weekend in April to November 1.

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is located about two miles from I-77.  Take exit 44 which is WV 3 and head east.   Go 1.5 miles and turn left on Ewart Avenue.   (Note: Ewart Avenue is very hard to find.  Look for the Eagle Convenience Store on your left.  Evert Avenue is just after Eagle.)

The mine and all the other buildings will be on your right after about 0.5 miles.  There is lots of parking.

Driving Note: Remember that the I-77 exit for Bluefield is exit 1; Princeton is at exit 9.  There is a toll booth on I-77 between Princeton and Beckley.  In 2009, the toll for cars was $2.00 each way.

The coal-miner's house, coal-town church, superintendent's house and school are furnished on the inside with antiques from the 1940s and 1950s and show you what life was life back then.

Please note that this is a very popular destination for school groups.  If you want a less crowded tour, you might want to come later in the afternoon after the school buses have left.

Coal Mining Video  Be sure to watch the video on the web site below.  The video is about coal mining in Southern West Virginia.  There are scenes from the Beckley and Pocahontas Exhibitions mines. http://www.visitwv.com/beckleycoalmine.cfm

• myWHRO Login

Underground tours resume at Minnesota's oldest iron mine

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

All right. Hopefully, you're not afraid of the dark or of heights because we're about to plunge more than 2,300 feet underground, into Minnesota's oldest iron ore mine. The state provides most of America's iron ore. This mine has been closed for four years, first during the pandemic, then for maintenance. Now it's open again, and Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Kraker tagged along with a fifth-grade class on a recent tour.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE CAGE BUZZER)

SARAH GUY-LEVAR: Alright, let's go. In you go.

DAN KRAKER, BYLINE: Sarah Guy-Levar herds about a dozen kids and several adults into a disconcertingly small steel cage for the descent into the Soudan Underground Mine. It's only 5 feet deep, 6 1/2 feet across. We're squashed like sardines.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE CAGE DROPPING)

GUY-LEVAR: In the days of mining, 18 to 21 full-grown men in this cage.

KRAKER: The cage zooms down through the rock, rattling as it plummets down, down, dropping 1,000 feet per minute to the 27th - and deepest - level of the mine.

KAREL WINKELAAR: Watch your step.

KRAKER: At the bottom, a sign tells us we are 2,341 feet below the surface, 689 feet below sea level.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE TRAIN)

KRAKER: Then we hop on a train and ride nearly a mile to the last area that was mined.

WINKELAAR: All right, come on over here, guys. Everybody...

KRAKER: Tour guide Karel Winkelaar leads the way into a large cavern dug out of the rock.

WINKELAAR: This was the ore body that we're in right now. You mined all the ore from overhead.

KRAKER: The Soudan Mine opened in 1882. The ore here was prized to make the steel vital to the nation's industrial growth and to fight in World Wars I and II.

WINKELAAR: I want you guys to come in a little closer.

KRAKER: Winkelaar shuts off the lights. It's so dark, no one can see their hands. He lights a small candle, just as miners would have a century ago.

WINKELAAR: This candle happens to be put into what we call a corner sconce, and that corner sconce is designed to be worn in your hard hat like this. You put it on here, and now you can go to work and work hands-free.

KRAKER: Mine workers toiled 12 hours a day, six days a week, and only got paid for the ore they hauled up. Winkelaar tells the students most of them were immigrants from Eastern Europe.

WINKELAAR: The company is going to be taking advantage of you. You guys are immigrants. We're going to give you the jobs that nobody else wants to do.

GUY-LEVAR: All right, we're ready to load.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE CAGE ASCENDING)

KRAKER: After the three-minute ride back to daylight, we visit the engine house. Three-thousand-foot-long steel cables unspool on a giant drum to lower the cages down the shaft. Jesse Gornick and Steve Yapel maintain the 100-year-old electric hoist. Both their grandfathers and great-grandfathers worked here. Gornick says they're custodians of history.

JESSE GORNICK: And expressing the knowledge and the importance of mining to others and kind of keeping it alive for future generations to understand why it's important.

KRAKER: This is the 59th summer of tours at the Soudan Mine, since it became a state park in 1965. Sarah Guy-Levar, the park's interpretive supervisor, says crews recently completed a nearly $10 million project to reconstruct part of the mine shaft.

GUY-LEVAR: So we don't have to worry about anything caving in onto the cages, and it is a smooth ride right now. I know it felt really bumpy and shaky to you, but the engineers did a great job.

KRAKER: About 35,000 people tour the mine every year, and Guy-Levar expects pent-up demand to take this deep dive into Minnesota history.

For NPR News, I'm Dan Kraker, in Soudan, Minn.

(SOUNDBITE OF NORMAN BLAKE'S "SLEEPY EYED JOE/INDIAN CREEK") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Underground tours resume at Minnesota's oldest iron mine

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

All right. Hopefully, you're not afraid of the dark or of heights because we're about to plunge more than 2,300 feet underground, into Minnesota's oldest iron ore mine. The state provides most of America's iron ore. This mine has been closed for four years, first during the pandemic, then for maintenance. Now it's open again, and Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Kraker tagged along with a fifth-grade class on a recent tour.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE CAGE BUZZER)

SARAH GUY-LEVAR: Alright, let's go. In you go.

DAN KRAKER, BYLINE: Sarah Guy-Levar herds about a dozen kids and several adults into a disconcertingly small steel cage for the descent into the Soudan Underground Mine. It's only 5 feet deep, 6 1/2 feet across. We're squashed like sardines.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE CAGE DROPPING)

GUY-LEVAR: In the days of mining, 18 to 21 full-grown men in this cage.

KRAKER: The cage zooms down through the rock, rattling as it plummets down, down, dropping 1,000 feet per minute to the 27th - and deepest - level of the mine.

KAREL WINKELAAR: Watch your step.

KRAKER: At the bottom, a sign tells us we are 2,341 feet below the surface, 689 feet below sea level.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE TRAIN)

KRAKER: Then we hop on a train and ride nearly a mile to the last area that was mined.

WINKELAAR: All right, come on over here, guys. Everybody...

KRAKER: Tour guide Karel Winkelaar leads the way into a large cavern dug out of the rock.

WINKELAAR: This was the ore body that we're in right now. You mined all the ore from overhead.

KRAKER: The Soudan Mine opened in 1882. The ore here was prized to make the steel vital to the nation's industrial growth and to fight in World Wars I and II.

WINKELAAR: I want you guys to come in a little closer.

KRAKER: Winkelaar shuts off the lights. It's so dark, no one can see their hands. He lights a small candle, just as miners would have a century ago.

WINKELAAR: This candle happens to be put into what we call a corner sconce, and that corner sconce is designed to be worn in your hard hat like this. You put it on here, and now you can go to work and work hands-free.

KRAKER: Mine workers toiled 12 hours a day, six days a week, and only got paid for the ore they hauled up. Winkelaar tells the students most of them were immigrants from Eastern Europe.

WINKELAAR: The company is going to be taking advantage of you. You guys are immigrants. We're going to give you the jobs that nobody else wants to do.

GUY-LEVAR: All right, we're ready to load.

(SOUNDBITE OF MINE CAGE ASCENDING)

KRAKER: After the three-minute ride back to daylight, we visit the engine house. Three-thousand-foot-long steel cables unspool on a giant drum to lower the cages down the shaft. Jesse Gornick and Steve Yapel maintain the 100-year-old electric hoist. Both their grandfathers and great-grandfathers worked here. Gornick says they're custodians of history.

JESSE GORNICK: And expressing the knowledge and the importance of mining to others and kind of keeping it alive for future generations to understand why it's important.

KRAKER: This is the 59th summer of tours at the Soudan Mine, since it became a state park in 1965. Sarah Guy-Levar, the park's interpretive supervisor, says crews recently completed a nearly $10 million project to reconstruct part of the mine shaft.

GUY-LEVAR: So we don't have to worry about anything caving in onto the cages, and it is a smooth ride right now. I know it felt really bumpy and shaky to you, but the engineers did a great job.

KRAKER: About 35,000 people tour the mine every year, and Guy-Levar expects pent-up demand to take this deep dive into Minnesota history.

For NPR News, I'm Dan Kraker, in Soudan, Minn.

(SOUNDBITE OF NORMAN BLAKE'S "SLEEPY EYED JOE/INDIAN CREEK") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.